Preview: Champions Back for More
March 12, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
An accomplished group of athletes should bring plenty of flash to this weekend’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Swimming and Diving Finals.
Nine have their names attached to at least one MHSAA Finals record, while 17 have stood on the top step of the champions podium for winning at least one individual or relay event over the last three seasons.
See below for team favorites and top individuals to watch at all three meets. Preliminaries are Friday, with championship races and diving Saturday. All three Finals also will be streamed live and can be watched with subscription on MHSAA.TV.
Click for lineups and seed times for all three meets.
Division 1 at Eastern Michigan University
Team contenders: Reigning champion Birmingham Brother Rice is again the top-ranked team after winning last season’s championship by an incredible 143 points. The Warriors have 16 individuals seeded to score among the top 16 places, plus all three relays including the top-seeded in the 400-yard freestyle. Seniors Gust Kouvaris and Mark Blinstrub have been major contributors most of their high school careers, while sophomore Rudy Aguilar owns a top individual seed and swims relays as well. Holland West Ottawa, last season’s third-place finisher, has 10 individuals seeded to score plus all three relays – and eight of those 13 are seeded first or second in their events, with senior Tabahn Afrik and sophomore Spencer Carl expected to score big points. Ann Arbor Pioneer will try to move up from fourth last season and could make some waves with all three relays seeded fourth or higher.
Tabahn Afrik, Holland West Ottawa senior – Owns the LP Division 1 Final record in the 100 freestyle of 43.9 seconds and has the fastest seed time this winter of 44.15 – and could make a run at the all-Finals record of 43.73 swam by Battle Creek Lakeview’s Clay Youngquist in 2011. Afrik also is the reigning 200 freestyle champion but will instead swim the 50, in which he’s seeded second (20.51) and set the Finals record last season leading off his relay.
Rudy Aguilar, Birmingham Brother Rice sophomore – Returns after a solid eighth in the 500 and seventh in the 200 freestyle as a freshman. He’s seeded first in the 500 (4:36.63) and sixth in the 200 (1:43.26) this weekend.
Will Brenner, Ann Arbor Huron senior – One of the rare athletes who both swims and dives, he finished sixth in the 50 freestyle and third in diving last season and should contend in both. His 20.37 qualifying time in the 50 is only one tenth of a second off the LP Division 1 record.
Spencer Carl, Holland West Ottawa sophomore – Holds second seeds in both the butterfly (50.49) and 200 freestyle (1:41.31) after finishing 11th in the butterfly last season.
Devon Nowicki, Lake Orion senior – Finished sixth in the 500 freestyle and ninth in the 200 last season, but will swim the butterfly and breaststroke this weekend and has the top seed times in both – 49.93 and 54.31, respectively. His breaststroke time would set an all-Finals record by one second.
Jack Walsh, Detroit Catholic Central senior – Owns the top seeds in both the backstroke (49.52) and 200 individual medley (1:50.02) after winning the backstroke and finishing second in the IM in 2014.
Kai Williams, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior – Owns the top seed time in the 200 freestyle (1:39.05) and third-fastest in the butterfly (50.72). He finished fourth in the butterfly last season.
Jack Herremans, Rockford junior – Posted the top Regional score of 537.25 as the reigning Division 1 Finals champion. He scored 458.00 to claim last season’s title and could make a run at the LPD1 meet record of 494.40.
Birmingham Brother Rice 400 freestyle relay – This was one of the few events Saline didn’t win when it dominated the 2013 Final, and the Warriors are going for a third straight victory with both Kouvaris and Blinstrub swimming and second straight with junior Bobby Powrie as a contributor. Aguilar fills the fourth spot.
Division 2 at Holland Aquatic Center
Team contenders: Like Brother Rice in Division 1, Birmingham Seaholm won last year’s title by a significant margin (154.5 points) and is ranked No. 1 again. All three relays are seeded first, to go with 15 individual cuts seeded to score and the top-scoring diver at Regionals, junior Sebastian Fay. Ann Arbor Skyline is expected to move up from sixth last season on the strength of three relays and 16 individual seeds in scoring position, including two top seeds. Dexter was last season’s runner-up and also has all three relays seeded among the top eight in their races, plus a top-seeded individual.
Nate Kozycki, Grand Rapids Northview senior – Enters with the top seed time in the butterfly (51.34) and 11th-fastest in the backstroke (54.81) after finishing eighth in the individual medley and 10th in the butterfly in 2014.
