Pearson sets Franklin school diving record in earning repeat trip to state

Franklin - She's performed with a state team championship on the line for the girls gymnastics' squad, so the pressure of a new school record in diving and the possibility of a place on the podium in the WIAA State Swim Meet is not going to bother Franklin junior diver Mel Pearson too much.

Pearson destroyed the old school 11-dive mark of 351 by more than 72 points with her runner-up score of 423.45 points in the WIAA sectional at Kenosha last weekend. She will enter Saturday's 10 a.m. diving competition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Natatorium as the fourth seed.

"It was funny - I actually had the pool record for about two seconds (until Racine Park's Rachel Margis hit her last dive), but I was still pleased with the day," said Pearson.

Pearson, a key performer on the state champion Southside co-op gymnastics team from last winter, is the Sabers' only state qualifier at this year's meet. She advanced to the meet last season, but didn't do as well.

She's expecting much more this time around.

"I really didn't know what to expect last year," she said, "so I didn't do as well as I'd hoped. But I got some experience and I know that's going to help this time around. I really want to get on that medal (top six) stand."

Her coach, Sara Petric, believes it is a possibility.

"She's worked very hard in perfecting her final three dives, and that's really helped," said Petric. "She's adapted to well (from gymnastics). In some ways, it's a natural extension."

Pearson wound up second to Margis, who turned in a pool record score of 471.4 and earned the top seed going into this Saturday's state meet.

The Sabers almost got a second diver to state as freshman Katrina Voge finished 10th in sectional with a 297.1 mark that included a failed dive.

"Without that (failure) there's no doubt in my mind that she makes it," said Petric.

But who Petric and Pearson both felt bad for was team leader Emily Nienhaus, who had hopes of making it to state as an individual but who finished sixth (25.42 seconds) in the 50 free and fifth (1:02.07) in the 100 backstroke.

"We all felt bad for her," said Pearson, "because Emily has worked so hard all season."

Overall, Petric felt good about the sectional effort. Franklin finished fifth in the 14-team sectional with 163. The Burlington co-op won it with 369.

"We had a lot of good swims," said Petric. "We had some kids break a minute in the 100 free for the first time. Everyone just did really well today and they were dropping time all over the place. They really enjoyed themselves out there and that just reflected the great attitude we had all season."

Other top 16 places for the Sabers included the following: 200 medley relay - seventh (season best 2:00.25). 200 freestyle - Rowan Liederbach, 12th (2:09.3). 200 individual medley - Jourdan Lepkowski, 10th (2:32.24); Elizabeth Herrick, 14th (2:34.61). 50 free - Katie Konkel, 16th (27.39). 100 butterfly - Bethany Lefeber, 14th (1:08.44); Lepkowski, 16th (1:09.93). 100 free - Liederbach, 12th (59.27); Atalee Paremski, 13th (59.81). 500 free - Lefeber, 15th (6:09.31). 200 free relay - sixth (season best 1:47.19). 100 breaststroke - Sarah Talbott, ninth (1:17.04); Emily Simmons, 13th (1:18.58). 400 free relay - ninth (10-second season best 4:07.86).