MADISON, Wisconsin, November 15. IN one of the closest meets of all the high school state championships occurring throughout the nation, Arrowhead High (Division I) and DeForest High (Division II) captured girls state high school titles at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championships held over Nov. 10-11. The meet took place at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison, Wisc.
Division I
Arrowhead High picked up a hard-fought DI team title with 299 points, while Middleton High placed second with 258.5 points. Madison Memorial High finished third with 209 points, while Madison East High (161) and Waukesha South/Mukwonago (127.5) posted the rest of the top five finishes.
Middleton senior Courtney Veerman provided the only state record of the meet with a 4:54.03 in the 500-yard free. That effort smashed the 14-year-old standard of 4:59.38 previously held by Madison West's Stephanie Morey since 1992. Veerman also secured an event double with a victory in the 200 free in 1:50.07.
The other double-event winner came in the form of Arrowhead senior Nicole Landisch. First, she claimed the 50 free in 23.53, before winning the 100 fly in 55.80.
On the springboard, Madison West freshman Kylie Rosenstock won the state one-meter title with 454 points.
Division II
In one of the closest high school state meets in the country, DeForest High held on with 176 points against Whitefish Bay High's second-place tally of 169 points. Grafton High came in a close third with 166 points, while Greendale High and Milton High tied for fourth with 143 points.
New Berlin West High junior Beckie Thompson notched the one state record in the DII meet with a 23.31 in the 50 free. That clocking eclipsed the 23.60 set by Brookfield East High's Sarah Wanezek in 1997. She also touched first in the 100 free with a 51.46 to win the title.
DeForest High junior Kelly Winckler came through with the only other title deuce with wins in the 200 free (1:52.01) and 500 free (4:58.77).
In diving action, New Berlin West High senior Sam Koch took home the one-meter crown with 374.70 points.