DCE swimmers enjoying historical year

WESTON — The 100 yard butterfly record for the D.C. Everest girls swim program finally fell last Thursday after lasting for more than three decades.

Freshman Emma Van Ermen finished second in the event during the Wisconsin Valley Conference meet in Stevens Point in 1 minute, 0.35 seconds. It was more than a second faster than the time that Sue Bobbitt swam in 1979.

"I didn't really sink in at first," Van Ermen said about seeing her time after finishing the race. "Then I was like, 'Oh, wait. What?' I was surprised and happy (about the record). I wanted to break it, but I didn't think I would do it this year."

Van Ermen entered the meet with a seed time of 1:03.27 in the event and her performance in the butterfly was a highlight on the night for the Evergreens, who captured the WVC meet title and tied Stevens Point Area Senior High for the overall conference title — both for the first time in the program's history.

It also ended a long fascination with the name S. Bobbitt that was was posted among Everest's team records.

"We just always have wondered who she was," Evergreens co-captain Miranda Copa said.

A few members of the team did some research in the school library a week before the WVC meet and pulled out the Everest yearbook from 1979 to read up not only on the Bobbitt but the accomplishments from the Evergreens swim team that year overall. Everest won the sectional meet that year and also took five swimmers to state.

This year's group has already recorded a historical season, going into Saturday's WIAA Division 1 sectional meet in Hudson. The year's highlights include a program-first win over Wausau East in a WVC dual meet in mid October.

"If you would have asked me (about the team) at the start of season, I wasn't really sure where we were at," Everest first-year coach Melissa Springer said. "Our first (conference) dual meet out of the gate was against SPASH and we lost by 10 (points). I felt that we had a pretty good team, but it was just figuring out where do we put people in what events.

"I knew this team had depth and that we would have a shot at (beating East)," Springer said. "East is always really good at getting up and swimming big when they need to, but we just had a great lineup and great relays that day. We had great energy and (the Everest swimmers) went for it. They wanted the win."

The Evergreens should be poised for future success as the team has a young foundation of talent. There were six freshmen on the Evergreens roster this year, three of which swam the WVC meet. Sophomore Madalyn Peterson also qualified for the state meet last year in the 100 backstroke.

"It's pretty exciting. We know the freshman we have are pretty good but we want to keep working (as a team)," Everest junior and co-captain Riley Westfall said.

Tim Johnson can be reached at 715-845-0731 or at timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com. Find him on Twitter @timmyjo11.