By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
One of the better seasons in recent years for the Burlington Co-op girls high school swim team ended in a restaurant in Janesville.
The Demons sent three swimmers to the WIAA Division 1 State Girls Swimming & Diving Championships Nov. 11 at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.
As is tradition for the members of BC, the team gathered at the Janesville Olive Garden and scarfed down salad, bread sticks and other Italian dishes. Coach Denita Jones said a group of 34 sat for dinner.
Burlington Co-op consists of swimmers from Burlington, Catholic Central, Union Grove and Waterford high schools.
Jones said the Demons tapered for the sectional meet on Nov. 4 at Greenfield High School. Tapering is the practice of swimming less and focusing more on technique prior to a big meet.
“They swam pretty close to their seed times,” Jones said. “You always hope for a best time, but the big taper was for the sectional meet. We tried to hold the taper for state.”
Burlington senior Jenna Hotvedt finished 19th in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:18.93. Sophie Henshue of Verona Area/Mount Horeb won the event (4:58.29).
Catholic Central freshman Morgan Dietzel finished 19th in the 100 backstroke with a time of 59.89. Union Grove’s Morgan Traughber finished 22nd (1:0.31). Madison West’s Katrina Marty won the event (53.88).
Dietzel advanced to state after winning the 100 backstroke (1:01.41) and setting a team record at the sectional meet.
Hotvedt finished second in the 500 freestyle at the sectional meet with a time of 5:16.51. Hotvedt’s time also earned her a place at state.
Traughber qualified for state in the 100 backstroke after finishing third at the sectional with a time of 58.93 seconds.
Burlington won the sectional title, and added another trophy to an already outstanding season. BC won the Southern Lakes Conference Meet Oct. 28 at Whitewater High School, and clinched both the regular season and conference meet titles.
BC last won the SLC title in 2011. The Demons finished second to Lake Geneva Badger Co-op in the SLC every year from 2011 to 2016.
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