Jacob Montague, Grosse Pointe South junior – Expected to turn a third in the IM and fifth in the breaststroke at last season’s Finals into championships this weekend. Montague has the fastest seeds in both the IM (1:53.06) and breaststroke (57.41).
Nehemiah Mork, Midland Dow junior – Posted the fastest seed times in the 50 freestyle (20.93) and 100 (46.34) after finishing fourth in the 50 and tying for second in the 100 last season.
Matt Orringer, Ann Arbor Skyline senior – Another two-event placer in 2014, he hopes to improve on his sixth in the IM and fifth in the 500. He’s seeded second in the IM (1:53.85) and first in the 500 (4:37.45).
Jack Russell, Birmingham Seaholm senior – Won the 200 individual medley last season and finished 10th in the 500 freestyle. He’s seeded sixth in the IM (1:57.61) and fifth in the breaststroke (58.81) and could be part of two more record-setting relays (see below).
Ryan Vander Meulen, Ann Arbor Skyline junior – Finished second in the 500 and fifth in the 200 freestyles last year, but enters with the top seed in the 200 (1:44.45) and will swim the 100 – where he’s seeded second (1:44.45) behind Mork.
John Vann, Battle Creek Lakeview senior – The two-time butterfly champion also took second in the 200 freestyle last season and is seeded second in both races this weekend. He’s just behind Kozycki in the butterfly (51.58) and Vander Meulen in the 200 (1:44.82).
Robbie Zofchak, Dexter junior – Finished second in the backstroke and individual medley last season after swimming the fastest IM preliminary time. He enters Friday seeded first in the backstroke (51.61) and third in the IM (1:54.13) behind Montague and Orringer.
Birmingham Seaholm 200 medley relay – Seniors Evan Burke, Russell and Nick Ross and junior Len Ciemniecki have the top seed time of 1:34.98 and could make a run on the record time of 1:33.41 set by Burke, Russell and two other teammates last season.
Birmingham Seaholm 200 freestyle relay – Seniors Enrique Hernandez and Russell and juniors Ciemniecki and Liam Little enter with a seed time of 1:25.30 – 64 hundredths of a second off the LPD2 meet record. Hernandez was part of last year’s champion in this race.
Division 3 at Oakland University
Team contenders: Top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood won its first MHSAA team title last season after finishing runner-up in 2013, and enters with all three relays and 18 individual seeds in scoring position – including three top-seeded swimmers and one top relay. Chelsea, last season’s runner-up by only 26.67 points, has three relays and 15 individuals seeded to score, plus three contenders in diving. Chelsea is seeking its first MHSAA title, while East Grand Rapids has won 25 – most recently in 2013. The Pioneers were third last season, just 41.17 points off the lead, and should again have all three relays in contention, along with 11 individuals seeded to score.
Mitch Buccalo, Cranbrook Kingswood senior – Reigning champion in the individual medley is seeded first in that event (1:55.93). He also finished fifth in the backstroke last year, but instead will swim the butterfly and is seeded fourth (52.30).
Logan Carson, Bay City John Glenn senior – Enters seeded first in the 50 freestyle (21.59) and second in the 100 (47.81) after finishing fifth in the 50 and 12th in the 100 a year ago.
Skyler Cook-Weeks, Holland Christian freshman – Reigning 500 champ Parker Cook-Weeks graduated, but little brother Skyler has the top seed in the (4:46.14) and sixth seed in the 200 freestyle (1:47.79).
Giorgio DelGrosso, Cranbrook-Kingswood junior – Last season’s third-place finisher in the breaststroke and 10th-placer in the IM should earn even more points for the Cranes; he enters seeded first in the breaststroke (58.68) and fifth in the IM (2:00.76).
Brendan Gatward, Detroit Country Day junior – His seeds of seventh in the IM (2:03.67) and sixth in backstroke (54.22) might appear in the middle of a group of contenders. But Gatward is the reigning backstroke champion and took fourth in the IM in 2014.
Andrew Guan, Cranbrook-Kingswood junior – Should also be a big contributor again after finishing second in the butterfly and seventh in the 200 freestyle last season. Guan is seeded first in the 200 (1:42.48) and fifth in the butterfly (52.38).
Andy MacGregor, East Grand Rapids junior – More a distance swimmer at last season’s Finals, he finished fifth in the 500 and third in the 200 freestyles. He’s seeded second in the 200 (1:43.57) behind only Guan and owns the top seed in the 100 freestyle (47.47).
Alec Nyboer, Hamilton junior – Reigning butterfly champion is seeded first in that race (50.21), but also will try to move up from seventh last year in the backstroke; he’s seeded second (52.28) in that event.
