EDWARDSVILLE – All three of the Edwardsville relay teams qualified for the state meet, while O’Fallon’s Alyssa Albertyn, along with Edwardsville’s Laine and Reilly Curry, qualified in two events each, and the Tigers’ Scout Jackson won the 100-yard back stroke as Edwardsville once again won the IHSA girls swimming sectional meet, held Saturday afternoon, Nov. 8, 2025, at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center.
The Tigers won the meet with 325 points, far ahead of the Panthers, who were second with 165 points, Chatham Glenwood was third with 135 points, Springfield was fourth with 63 points, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin Catholic placed fifth with 52 points, Jacksonville Routt Catholic came in sixth with 16 points, and Jacksonville was seventh with 14 points.
Edwardsville approached the meet as an opportunity to take care of business, and got all but one of its swimmers into the state meet next weekend. Mission accomplished.
“We kind of came in trying to make this more of a – I called it more like a business meeting,” said Tigers’ head coach Christian Rhoten. “We’re trying to qualify, which is, across the board, what we really did. There were some heartbreakers that were like right on, but for the most part, we won all three relays, I think we got all but one individual event qualified. So, we should have a good contingent up at state, and the girls kind of know next weekend is the big dance, so they have that on their minds, and hopefully, they’ll be prepared.”
The Tigers have plenty of experience in the state meet, which should be a big asset to them as they seek to become the first southern Illinois team to win the championship.
“A lot of them have been out, this is their fourth time up at state,” Rhoten said. “We took an extra trip up to St. Charles North this year to try to get them a little bit more exposure to the kind of girls they’re going to be swimming against. That was a really good experience, so we’re hoping that they’ll be top four next weekend.”
The win extended the Tigris’ streak of consecutive sectional titles, and it’s a very satisfying feeling, indeed.
“It’s always a goal of ours each year,” Rhoten said. “This year, we have our sights really set on the state meet, so winning the sectional is something we were definitely looking to do, but our big goals are set on next weekend.”
Veteran Alton head coach Nancy Miller also had swimmers who performed well for the Redbirds, and was very pleased with how things went for her team on the day.
“i’m really pleased with their quality of effort,” Miller said. “They’re all giving it their very best they can, they’re all following my coaching ideas and opportunities for them, and overall, I’m very pleased.”
Ella Valyo was the top swimmer for the Redbirds on the day, and Miller singled her out for a special shoutout for helping the team in a big way.
“Ella Valyo, and I want to give her a shoutout,” Miller said, “because she chose to swim her worst stroke in he medley relay, because no one else would do it. And so, I’m very, very grateful to her that we could have a medley (relay team) because of her generosity in swimming that stroke, which was butterfly.”
Alyssa Knight was another swimmer who was singled out by her coach for her efforts in the pool.
“Alyssa Knight is doing a really good job,” Miller said. “She so much loves swimming and competing, and she’s really giving it her all today.”
Although the Redbirds couldn’t qualify anyone for the state meet, the swimmers on the team did have good showings throughout the meet.
“I just so enjoy being with them” Miller said. “I’ve known these girls since they were little-bitty, since they were like seven or eight-years-old. I’ve coached them, they grew up with me, and I got to see them grow up. What a joy it is to see them here at sectionals, doing the sport they love.”
Despite a lack of numbers coming up, the Redbirds are determined to fight on with the program. and Miller is determined to see the girls enjoy success.
“Well, it’s hard to say,” Miller said. “We have three girls that are juniors, then we have a girl that’s a freshman. There’s a girl who’s coming up that’s still swimming year-round, that in eighth grade right now. So, at least we’ll carry on with two girls., so I’m happy about that.”
No matter what, the coach loves to be involved in the program, and the sport itself.
“I just love being here,” Miller said. “I’m very grateful to be here.”
Edwardsville’s relay teams swept the three races to qualify for the state meet, with the 200-yard medley team of Jackson, Greta Deist, Reilly Curry, and Grace Oertle winning at 1:45.12, Oertle, Jackson, Deist and Laine Curry winning the 200-yard freestyle relay at 1:35.26, and the 400-yard freestyle team of Laine Curry, Jackson, Reilly Curry, and Oertle winning at 3:32.57.
In Individual races, Albertyn won the 200-yard freestyle at 1:49.75, with Laine Curry second at 1:54.13, and Samantha Stooke of O’Fallon First Baptist Academy third at 1:54.35, both beating the state qualifying time to allow Curry and Stooke to advance to state. Reilly Curry won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:08.63, with Belleville Althoff Catholic’s Emalee Fruechte beating the state qualifying time with a second place finish at 2:10.42. Oertle was the only qualifier in the 50-yard freestyle, winning the event at 23.77 seconds.
Sarah Dixon on Mascoutah won the 100-yard butterfly at 56.28 seconds, with Reilly Curry qualifying in second at 58.26 seconds to beat the state qualifying time. Albertyn won the 100-yard freestyle qualifying at 50.50 seconds, while Laine Curry qualified in second at 52.46 seconds, topping the state standard. Morgan Mitton of the Tigers was the only qualifier in the 500-yard freestyle, coming from behind to win the event at 5:12.95, while Jackson won the 100-yard backstroke at 55.93 seconds, and Highland’s Kallie Hubbard won the 100-yard breaststroke to qualify, coming in at 1:06.70.
The qualifiers will compete in the state meet next Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14-15, at the FMC Natatorium in Wesmont, in suburban Chicago. The preliminaries take place on Friday, and the finals in all events, where championship points will be awarded, will be held on Saturday.
