Capital Region High School Sports Awards: Nominees for girls swimming and diving athlete of the year

Capital Region High School Sports Awards is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
Capital Region High School Sports Awards is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.

Here are six nominees for the Capital Region High School Sports Awards girls swimming and diving athlete of the year, listed in alphabetical order.

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Finalists and a winner will be announced near at the end of the school year. More details about the program will follow.

Emma Best
Emma Best

Emma Best, Rochester

The freshman won the 200-yard freestyle at the Edwardsville Sectional and went on to compete at her first Illinois High School Association state swimming and diving meet. She finished 28th in the state preliminaries in 2 minutes, 0.37 seconds. Best was second in the 500 freestyle at the sectional.

Kaleigh Bobb, Chatham Glenwood

Bobb, a sophomore, won the 200 freestyle at the Central State Eight Conference meet in 2:05.78. She was third in the 500 freestyle at the same meet. Bobb started the 400 freestyle relay that finished first at the Edwardsville Sectional to advance to state. Individually at sectional, she took fifth in the 500 free and 11th in the 50 free.

Abigail Bouravnev
Abigail Bouravnev

Abigail Bouravnev, Lutheran

The senior closed her career with a sectional championship in the 1-meter diving event, scoring 376.32 points in Edwardsville. Bouravnev finished in 46th place at state with a score of 148.05. She won the Capital City Classic meet.

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Izzy Canny
Izzy Canny

Izzy Canny, Sacred Heart-Griffin

The freshman won the 50 freestyle (26.59) at the CS8 and City meets. Canny, also a strong backstroker, placed second in the event at both the Capital City Classic and CS8 meets. She was fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:03.05) and 13th in the 50 free at the Edwardsville Sectional.

Isabella Cavanagh practices with the Springfield Senators at the Illini Country Club pool Friday, Aug. 21, 2020.
Isabella Cavanagh practices with the Springfield Senators at the Illini Country Club pool Friday, Aug. 21, 2020.

Isabella Cavanagh, Springfield High

Cavanagh helped the Senators regain city supremacy when they overtook SHG for the title. She won the 100 breaststroke at that meet, and then won the breaststroke (1:13.43) at conference, followed by a sixth-place showing at the Edwardsville Sectional. Cavanagh, a junior, won the 200 IM at City, was third in the IM in the CS8 and finished eighth in the event at sectional.

Maja Dey, Chatham Glenwood

Dey was one of three Glenwood freshmen that swam on the Titans winning 400 freestyle relay at sectional. She swam the second leg as the relay team went on to state and placed 22nd (3;51.53) in the preliminaries. Dey was sixth individually in the 200 freestyle and 11th in the 100 butterfly at sectional.

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Falyn Long
Falyn Long

Falyn Long, Springfield High

Long had three big wins in the 1-meter diving event after taking City, conference and the HOPE Invitational at Edwardsville. The junior placed second at sectional with a score of 361.80, but did not receive an at-large berth to the state meet.

Ashleigh Maender, Chatham Glenwood

The freshman was the anchor on Glenwood's 400 freestyle relay state-qualifying team. She won the 100 freestyle (57.66) and was second in the 50 freestyle (26.97) at the CS8 meet. Maender was fifth in the 100 free (57.52) and 10th in the 50 free (26.49) at sectional where she had her best times.

Natalie McGlaughlin, Southeast

Improved during her senior season with a third-place finish in the 100 butterfly (1:07.67) and was fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:18.77) at conference. McGlaughlin was second in the butterfly and third in the 200 free at City. She swam the 50 free and was 16th (27.65) and placed 14th in the fly at the Edwardsville Sectional.

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Annie Mizeur
Annie Mizeur

Annie Mizeur, Sacred Heart-Griffin

Mizeur came on late and had a productive sectional when she tied for fourth in the 100 butterfly (1:04.23) and was fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:07.97). The sophomore placed second in the 500 freestyle and was third in the 200 free at conference.

Kate Scheina, Petersburg PORTA

Scheina joined the area's strong freshmen contingent with a formidable first season. She performed well at dual meets and was second in the 50 freestyle (26.53) and fourth in the 100 butterfly (1:05.29) at the Capital City Classic. Scheina placed eighth in the 50 free (26.02) and eighth in the butterfly (1:05.25) at the Edwardsville Sectional.

Erin Turk, Chatham Glenwood

Turk swam the third leg on Glenwood's state-qualifying 400 freestyle relay. The freshman was second in both the 200 IM (2:26.66) and 100 breaststroke (1:15.38) at the CS8 meet. Turk finished seventh and ninth, respectively, in those events at sectional.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Capital Region HSSA: Girls swimming nominees for 2021-22 season