Defending Champs Middleton Lead 1st Wisconsin HS Rankings of 2017

The first Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association rankings of the 2017 girls’ high school season are out.

This mathematically-calculated ranking uses the WISCA Top Times database to calculate scores based on scoring a theoretical meet.

It’s no surprise at the top of Division I – the defending state champions Middleton lead with 765 points – more than 50% above the total of the next-closest team, Cedarburg, at 502 points.

A remarkably young team last season, Middleton won last year’s Division I state title by 49.5 points ahead of Verona Area/Mount Horeb, and only graduated two members of their state championship team: Elise Hokanson and Margaret McGill, who were 9th and 18th, respectively, in the 500 free. That includes returning every member of its state title-winning 200 free and 400 free relays, and every member of their runner-up 200 medley relay.

Cedarburg also remains largely intact, with one big exception: 100 free state champion Skylar Fore, who has matriculated at Notre Dame.

In the women’s division, defending champions Edgewood also remains atop the polls after winning the state title by 113 points over McFarland (337-224). Edgewood had big graduations, including state champion diver Ginger Lingard and 56-second butterflier/backstroker Lauren Bergmann. New swimmers have stepped up, though, and they currently have the top two swimmers in Division II in many events, including the 200 free, led by Kelly Rodriguez in 1:55.29. They also have 3 of the 4 fastest 100 freestylers in Division II so far, with a 53.42 (Rodriguez), 54.00 (Issy Petersen), and 54.03 (Kaitlyn Barth).

After a strong start to the season, New Berlin West comes in at #2 in the polls – a jump from their 14th-place finish at the state championship meet last fall. In reality, New Berlin’s other high school, Eisenhower, is probably the better of the two teams – but New Berlin has a lot of entries in the top times list, and until more teams have competed, that quantity will outweigh Eisenhower’s quality. Expect that to change in the next few weeks.

RANKINGS METHODOLOGY

The weekly WISCA polls are computer generated and based on the WISCA Top Times database.

The polls are generated at midnight each Sunday. Individuals are scored in their top two scoring events only.

Points are awarded as follows:
Individuals: 1st Place – 30 points – 30th Place – 1 point (1 point increments)
Relays: 1st Place – 60 points – 30th Place – 2 points (2 point increments)

See full rankings here.