Joey Puglessi, Grand Rapids Catholic Central junior – Won the backstroke in 2013 as a freshman but didn’t compete at last season’s Final; his seed time of 52.19 would beat the LPD3 Finals record set in 2009. Puglessi also is seeded sixth in the 200 IM (2:02.62).
Jacob Burris, Chelsea senior – Seeking repeat in diving after winning last season by 31.05 points with two-time champion Henry Swett of Marshall also in that field. Burris posted the top Division 3 Regional score this season of 513.40.
PHOTO: Swimmers launch during an event at last season’s LP Division 3 Finals.
Preview: Fast Finals in Weekend Forecast
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 25, 2021
Lower Peninsula boys swimming & diving has come back in a big, or rather really fast, way this winter.
The sport was halted days before last season’s MHSAA Finals. But contenders have sped through this season at an impressive pace – and have loaded this weekend’s championship meets with plenty of storylines.
Diving is Friday and all swimming Saturday – click for more meet details (and note that in Division 3 all diving is at Hamilton High School and all swimming at the Holland Aquatic Center). Because of the large numbers of participants, spectators are not allowed this weekend – but both days of all three meets will be streamed live and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv.
Here’s a glance at team and individual favorites:
Lower Peninsula Division 1 at Hudsonville
Top-ranked teams: 1. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2. Holland West Ottawa, 3. Detroit Catholic Central.
With no Finals competed in 2020, Holland West Ottawa remains the reigning champion – and is expected to give a mighty Pioneer team its strongest competition. Pioneer is seeking its first championship since 2009 and first top-two Finals finish since 2011, and enters with all three relays and 25 individual entries seeded to score plus three divers competing. West Ottawa will have all three relays competing with 11 individual entries seeded to score. DCC was the runner-up to West Ottawa at that most recent Finals two seasons ago, and the Shamrocks will attempt to earn their first championship with all three relays and 12 entries seeded to score and one diver competing.
Matt Adanin, Saline junior – He’s the favorite in the backstroke at his first Finals with a seed time of 49.94, and he’s also seeded third in the 200-yard freestyle (1:42.76).
Conner Halberg, Northville senior – After also qualifying as a top contender in the 500 and 200 freestyles last season, Halberg enters this weekend top-seeded in the 500 (4:36.8) and second-seeded in the 200 (1:40.94).
Dane Herrick, Lake Orion senior – The top seed in the 50 (21.01) and fourth seed in the 100 freestyle (46.82) also was slated to contend in both in 2020.
Ryan Hume, Ann Arbor Pioneer junior – Slated to swim other races last season, Hume is a favorite in his pair of individual events this weekend with the top seed in the individual medley (1:52.58) and second seed in the 500 (4:37.74).
Matthew Segal, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior – He earned a third in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the breaststroke as a sophomore and was the favorite in the breaststroke and second-seeded in the IM last season. He comes into this weekend seeded first in both the 200 free (1:39.62) and breaststroke (53.99), the latter with a time only four tenths of a second off the all-division/class Finals record.
Fletcher Smith, Huron Valley United junior – He qualified in the backstroke and butterfly last year and this weekend should contend in both with the top seed in the butterfly (50.58) and seventh in the 200 free.
Jack VanHowe, Rochester junior – A backstroke contender and 100 free qualifier a year ago, he is the top seed in the 100 (46.35) and second seed in the backstroke (50.02) this time.
Ann Arbor Pioneer’s 400 freestyle relay – The Pioneers’ top seed time of 3:04.99 is 2.9 seconds faster than the field and 2.93 seconds off the all-division/class Finals record.
Cole Tremewan, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior – He finished fifth at the Finals as a freshman and second as a sophomore, and his 507.55 Regional score last week was nearly 27 points higher than the next contender’s total and one of only five scores across the three Regionals above 400.
Lower Peninsula Division 2 at Jenison
Top-ranked teams: 1. Birmingham Seaholm, 2. Grosse Pointe South, 3. Ann Arbor Skyline.
The Maples will be competing for a first team championship since winning back-to-back in 2014 and 2015 and enter the weekend with all three relays and 13 entries seeded to score plus three divers competing. Grosse Pointe South will make a run at its first team title since 1968, boasting all three relays and nine entries seeded to score and a diver competing. Skyline chased Pioneer during the regular season and could join its neighbor as a champion with all three relays and 10 entries seeded to score, plus a diver. Skyline won the Division 1 championship in 2018.
