Athletes of the Meet - McLean

Congratulations to Maddy Grosz, Natalie Lauer, Owen Murphy and Owen Dyson on being named athletes of the meet for their performances against McLean.

Maddy is being recognized for her excellence on the diving board and her commitment to the team. Not only did Maddy win the event with another Region-qualifying score, but she also posted strong splits in both the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

Natalie had another strong performance in just her second high school meet. Natalie set  personal-best times in both the 200 IM and 100 breast, as well as posting strong splits in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. She leads her lane every day and exhibits an impressive work ethic at practice.

Owen Murphy led the men in the dive competition, winning the event with another region-qualifying score. More importantly, he remained invested in the entire meet. As Coach Brenda pointed out, Owen was consistently at the end of the lanes to cheer on his teammates all night long.

Owen Dyson had a phenomenal night, posting near-personal bests in both the 100 free and 100 back. Despite being comfortably in the lead during both races, Owen never slowed down or took anything for granted. He gave his full effort in every race and demonstrated a champion's mindset throughout the night.

There were a number of other athletes whose performances were worthy of honorable mention:

• Girl divers -- Special thanks goes out to Elizabeth McNiff, Elsa Mardsen, Camille Jacobs, and Maddy Grosz for their performances in the 200 medley and 200 free relays. The ladies stepped out of their element and gave their very best efforts. Not only were they good sports, but they also posted strong split times that were on-par with their swimming peers.
• Emma Wainwright -- Emma followed up her strong debut with another outstanding meet. Not only did she win 2 individual events, but she looked strong throughout the night on relays as well. She also brings a positive attitude and strong work ethic to every practice. Emma is rapidly becoming an important leader on our team.
• Vera Korff -- Vera set a new personal-best time in the 500 freestyle tonight. While she is not known for her distance swimming, she stepped into the role and did a fantastic job for her team. Her lead-off split in the 400 free relay was also exemplary.
• Katie Noel -- Katie is another athlete who set a personal-best during the meet. She set a new standard for herself in the 100 free. Given her hard work every day at practice it will not be long before she eclipses tonight's performance.
• Hunter Moss -- Hunter just missed a region cut by 5.55 points. His second-place performance was outstanding and helped provide the men's team with valuable points. 
• Evan Moss -- Evan had his high school debut tonight and flashed real potential for the future. The most impressive part of his performance is the 2 new dives that he performed at the meet. Evan learned both dives this week ahead of the meet. He takes instruction well and continues to strengthen his dive repertoire.  
• Ian Wisnewski -- Ian is a young man who demonstrates the kind of positive qualities that define what it means to compete for Madison swim and dive. He works hard every day to maximize his abilities and talents. In tonight's meet he set a personal best in the 50 free.
• Adam Roth -- Adam has never been faster than he was tonight in the 200 free and 400 free relays. In both cases, his splits were easily among the top times performed at the meet. Adam is not as vocal as others on the team, but his hard work and performances tonight speak volumes about who he is as an athlete and team member. 
• Benham Cobb -- Benham started his sophomore season with a bang, winning the 200 IM and 100 fly. His finish in the 100 fly helped him steal a victory away from McLean by 0.02 seconds. That effort demonstrated the importance of focusing on the little things at practice, like turns and finishes, which he does an excellent job of. 
• Will Bush -- Will had great swims in the 100 breast and 100 fly tonight. His time in the breast shaved nearly 2 seconds off his previous personal-best, while he was just off in the fly. Will also works hard at practice every day to improve his strokes, and it shows in his times! 
• Aidan Jones -- Aidan also set a new personal-best, this time in the 200 freestyle by nearly 1.5 seconds. Aidan's performance in the 500 was also strong. He is one of many freshmen who have already established themselves as rising stars for the team.