Young, Chow set multiple records en route to second straight girls swimming city title

By Michael Wojtychiw

If the Chicago Public League girls swimming city championships had a theme, it would have been this: Records Are Made to be Broken.

The meet, which returned on Oct. 25-26 to UIC’s pool, saw two league records broken, five meet records broken, 73 swims that went for personal bests and 36 that were season bests. The five meet records broken meant that over 40 percent of the meet’s records were broken Saturday, some of which had stood for a decade or more.

In the end, it was Whitney Young finishing on top of the podium, compiling 422 points to defeat Lane, which scored 400 points, defending its title from last season.

No one was bigger than Young senior and Northwestern University commit Isabella Chow.

Chow was part of four meet records (50 free, 100 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay) and two of the league records (50 free, 200 free relay). Her 50 free record actually broke her own 50 free record she set three years ago as a freshman.

“It’s amazing,” Chow said about bookending her career with records. “I came into the meet wanting to beat it because it was an old time of mine, but having it under my name feels even better.”

The Dolphins’ coach, Gerald Winston, was very happy with how his team performed at Saturday’s championship meet.

“We knew Lane would be obstacle,” he said. “We really prepared all year to fend them off because I knew they’d be coming after us. But we had the same mentality as last year too, trying to look forward to state.”

Chow wasn’t the only Dolphin walking away with multiple victories, however. Freshman Briana Mingmuang had quite the city championship debut, winning two individual events in the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard butterfly. Both times were a personal best and her backstroke time of 57.01 beat an 11-year-old city championship record formerly held by Lane’s Meghan Lavelle. She was also a part of the 400 free relay and 200-yard-medley relay teams that won titles as well.

Senior Brooke Whitt also walked away with multiple city championships, including the medley relay, 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. In the individual events, she bested classmate Eliana King for the crown.

“Most of the season I have been training to swim the 200 freestyle at city, but about two weeks prior to the meet I found out I’d be swimming the IM,” Whitt said. “My personal best before this was a 2:12, so to come out with a drop, I’m really happy with. I’ve swam the 200 free before in club season, so it wasn’t too hard to make the switch thankfully.

“To be able to swim and take 1-2 with Eliana is such a cool experience. We train together and know what we’re going through so that makes it more special.”

Lane’s Layla Miglietta had herself a day as well. The sophomore won the 200- and 500-freestyle and was part of Lane’s two freestyle second-place relay squads.

What made Chow and Winston even happier about the squad’s performances was that the team hadn’t started to taper yet.

“Seeing my times like that without being tapered, is very good,” Chow said. “Having to go as fast as I did not tapered and wearing an old suit, I’m really excited.”

“We did these great times without being tapered,” the coach said. “Once we taper, we should be doing alright. It was really positive to see these types of times at this point of the season, knowing they hadn’t hit the taper yet.”

All the teams now prepare for the state sectional meets held next weekend. CPL teams will be scattered throughout the area from the sectionals hosted by St. Ignatius, Leyden and Highland Park to Hinsdale Central and Sandburg.

“We still have to improve our starts, turns and walls,” Winston said. “But we’re getting better each day and we’ll get there. I’m really happy with where we’re at right now.”

Results from 2024 Girls Swimming City Championship Meet

Diving: Claire Lokken (Lane) – 377.95 pts

200-yard medley relay: Young (Jaslyn Wu, Brooke Whitt, Briana Mingmuang, Grace Chin) – 147.87

200-yard freestyle: Layla Miglietta (Lane) – 1:54.86

200-yard IM: Brooke Whitt (Young) – 2:10

50-yard Freestyle: Isabella Chow (Young) – 22.85***

100-yard butterfly: Mingmuang – 57.94

100-yard freestyle: Chow – 50.62*

500-yard freestyle: Miglietta – 5:03.62

200-yard freestyle relay: Young (Chow, Grace Chin, Joy Cheng, Eliana King) – 1:36.81***

100-yard backstroke: Mingmuang – 57.01*

100-yard breaststroke: Whitt – 1:04.48