Pioneer Meets Lofty Expectations with Another Trophy Finish
By
Scott DeCamp
Special for MHSAA.com
March 12, 2022
HOLLAND – Nothing gets the attention of Ann Arbor Pioneer’s swimmers quicker than a glance up at the state championship banners in their home facility.
The piercing whistle of Pioneers coach Stefanie Kerska might be a close second, however.
Pioneer’s boys swimming & diving team made some more noise this weekend at Holland Aquatic Center, capped by another championship in runaway fashion at the MHSAA’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals on Saturday.
On the strength of their depth and relays, the Pioneers amassed 365 points. Northville was runner-up with 267 points, followed by Holland West Ottawa in third (195), Saline fourth (187.50) and Macomb Dakota fifth (157).
It was the second-straight boys Finals title for Pioneer and Kerska. The Pioneers’ girls team, also coached by Kerska, captured a second consecutive championship in November at the Holland facility.
“They walk in every day to a facility that has multiple, multiple, dozens of banners on the wall and they know. We have alumni come back to speak about the program and what it means. There is a lot of pressure – people don’t realize that,” Kerska said about her boys team.
“There is a daily pressure on these guys to not only be the best here, but to live up to what’s come before them. I know I feel it, walking into my office every day. I’ve got a picture of Liz and Denny Hill on my desk, and I just try to be what they were.”
Under the Hills, Pioneer captured 15 Division 1 or Class A Finals titles in boys swimming and 16 more on the girls’ side. Kerska and the Pioneers certainly have kept that championship tradition afloat with four more titles between the boys and girls teams the last two years.
Kerska also learned from Denny Hill, her mentor, how handy the shrieking whistle across a noisy natatorium can be. When she does it, the Pioneers tend to stop in their tracks on the pool deck. They can hear her in the pool, too, and take their cues.
“I’ve been doing it for a long time. Actually, Denny Hill tried to teach me how to do it without my fingers, which is probably the better way, especially with COVID, to do it,” Kerska said with a smile. “I’ve been doing it for years and years and years. Although, I think I do have the same shrillness and tone that he did, so I’m trying to follow in his footsteps.
“We kind of do, like, the Von Trapps: Wherever they are on the pool deck, when they hear my whistle, they look. It comes in very handy with 17 boys.”
Kerska’s boys answered the call. Seniors Ryan Hume and Jack Wilkening led the way for Pioneer.
Hume repeated in the 200-yard individual medley (1:49.44) and he also won the 500 freestyle (4:26.65) after finishing runner-up in the latter event last year. Wilkening captured first place in the 100 free (45.06) and swam a leg on the victorious 200 medley relay (1:31.91) along with seniors Robert Yang and Alex Farmer plus junior Gabriel Sanchez-Burks.
Hume and Wilkening also joined Yang and senior Harrison Sanders on the Pioneers’ winning 400 free relay (3:03.99), which closed the Finals meet with an exclamation point.
Pioneer senior Teodor Jaworski captured the title in the 200 free (1:39.45), and he took second in the 500 free behind teammate Hume. Wilkening also placed second in the 100 backstroke.
“It’s all about the team. I had to have (a strong) relay for the team and I was performing for the team at that point,” said Wilkening, who signed to swim at University of Michigan.
As a member of back-to-back state title teams, Wilkening said this one was a little more special, mostly because things were a lot closer to “normal” in comparison to 2021.
Last season was shortened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Last year was a crazy year for swimming in particular, men’s swimming, just because of how shortened our season was, how different everything was – the training, too,” Wilkening said.
“We really got to become a team again, I think. That’s what really set this one apart. We actually got to bond as one, be as one in total, more than last year.”
As Wilkening put it, being surrounded by the “greatness” of high-achieving coaches and peers has driven him and his teammates to achieve at this high level.
Sanchez-Burks can vouch for that. He is not a year-round swimmer like many others in the Pioneer program, as he also focuses his attention to water polo – but he played a key role for his team.
Sanchez-Burks was especially pleased by his runner-up finish in the 50 free, which established a school record with a time of 20.60.
“It’s been a struggle for me to keep up with everybody,” Sanchez-Burks said. “In practice, I always try to push myself to stay with all the year-round swimmers and I always try to push myself to stay with all the people I’m competing against today. It’s a lot of fun.
“All the relays, I think that’s where we strive because we have such a diverse team – we spread out so many good swimmers.”
Other first-place finishes belonged to West Ottawa senior Kevin Maas in the 50 free (20.58), Saline senior Joshua Brunty in the 100 breaststroke (55.85), Rochester senior Jack VanHowe in the 100 backstroke (48.13), Canton junior Ryan Gurgel in the 100 butterfly (49.34), Waterford Mott junior Alex Poulin in 1-meter diving (456.70), and Northville’s 200 free relay team (1:23.88) of Evan Scotto-DiVetta, Kyle McCullough, Nate Obrigkeit and Leonardo Simoncini.
Maas, who also is taking his swimming talents to U-M, was a back-to-back winner in the 50 free. Last year, he swam on the winning 200 free relay and tied for second in the 100 free.
On Saturday, VanHowe repeated in the backstroke.
“It was super emotional and super electric in so many ways,” Maas said about his performance Saturday in a venue that’s very familiar to him. “I never knew I could be so happy and so energetic after dropping only 0.02 (in the 50 free), but just to get the ‘W’ for the team and repeat for my team and my family, it meant a lot to me and I was emotional.
“That was the happiest I’ve ever been, and it felt so good.”
