Nauman and L-P Relay Secure State Berths After Sectional Sweep

Sam Nauman clocked a 54.83-second time in the 100 backstroke on Saturday to secure her second individual spot at the state swimming meet. The La Salle-Peru co-op athlete added a 200 individual medley victory with a time of 2:05.72. Those wins followed her contribution to a 200-yard medley relay that also advanced to the IHSA state meet.

Nauman, Anna Weitl, Finley Jobst and Dawsynn Kettman won the relay in 1:52.52. That performance removed immediate pressure from the team during the Normal Community Sectional. Nauman said the early qualification helped her approach her individual events with less stress. "Having the relay qualify first was probably the best thing that could happen," she said.

The swimmer qualified for the state meet in individual events for the fourth consecutive year. However, she will compete in a relay at the state level for the first time. The championship meet is scheduled for next weekend at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont. Nauman noted that the team worked specifically on their relay exchanges throughout the season.

"We've been pushing for that for a long time," Nauman said. "We tried really hard last year, but it just didn't happen." The current relay lineup includes three seniors in Weitl, Jobst and Nauman, along with sophomore Kettman. The group aimed to finish their senior season with a strong result.

Nauman posted a personal best in the 100 backstroke. She described that mark as notable because swimmers do not typically set lifetime bests while not fully tapered for a competition. She stated that her 200 IM time is where she wanted to be for seeding purposes at the state meet.

The La Salle-Peru team finished second at the sectional with 220 points. Washington claimed the top spot with 287 points. Nauman placed fourth in the 100 backstroke and 10th in the 200 IM at last year's state meet. She expressed excitement about her current times and anticipated performing better at the upcoming championship.

Other local swimmers and athletes competed at various sectionals and state meets on the same day. In cross country, Putnam County freshman Anniston Judd placed 41st at the Class 1A state meet in Peoria. She ran the 3-mile course in 18:25.6. La Salle-Peru senior Gianni Verucchi finished 139th at the Class 2A state meet in 15:52.7.