By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
Members of the Burlington Co-op girls swimming team went to the Olive Garden in Janesville last fall at the end of the season, and the trip involved ability in the pool as much as it did a desire for all-you-can-eat breadsticks and salad.
The Demons advanced to the WIAA Division 1 State Girls Swimming and Diving Meet after a hiatus of one season, which means the team resumed its tradition of dining at The Olive Garden in Janesville on the way home.
Demons coach Denita Jones said she thinks members look forward to the restaurant even more than they do swimming.
Burlington Co-op consists of swimmers from five schools – Burlington, Burlington Catholic Central, East Troy, Union Grove and Waterford high schools.
Burlington, Union Grove and Waterford historically provide the bulk of the team’s swimmers. The team’s home pool is the Aurora Wellness Center Clinic at 300 McCanna Parkway in Burlington.
BC opens its season Saturday in the Wauwatosa West Varsity Invite at Wauwatosa West High School.
The girls program is moving into uncharted waters this season. Several stalwarts from seasons past are gone. Waterford High School’s DeAnn Jones and Burlington High School’s Olivia Wanasek each competed in three events at state last season, and graduated.
Morgan Traughber and Alyssa Hyland each competed on two relays at state last season with DeAnn Jones and Wanasek. Hyland also graduated.
“This will be a rebuilding season,” Denita Jones said. “After graduating some very talented seniors last year it will be difficult to fill the holes they left behind.”
Traughber, a junior from Burlington, is one of 13 returning letter winners for the Demons.
Waterford’s Kacie Karzewski, Union Grove’s Paige Betthauser and Elise Piper and Burlington’s Maddi Haas, Isabel Moritz, Gianna Vondra, Sammi Brenner, Vicki Heusdens, Jenna Hotvedt, Olivia Piccione, Dorothy Schildt, Morgan Traughber, Claudia Van Bolhuis and Emma Langley are also returning letter winners.
“We have 10 new freshmen joining our team,” Denita Jones said. “I am excited to see what new talent they will bring to the team.”
Badger Co-op, which consists of Lake Geneva Badger, Williams Bay, Big Foot, Wilmot and Westosha Central, is the four-time defending Southern Lakes Conference champion. Burlington and Elkhorn should also be strong.
The SLC consists of Burlington Co-op, Badger Co-op, Elkhorn, Delavan-Darien, Whitewater, Jefferson/Cambridge and Platteville/Lancaster for girls swimming.
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