Backstrokers Adalyn Laughner, Kennedy Draves and freshman Reese Kellstrom illustrate depth of Chesterton swimming at DAC meet

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

The backstroke, as much as any event, captured what sort of day Chesterton had at last Saturday’s DAC Swim and Dive Championships at Valparaiso.
Girls from different classes joining in a common cause.
Multiple girls from different classes performing at their best, dominating, and having a blast doing it and excelling in other events. That’s how it went up and down the lineup for Chesterton.
Adalyn Laughner, a junior and the second-most accomplished swimmer on the team behind only sophomore Brenley Bonez, led the way.
Laughner, eighth-place finisher at state in 2025, defended her DAC title in the event with a 56.15, compared to the 56.40 she swam at the meet a year ago.
Sophomore Kennedy Draves (59.35) placed third and freshman Reese Kellstrom was clocked in 1:00.33 for fourth on a day she logged a lifetime best in each of her three swims.
After the big day was behind them and they had finished celebrating with the rest of the team by diving off the board, the backstrokers showed they have silly sides for such serious athletes when asked what they said to hype each other up for the race.
“We huddled up before the race and we all gave each other a pep talk and I think that really helped,” Kellstrom said.
She said they told each other, “Dude, we’ve got this. We’re locked in. One, two, three.”
What else?
“Don’t drown,” Draves said.
Added Laughner: “Don’t hit your head on the wall.”
They all said the goal was 1,2,3, and they came close, landing with first, third and fourth.
Kellstrom said that the two older swimmers in the event, “really have pushed me in practice and that helped.”
Draves called Laughner, “someone to look up to,” and added “it’s fun to race with two friends.”
Even by Chesterton standards, the backstroke has a strong tradition. Current Trojans coach Jenni Kellstrom, then Anderson, won three of her six individual state championships in the backstroke and set state records in two of those years.
Jaclyn Klimczak took second at state in 2019, setting a school record with a 54.33. Brittany Fozkos was third in 2010 and Cara Kroeger took fifth in 2016.
The Trojans returned to Valpo’s pool Feb. 5 (prelims) and Feb 7. (finals), where they will be favored to extend their streak of consecutive sectional championships to 27.