The WIAA Division 1 state swim meet in Madison on Saturday was a bittersweet experience for Ali Hanson and Clare Martell, the two qualifiers from the Shawano/Bonduel high school girls swimming team.
The duo, who grew up swimming together since they were 8 years old, were swimming as teammates for the last time.
Hanson, a Shawano Community High School senior, will swim for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay next year. Martell, a junior, will return to try for a fourth-straight trip to state.
“Friday was their last practice together,” said Shawano/Bonduel coach Sharon Hanson, who is Ali’s mother. “They don’t swim on the same club team together. … I think that was a pretty meaningful meet for them. … It was an exciting day.”
Neither swimmer, though, had her best day in the pool.
Ali Hanson, swimming the 50- and 100-yard freestyle at state for the second straight year, improved on her 19th-place finish in the event last year. This year she completed the race in 53.38 seconds, down from 54.00 in 2013, to take 12th.
Arrowhead junior Kelly Jacob won the event with a time of 50.73.
Ali Hanson took 16th in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.57. She took 14th in the event in 2013. Jacob also won that event with a time of 23.13.
“She just had a little slower breakouts, coming out from under the water,” Sharon Hanson said. “In the 50 free, it’s just kind of how it’s going to go that day. There’s very little time between where the top 16 are.”
Martell, swimming the 100 breaststroke for the third straight year, finished 13th with a time of 1:07.89, a little more than a second more than her sectional time from last week. Martell placed seventh in the event last year and was 11th as a freshman.
“She just didn’t quite get her tempo in the second split,” Sharon Hanson said. “The first split was right where she wanted to be. She just didn’t find that tempo again. Clare is a very rhythmic swimmer.”
Nicolet junior Gwen Worlton took first with a time of 1:02.73.
For the first time in three years, Shawano/Bonduel did not have a relay team at state, and it might have contributed to Hanson and Martell’s performance.
The coach said the team was very close this season, and not having familiar faces there for support was a big change.
“It’s different to go down with just two people than with a relay team,” Sharon Hanson said. “It’s a lot harder. Not that I’m making excuses, but a race like that 50 free is all about having that adrenaline. … It changes things a little bit on the pool deck, not having that relay there with you.”
Sharon Hanson said she wasn’t sad to see Ali’s high school career close, and is looking forward to seeing her swim at UWGB next year.
“It’s just another thing that I can see that she’s ready for that next step,” she said.
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