On Saturday, October 24th, the Crystal Lake Co-Op Girls Swim Team competed at the 2020 IHSA Sectional tournament, finishing in fifth place.

Sectionals is a championship meet where only a few girls can attend based on their speed; however, it was a bit different this year. The team was limited in the number of athletes allowed to swim and there were strict guidelines that needed to be followed. 

Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions, strict social distancing rules were in place during the meet. Every team had their own team area and masks were required on and off the deck. Additionally, only coaches were allowed on the pool deck to watch the swimmers race. 

Crystal Lake had just eight swimmers competing, which was unheard of in previous years. 

It was definitely a mental challenge for all of the girls in order to stay calm and focused while making sure all procedures were followed diligently. 

Regardless, Crystal Lake pulled through and took home fifth place, one point behind Huntley. 

The eight girls that competed on Saturday were Abigail Daman, Olivia Dannhuas, Julia Lech, Magdalene Noftz, Mackenzie Resch, Madalyn Uhl, Avery Watson, and Abi Zelikman. 

Every girl dropped a significant amount of time in each of their events and scored many points for the team. 

Freshman, Avery Watson from South High School was a standout at Sectionals with two podium finishes (6th place). 

Prairie Ridge sophomores, Madalyn Uhl and Abi Zelikman noted the team’s excellent team bonding skills this year. 

“The team really stuck together this year and had great energy throughout the season, especially today. We still managed to make this season fun even with the current situation,” said Madalyn Uhl. 

Abi Zelikman agreed with her teammate. “Sectionals was a blast! The girls truly came together as a team and finished off the season strong. We incorporated a lot of team bonding this year and I think that it worked in our favor. We are hoping to be Conference champions next season.” 

Even with a global crisis at hand, the Crystal Lake Co-Op Girls Swim Team performed exceptionally well at the IHSA Sectional meet, proving that even when circumstances aren’t ideal, people can still find ways to have fun.