Freshmen Molly Kleinfeldt and Megan Obernesser had more than enough to be afraid of this past Halloween. Not only did the holiday itself bring its fair share of frights, but the nerve-wracking Conference Championship Swim Meet took place on Oct. 31 as well.

Championship meets are daunting for every athlete, but with this being Kleinfeldt’s and Obernesser’s first Varsity Conference, let alone high school championship meet, they walked onto Barrington High School’s pool deck unsure of what to expect.

“I was nervous that I wouldn’t do as well as I thought I would,” Obernesser said. “But after my first race when I got my goal time, I was really happy and I just dominated the rest of the meet.”

The freestyle endurance swimmer not only swam season bests in each of her events, but placed in the top six for the 500 yard free, 200 yard free, and 400 free relay.

Meanwhile, Kleinfeldt dropped time in her individual event as well: the 100 yard butterfly, which is arguably the hardest stroke to master.

“I like the 100 fly,” Kleinfeldt said. “During practice it’s really tiring, but I know it will help me get better for meets.”

With such a small varsity team of only eleven girls- four of them being seniors- having freshmen is crucial to future success. Kleinfeldt and Obernesser have not only helped bring the team several victories this season, but provided a bright outlook for the future.

“I like having freshmen on varsity because they are able to learn from the juniors and seniors and get used to the Championship season,” Coach Brittany Berleman said.

The Championship season, which started with Conference, will come to an end on either Nov. 14 or Nov. 21, which are Sectionals and State, respectively. Heading into the end of the season, both Kleinfeldt and Obernesser hope to drop even more time.

The girls’ hard work and dedication to the sport leaves both them and their teammates confident that they will do well at these final meets.

“Megan and Molly have been a great addition to the team this year,” said senior Mathilde Mogensen. “They are already so good and there’s no telling what amazing things they will accomplish over the next few years. I feel good about leaving the team in their hands.”