Aidan Boldt, St. Clair Shores Lakeview senior – He finished fourth in the 200 and 500 freestyles as a sophomore and had top-three seeds in both heading into last year’s Finals. This weekend he has the top seed in the 200 (1:42.16) and second seed in the 500 (4:39.05).
Gianni Carlino, Grosse Pointe North junior – He and Boldt will be chasing each other; Carlino also was expected to contend in the 200 and 500 freestyles last season and has the second seed in the 200 (1:42.90) and top seed in the 500 (4:38.84) this weekend.
Michael Grover, Byron Center junior – He made a jump to the fifth seed in the breaststroke in 2020 and this time is the top seed in that race (56.73) and eighth seed in the IM.
Jack Hamilton, Berkley senior – Hamilton has another chance to build on his backstroke championship and third place in the IM as a sophomore. He’s the top seed in the backstroke (49.30) for the third season in a row and this time by nearly two seconds, and he’s also the second seed in the IM (1:51.94).
Trevor Jones, Farmington senior – The top-seeded contender in both the IM (1:51.79) and 100 free (45.55) was ninth in the butterfly in Division 1 as a sophomore and expected to contend in the butterfly and 200 free in Division 2 last season.
Avery LeTourneau, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior – He was seeded to score in both the 200 free and butterfly last season and is again, this time sixth in the 200 and the favorite in the butterfly (49.69).
Micah Scheffer, Temperance Bedford junior – After taking fifth in the 50 and 11th in the 100 freestyle as a freshman, Scheffer was seeded eighth in both the 50 and butterfly last season. But this weekend he’s moved up to the top seed in the 50 (21.07) and third in the butterfly (50.72).
Kameron Liberman, Birmingham Seaholm senior – His 525.45 was the highest in all of Division 3’s Regionals last week. He improved from 12th at the Finals as a freshman to fifth as a sophomore.
Lower Peninsula Division 3 at Holland Aquatic Center/Hamilton
Top-ranked teams: 1. East Grand Rapids, 2. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 3. Holland Christian.
Even after the year off, there are some interesting streaks worth noting in this division. The 2018 and 2019 Division 3 Finals ended with Holland Christian as champion and East Grand Rapids as runner-up, and the Pioneers have actually finished second four straight seasons and last won the team title in 2013. Cranbrook was the champion four straight seasons from 2014-17. The Pioneers will bring potentially the two strongest divers plus all three relays and 13 entries seeded to score, while Cranbrook will lean on three relays and nine entries seeded among the top 16 in their events. Holland Christian’s three-peat could rely on three relays and 10 top-16 individual entries, plus a diver.
Charles Brown, Spring Lake junior – Brown has jumped from an expected middle-placing sprinter in 2020 to a major contender with the second-fastest 50 seed time (21.14) and best in the butterfly (51.08).
Jonas Cantrell, Mason senior – Cantrell is another of a handful of past champions getting another shot as he’s seeded first in both the 200 (1:40.01) and 500 (4:34.97) freestyles after winning the 500 and finishing third in the 200 as a sophomore.
Andrew Dobrzanski, Milan junior – Dobrzanski also is a past champion, having won the breaststroke and taken second in the IM in 2019. He’s seeded first in both this weekend with seed times of 54.79 and 1:50.87, respectively.
Colin Kalkman, Holland Christian senior – Kalkman was third in the IM and fifth in the backstroke and part of a championship relay two seasons ago, and he returns as the top seed in the 100 free (47.04) and second in the backstroke (53.04).
Tyler Ray, Pinckney junior – He was off to a great start with an eighth in the butterfly and 12th in the backstroke as a freshman and qualified for both in Division 2 a year ago. Back in Division 3 this weekend, he’s seeded first in the backstroke (52.95) and second in the butterfly (51.44).
Jacob Ryan, Detroit Country Day senior – He has posted a combined three top-eight Finals finishes in the 50 or 100 freestyles and was expected to pick up two more last season. He could be in for a big high school finale seeded first in the 50 (21.01) and second in the 100 (48.02) this weekend.
Charley Bayer, East Grand Rapids junior – Pioneers divers posted the two highest total scores at Regionals, with Bayer edging senior teammate Billy Kirchgessner. Bayer was eighth as a freshman in 2019, when then-sophomore Kirchgessner finished third, and both were slated to dive last season as well.
PHOTO: Matthew Segal, here against Ann Arbor Huron on Feb. 25, brings a pair of individual top seeds into the Division 1 Finals as he attempts to help top-ranked Pioneer secure its first team title since 2009. (Photo courtesy of We Love Ann Arbor.)