Davis, Franckowiak each win four medals at state swimming finals, ending their career on a high note

The last meet of Plainfield Co-op seniors Jessica Davis and Kali Franckowiak's high school swimming careers included a lot of firsts.

The Division-I recruits each won four medals at the state finals Saturday at New Trier, becoming the first swimmers in program history to accomplish that feat.

Davis and Franckowiak finished third and sixth, respectively, in the 200-yard freestyle and teamed with junior Karly Sonnenberg and senior Samantha Kershner to capture seventh place in the 200 free relay and ninth in the 400 free relay.

Davis added a fifth-place finish in the 100 free, while Franckowiak took 12th in the 500 free.

Kershner was 10th in the 100 butterfly and Sonnenberg placed 19th in the 50 free preliminaries.

It all added up to 57 points for Plainfield, which finished ninth in the team standings for the first top-10 finish in program history.

"It means so much competing for Plainfield swimming," Davis said. "I just wanted to go out with a bang senior year and get as (many) points as we can because it's our last swim in high school."

Davis, a Boise State recruit, graduates as the most decorated swimmer in Plainfield history with 10 medals, seven of which came in individual races.

She was a four-time medal winner in the 100 and scored three times in the 200.

The Wyoming-bound Franckowiak is second on the program's all-time list with seven state medals.

She and Davis are the only Plainfield swimmers to win two individual medals in the same state meet, a feat Davis accomplished three times and Franckowiak twice.

"It definitely was a good time," Davis said of her prep swimming career. "I never thought coming in freshman year that I would be where I am senior year.

"I didn't know I would have some of the best friends in the world made through this team."

One of her closest friends is Franckowiak, who qualified for the championship heat of the 200 for the first time.

Davis and Franckowiak both swam in the consolation heat of that event as sophomores before Davis made the championship heat last year and finished third while Franckowiak took seventh.

Davis again finished third, timing 1:49.63 in the finals after going 1:48.68 in the prelims. She was three places and 2.38 ahead of Franckowiak while swimming in adjacent lanes.

"This year we did more training," Franckowiak said. "We did more tempo work and definitely worked more on the back half of swims and I think it really paid off in this meet.

"I was really happy with it and I know Jess is super happy with it."

Indeed, Davis was thrilled to get the chance to swim for a state title The last meet of Plainfield Co-op seniors Jessica Davis and Kali Franckowiak's high school swimming careers included a lot of firsts.

The Division-I recruits each won four medals at the state finals Saturday at New Trier, becoming the first swimmers in program history to accomplish that feat.

Davis and Franckowiak finished third and sixth, respectively, in the 200-yard freestyle and teamed with junior Karly Sonnenberg and senior Samantha Kershner to capture seventh place in the 200 free relay and ninth in the 400 free relay.

Davis added a fifth-place finish in the 100 free, while Franckowiak took 12th in the 500 free.

Kershner was 10th in the 100 butterfly and Sonnenberg placed 19th in the 50 free preliminaries.

It all added up to 57 points for Plainfield, which finished ninth in the team standings for the first top-10 finish in program history.

"It means so much competing for Plainfield swimming," Davis said. "I just wanted to go out with a bang senior year and get as (many) points as we can because it's our last swim in high school."

Davis, a Boise State recruit, graduates as the most decorated swimmer in Plainfield history with 10 medals, seven of which came in individual races.

She was a four-time medal winner in the 100 and scored three times in the 200.

The Wyoming-bound Franckowiak is second on the program's all-time list with seven state medals.

She and Davis are the only Plainfield swimmers to win two individual medals in the same state meet, a feat Davis accomplished three times and Franckowiak twice.

"It definitely was a good time," Davis said of her prep swimming career. "I never thought coming in freshman year that I would be where I am senior year.

"I didn't know I would have some of the best friends in the world made through this team."

One of her closest friends is Franckowiak, who qualified for the championship heat of the 200 for the first time.

Davis and Franckowiak both swam in the consolation heat of that event as sophomores before Davis made the championship heat last year and finished third while Franckowiak took seventh.

Davis again finished third, timing 1:49.63 in the finals after going 1:48.68 in the prelims. She was three places and 2.38 ahead of Franckowiak while swimming in adjacent lanes.

"This year we did more training," Franckowiak said. "We did more tempo work and definitely worked more on the back half of swims and I think it really paid off in this meet.

"I was really happy with it and I know Jess is super happy with it."

Indeed, Davis was thrilled to get the chance to swim for a state title The last meet of Plainfield Co-op seniors Jessica Davis and Kali Franckowiak's high school swimming careers included a lot of firsts.

The Division-I recruits each won four medals at the state finals Saturday at New Trier, becoming the first swimmers in program history to accomplish that feat.

Davis and Franckowiak finished third and sixth, respectively, in the 200-yard freestyle and teamed with junior Karly Sonnenberg and senior Samantha Kershner to capture seventh place in the 200 free relay and ninth in the 400 free relay.

Davis added a fifth-place finish in the 100 free, while Franckowiak took 12th in the 500 free.

Kershner was 10th in the 100 butterfly and Sonnenberg placed 19th in the 50 free preliminaries.

It all added up to 57 points for Plainfield, which finished ninth in the team standings for the first top-10 finish in program history.

"It means so much competing for Plainfield swimming," Davis said. "I just wanted to go out with a bang senior year and get as (many) points as we can because it's our last swim in high school."

Davis, a Boise State recruit, graduates as the most decorated swimmer in Plainfield history with 10 medals, seven of which came in individual races.

She was a four-time medal winner in the 100 and scored three times in the 200.

The Wyoming-bound Franckowiak is second on the program's all-time list with seven state medals.

She and Davis are the only Plainfield swimmers to win two individual medals in the same state meet, a feat Davis accomplished three times and Franckowiak twice.

"It definitely was a good time," Davis said of her prep swimming career. "I never thought coming in freshman year that I would be where I am senior year.

"I didn't know I would have some of the best friends in the world made through this team."

One of her closest friends is Franckowiak, who qualified for the championship heat of the 200 for the first time.

Davis and Franckowiak both swam in the consolation heat of that event as sophomores before Davis made the championship heat last year and finished third while Franckowiak took seventh.

Davis again finished third, timing 1:49.63 in the finals after going 1:48.68 in the prelims. She was three places and 2.38 ahead of Franckowiak while swimming in adjacent lanes.

"This year we did more training," Franckowiak said. "We did more tempo work and definitely worked more on the back half of swims and I think it really paid off in this meet.

"I was really happy with it and I know Jess is super happy with it."

Indeed, Davis was thrilled to get the chance to swim for a state title with her friend.

"We train together, we laugh together, so we're in this together," Davis said. "We were next to each other in that race. It just means a lot competing with each other."

Now they will compete against each other in college.

Boise State and Wyoming are both members of the Mountain West Conference.

Davis and Franckowiak won't forget the Plainfield coaching staff of head coach George Sam and assistant Nicole Olsen.

"I want to thank our coaches because they are such motivators in and out of the pool," Franckowiak said. "They give us lessons for life that we'll take with us on to college and when we're older. They really inspire both of us."