PHOTOS (Top) Robert Yang swims the third leg of the winning 200 medley relay for Ann Arbor Pioneer. (Middle) Pioneer’s Teodor Jaworski pulls to the front on the way to winning the 200 freestyle. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Performance: Saline's Dakota Hurbis
February 16, 2017
Dakota Hurbis
Saline senior – Swimming & Diving
Hurbis is finishing a high school career that will rank among the most prolific in Michigan high school diving history, and over the last year he’s been on a particular tear. After defeating reigning champion Jake Herremans of Rockford at last season’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final, Hurbis has continued to be the favorite to beat, and earned the Michigan Army National Guard “Performance of the Week” by posting a score of 531.70 last Friday to break a 17-year-old record and win the event at the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association meet at Eastern Michigan University.
Hurbis finished second in LP Division 1 and third as a sophomore before last year’s championship win, and his meet record at EMU bested the previous by more than 11 points. It’s in part a product of hard work; Hurbis has been training at EMU since he was 9 and during high school season regularly has put in double practices, even when he also was playing baseball as a freshman. This winter's performance has been impressive for another reason: Last spring, after taking first and second places at USA Diving Junior Regionals, Hurbis was faced with the challenge of coming back from June shoulder surgery – which he accomplished, about a month early, in October.
A big-time University of Michigan, New England Patriots and Detroit Tigers fan, he’ll be rooting for other Tigers the next few years diving at Louisiana State University. Hurbis carries a 3.4 grade-point average and is interested in studying for a future in sports business. First, he'll help the Hornets as they try to break Birmingham Brother Rice's three-season hold on the Division 1 title; Saline was runner-up a year ago. Hurbis is a team captain, a rarity for a diver as he competes in only one event for his team, but also a testament to his leadership.
Coach Todd Brunty said: “Dakota is simply one of the best we have ever had. He is hard-working and dedicated to his sport. He has worked tirelessly all year round at Legacy Diving Club in Ypsilanti for as long as I can remember to become one of the best divers in Michigan high school history. He was elected by his teammates as captain of our team for many reasons. I think the main reason is that he has always been a team-first guy. Many swimmers or divers that are as good as he is may not compete in high school and just dive club diving (where they can spend more time on 3-meter and 10-meter events not competed in high school but competed in college). Dakota stayed loyal to his team and to the guys he grew up with here in Saline. He has even swam at our championship meets and dual meets to fill crucial relay positions to help the team. He is also very helpful to new swimmers and divers. Dakota is always supportive and helpful to them, teaching them new things and spreading the love of the sport to them. It is like having a second dive coach."
Performance Point: “The MISCA meet is a really big meet for me because it’s all divisions; we have the state meet but it’s only our division, so this is the best competition I’ll face with divers from all over the state," Hurbis said. "I was seeded first going in but I knew a couple of people were really close to me, and I knew I’d have to have a really good meet. I just went into that meet knowing I’d have to focus up a little more and do a little extra, and once the meet started all my training and everything took over. I got into meet mentality, and I had myself a pretty good meet.”
It’s always been diving: “Ever since I was a kid, I liked being around the water. My older brother (Steven, 2009 grad) swam, and I saw him on the high school team and that he got a lot of close friends (from swimming). I did the country club stuff when I was younger, and I just enjoyed being around the water. Once I started diving, it came pretty easy to me, and I had coaches tell me I could be good at it. I played baseball, I played football, I swam a little bit, but diving is what I’ve always been passionate about.”
Speak up: “I’ve tried to be the best team player I can be during my four years here. My sophomore year I began giving pregame speeches in the locker room, and every opportunity I’ve gotten I’ve tried to step up and lead the team – be outspoken, be a good example for the people following me. … When we go into the locker room before meets, sometimes people say a couple things. (I try to be) a little funny and (with) a little bit of motivation. The key is you’ve got to mix them both together.”
Comeback trail: “My shoulder had been bothering me since winter, and I had a pretty big torn labrum. I wanted to wait until after senior Zones, but my coach told me to get (surgery) done as soon as possible so I could come back for my senior year. … I ended up getting in the water in mid-October again, and in the beginning I was just trying to get all my dives back on all boards – 1-meter, 3-meter and platform. A lot of people were surprised I came back early, and when I came back I got my dives back right away. I’ve got a couple of extra dives on 1-meter I haven’t competed yet, and on 3-meter I’ve got a couple of new dives, which is nice. I’m constantly adding stuff; some people throw bigger DD (degree of difficulty) dives, but I try to do what scores best.”
Business of sports: “I’m actually really good with numbers, math and numbers, so I might do something with that. My whole life I’ve followed sports; I can tell you anything about professional sports, college, and my brother and dad are the same way. It’s sometime I’d like to go into.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
Feb. 2: Foster Loyer, Clarkston basketball – Read
Jan. 26: Nick Jenkins, Detroit Catholic Central wrestling – Read
Jan. 19: Eileene Naniseni, Mancelona basketball – Read
Jan. 12: Rory Anderson, Calumet hockey – Read
Dec. 15: Demetri Martin, Big Rapids basketball – Read
Dec. 1: Rodney Hall, Detroit Cass Tech football – Read
Nov. 24: Ally Cummings, Novi volleyball – Read
Nov. 17: Chloe Idoni, Fenton volleyball – Read
Nov. 10: Adelyn Ackley, Hart cross country – Read
Nov. 3: Casey Kirkbride, Mattawan soccer – Read
Oct. 27: Colton Yesney, Negaunee cross country – Read
Oct. 20: Varun Shanker, Midland Dow tennis – Read
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Saline's Dakota Hurbis tucks during a dive at his home pool this season. (Middle) Hurbis will attempt to add a second-straight MHSAA Finals championship next month. (Top photo courtesy of the Hurbis family, bottom photo courtesy of the Saline Post.)