By FRED KRONER
Mahomet-Seymour’s Talynn O’Donnell is fast separating herself from other area swimmers.
With still her senior season ahead of her, O’Donnell has already demonstrated that she is one of the area’s most versatile swimmers.
Thus far in her prep career, she has qualified for state in seven of 11 non-diving events.
In all seven of those events (two of which are relays), she currently holds, or previously held, school records.
O’Donnell also went 4-for-4 as a junior, qualifying for the IHSA meet state in the maximum number of events that an individual can enter at sectionals, four.
That in itself is rare, but certainly do-able. In the past decade, 10 area girls have advanced to state in the most events possible.
Others who did so weren’t competing at state in as great of variety of events. For example, recent Central graduate Babette Bradley reached state in the same two individual events three years in a row: the 200-yard individual medley and the 200-yard breaststroke.
In fairness, though, the individual medley consists of swims in four different strokes, one of which is the breaststroke.
O’Donnell, meanwhile, has been a state-qualifier individually in the 200-yard freestyle (twice), the 100-yard freestyle (once), the 50-yard freestyle (once), the 100-yard butterfly (once) and the 500-yard freestyle (once).
She has also been part of 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay foursomes that competed at state, once each.
That leaves three individual events where O’Donnell has not – yet – qualified for state: the 100-yard backstroke (where she is the current M-S record-holder), the 200-yard individual medley (where she also holds the current M-S record) and the 100-yard breaststroke.
The other non-diving event not on her state list to date is the 200-yard medley relay.
O’Donnell’s standard of overall excellence is unparalleled. Others may continue to match some of her feats, such as reaching state in four events in a year, but doing so in such a large and wide-ranging variety of events is far from a common occurrence.
Competition for the overall versatility honor, however, could occur from within her family. Sister Raegan was a four-event state-qualifier last year as a freshman, individually advancing in the 50- and 500-yard freestyle races.
Raegan O’Donnell was also a part of the state-qualifying 200- and 400-yard relay units.
Without further ado, Mahomet-Seymour’s Quarter-Century team for girls’ swimming.
BELLA ALMAROAD, Class of 2027. News-Gazette All-Area second-teamer as a freshman. Holds school-record in diving (346.30).
ALIVIA HAY, 2016. As a freshman, part of school-record setting 400-yard freestyle relay (since broken, 4:12.16) with Katie Tollakson, Megan Mullaney and Sarah Schuh. Their record stood for 10 years. As a junior, team-leader in the 100-yard freestyle as well as the 100-yard backstroke, where she ranked seventh in the area. As a sophomore, team-leader in the 200-yard individual medley, where she ranked seventh in the area. Also team-leader in the 100-yard backstroke, ranking fourth in the area.
NATALIE HEATON, 2021. Team-leader in the 100-yard backstroke as a freshman.
ALLISON HERMAN, 2015. All-Area second-teamer as a senior. As a senior, set school-record for fastest leadoff leg in the 400-yard freestyle relay (since broken, 57.99 seconds). Also as a senior, team-leader in the 50-yard freestyle, ranking fourth in the area; and team-leader in the 100-yard freestyle, ranking fifth in the area. As a junior, team-leader in the 50-yard freestyle, ranking second in the area. Also team-leader in the 100-yard freestyle, ranking seventh in the area.
DANA HERMAN, 2017. Team-leader in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard freestyle as a senior, ranking among the area’s top 10 in both the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard freestyle. Also team-leader in the 100-yard butterfly as a freshman.
LAINEY HOWARD, 2026. Two-time All-Area second-teamer. As a junior, on the record-setting 200-yard medley relay (1:54.87) with Karsyn Johnson, Talynn O’Donnell and Raegan O’Donnell. As a junior, on the record-setting 200-yard (1:37.11) and 400-yard freestyle (3:34.17) relays with Caroline Mills, Talynn O’Donnell and Raegan O’Donnell. Both relays qualified for state.
KARSYN JOHNSON, 2028. All-Area second-teamer as a freshman. As a freshman, on the record-setting 200-yard medley relay (1:54.87) with Lainey Howard, Talynn O’Donnell and Raegan O’Donnell.
MADELYN LOGSDON, 2025. All-Area second-teamer as a junior. As a senior, her top time in the 100-yard butterfly was 1:06.38 and her top time in the 200-yard individual medley was 2:27.99. She was also on the school-record-setting 200-yard medley relay (since broken, 1:58.70). As a sophomore, she was on the school-record-setting 400-yard freestyle relay (since broken, 3:47.28).
CALLIE LU, 2028. All-Area second-teamer as a freshman. Holds school-record in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.87).
OLIVIA McMURRY, 2022. Two-time All-Area first teamer. Set school-record in the 100-yard backstroke (since broken, 1:03.36), the 50-yard freestyle (since broken, 25.58 seconds) and the 200-yard freestyle (since broken, 2:13.30).
CAROLINE MILLS, 2027. Two-time All-Area first-teamer. As a freshman, state-qualifier in the 500-yard freestyle. As a sophomore, on the record-setting 200-yard (1:37.11) and 400-yard freestyle (3:34.17) relays with Lainey Howard, Talynn O’Donnell and Raegan O’Donnell. Both relays qualified for state.
MEGAN MULLANEY, 2016. As a freshman, part of school-record setting 400-yard freestyle relay (since broken, 4:12.16) with Katie Tollakson, Alivia Hay and Sarah Schuh. Their record stood for 10 years.
RAEGAN O’DONNELL, 2028. All-Area first-teamer as a freshman. As a freshman, state-qualifier in the 50-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle. Holds school-records in the 500-yard freestyle (5:06.47) and the 50-yard freestyle (23.75 seconds). As a freshman, on the record-setting 200-yard (1:37.11) and 400-yard freestyle (3:34.17) relays with Lainey Howard, Caroline Mills, Talynn O’Donnell. Both relays qualified for state.
TALYNN O’DONNELL, 2026. Three-time All-Area first teamer. As a junior, state-qualifier individually in the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard freestyle. As a sophomore, advanced to state in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. As a freshman, state-qualifier in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle, and was the school’s first state-qualifier. Holds school-records in the 100-yard freestyle (51.65 seconds), the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.56), the 200-yard individual medley (2:14.84), the 100-yard backstroke (1:01.36) and the 100-yard butterfly (58.52 seconds). As a junior, on the record-setting 200-yard (1:37.11) and 400-yard freestyle (3:34.17) relays with Lainey Howard, Caroline Mills and Raegan O’Donnell. Both relays qualified for state.
EDEN OELZE, 2023. Three-time All-Area second-teamer. Set school-records in the 100-yard butterfly (since broken, 1:03.17) and the 200-yard individual medley (since broken, 2:25.41). As a senior, on school-record-setting 400-yard freestyle relay (since broken, 4:06.01) with Talynn O’Donnell, Lainey Howard and Shelby Raver.
CARLY RAVER, 2020. Bulldogs’ top diver as a senior and ranked fourth in the area.
SHELBY RAVER, 2024. As a junior, on school-record-setting 200-yard freestyle (since broken) relay with Eden Oelze, Lainey Howard and Talynn O’Donnell. Also as a junior, on school-record-setting 400-yard freestyle relay (since broken, 4:06.01) with Talynn O’Donnell, Lainey Howard and Eden Oelze.
OLIVIA ROSS, 2021. Team-leader in the 100-yard breaststroke as a junior as well as in the 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke as a freshman.
SARAH SCHUH, 2013. As a senior, part of school-record setting 400-yard freestyle relay (since broken, 4:12.16) with Katie Tollakson, Alivia Hay and Megan Mullaney. Their record stood for 10 years. Also as a senior, team-leader in the 100-yard freestyle, ranking ninth in the area. As a sophomore, team-leader in the 50-yard freestyle.
CLAIRE WAGGONER, 2027. As a sophomore, top time in the 100-yard backstroke was 1:12.25, and top time in the 100-yard freestyle was 57.85 seconds. As a freshman, was on the school-record-setting 200-yard freestyle relay (since broken, 1:43.29) with Lainey Howard, Caroline Mills and Talynn O’Donnell.
