Preview: Winning Streaks Challenged
March 8, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A handful or reigning champions have dominated Lower Peninsula boys swimming & diving these last few seasons – but that could end this weekend.
A year ago, Birmingham Brother Rice in Division 1 and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood in Division 3 became two of three teams over the last 20 years to win four straight MHSAA LP boys swimming & diving titles. Dexter, in Division 2, also repeated as a team champion.
But two of those are not considered the favorites entering this weekend’s Finals, and it’s not hard to see a path for three new champions. Read on for a look at how the races stack up in all three divisions, plus some of the individuals who are expected to shine brightest.
Preliminaries are Friday and Finals are Saturday, with action beginning at noon for both. 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.
LP Division 1 at Eastern Michigan University
Reigning champion: Birmingham Brother Rice
2017 runner-up: Ann Arbor Skyline
2018 top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Skyline, 2. Holland West Ottawa, 3. Birmingham Brother Rice.
For the first time in a long time, there’s a feeling Brother Rice’s reign might end. The Warriors have won four straight LPD1 team titles and have some stars in the pool this weekend – but only five individual entries joining three relays seeded among the top 16. Skyline finished second last season by 26 points and is seeking its first championship with 12 individual entries and all three relays seeded to score, plus two divers including the reigning champ. West Ottawa was the runner-up in 2015 and is seeking its first team title since 1971. The Panthers have 11 entries and all three relays seeded to score after coming in fifth – but just 48 points back – last season. Saline, ranked No. 4 this week, came in third last year 36 points back and could be in the mix as well.
Matt Lau, Saline senior – After finishing first in the breaststroke and 10th in the 50 last season, enters seeded ninth in the breaststroke (58.27) and also will swim the 50 again.
Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa senior – Missed what would’ve been his first Finals title by finishing second in the backstroke last season, along with seventh in the individual medley, but enters this weekend seeded first in backstroke (50.94), fourth in IM (1:53.23) and as an option for all three relays but a likely leader of the top-seeded 200 medley (1:33.77).
Michael MacGillivray, Ann Arbor Skyline senior – Placed fourth in both the IM and breaststroke last season, but is seeded first in both the IM (1:49.97) and breaststroke (55.23) this time with a spot on the top-seeded 400 freestyle relay (3:09.67) as well.
Alex Margherio, Birmingham Brother Rice senior – Added a backstroke and relay title last season to another relay win in 2016, and this time is seeded second in the butterfly (50.47) and fourth in the 50 (21.22).
Jacob Newberger, Rockford senior – Won the consolation heats of both the IM and butterfly last season to finish ninth in both, but enters this weekend seeded first in the butterfly (50.34) and second in the backstroke (51.10).
Adam Orringer-Hau, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior – Earned part of a relay championship as a sophomore and finished third in the 200 freestyle and seventh in the butterfly last season; he’s seeded first in the 200 (1:39.08) and third in the 100 freestyle (45.86).
Ben Rojewski, Livonia Stevenson junior – Placed third in the 500 freestyle and 13th in the 200 a year ago and has jumped up to the top seed in the 500 (4:35.89) and 11th in the 200.
Henry Schutte, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central junior – Last season’s 50 and 100 freestyle champion is seeded first in both at 20.28 and 44.92, respectively, and should threaten the meet record of 20.26 in the former.
Henry Schirmer, Ann Arbor Skyline junior – Last season’s champion by more than 53 points won his Regional last week by 50 with the highest score in all of Division 1 at 522.35.
LP Division 2 at Oakland University
Reigning champion: Dexter
2017 runner-up: Ann Arbor Huron
2018 top-ranked: 1. Dexter, 2. Rochester Adams, 3. Birmingham Seaholm.
Dexter is competing for its third straight LPD2 title after finishing 27.5 points ahead of the field last season (and with runner-up Ann Arbor Huron now in LPD1 instead). The Dreadnaughts have only their three relays and seven individual entries seeded to score, but some depth including a few individuals who could break into the top 16. Rochester Adams is seeking its first title after placing 10th a year ago. All three relays are seeded to score, as are 12 individual entries, and the Highlanders boast a Regional champ diver as well. Seaholm finished third in 2017, 88.5 points back, but won this meet in 2011, 2014 and 2015. The Maples have all three relays and 11 individuals seeded to score, plus a diver, and enough high seeds to make this interesting at the top.
Michael Arpasi, Birmingham Seaholm senior – Last season’s butterfly champion also has three relay titles to his credit, and enters the weekend seeded first in the 50 (21.08), butterfly (50.01) and as part of the 200 medley relay (1:35.26).
Alexander Capizzo, Fraser sophomore – After claiming both the IM and 500 championships as a freshman, Capizzo will attempt to repeat entering as the second seed in the IM (1:55.56) and third in the 500 (4:35.50).
Daniel Frederick, Warren DeLaSalle senior – Finished fourth in the 500 and seventh in the 200 freestyle a year ago, but carries the top seed in the 200 (1:41.76) and second in the 500 (4:35.44) into this weekend.
Eric Hieber, Walled Lake Western sophomore – After finishing 14th in the 500 and not qualifying for the final heats in the 200 in 2017, Hieber has the top seed in the 500 (4:23.71) by nearly three seconds and the sixth seed in the 200 (1:43.41).
Matthew Koueiter, Grosse Pointe South senior – Placed fourth in the breaststroke and 15th in the butterfly as a junior, but is pointing toward a strong finish with the top seed in the breaststroke (58.25) and fourth seed in the butterfly (52.48).
Jason Krzciok, Midland Dow senior – Enters seeded second in the 50 (21.25) and third in the 100 (46.97) and as part of the top-seeded 200 freestyle relay (1:26.48) after finishing ninth in the 50 and fourth in the 100 in 2017.
Zach Milke, Warren DeLaSalle senior – Added a backstroke title last year to his relay championship in 2016, and also took sixth in the 50; he’s seeded first in the 100 freestyle (46.05) by three-quarters of a second, first in the backstroke (50.37) by more than a second and will swim on the top-seeded 400 freestyle relay (3:11.23).
Owen Miller, Portage Central junior – Finished first in the 200 free and third in the 500 a year ago and is seeded second in the 200 (1:42.12) and sixth in the 500 (4:39.99) this time.
Zane Rosely, Walled Lake Northern sophomore – Scored points taking 13th in the IM and 15th in the 500 last season, but is expected to score a lot more with the top seed in the IM (1:53.80) and the fifth in the 500 (4:37.25).
Levi Youmans, Battle Creek Lakeview senior – Won the diving competition last season by more than 30 points and took second at his Regional last week with 443.90 – which ranked second in all of Division 2 as well.
LP Division 3 at Saginaw Valley State University
Reigning champion: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
2017 runner-up: East Grand Rapids
2018 top-ranked: 1. Holland Christian, 2. East Grand Rapids, 3. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
If rankings are correct, another major streak will end as Cranbrook has won the last four LPD3 titles. Holland Christian came in third last season, just 26.5 points back, and East Grand Rapids was second trailing by 13. Christian enters this weekend with 17 individual entries and three relays seeded to score, including an astounding six top seeds. East Grand Rapids has nine entries and three relays seeded to score, but plenty of depth and two divers including a Regional champ. Cranbrook will work to contend again with all three relays and six individual entries seeded among the top 16.
Christian Bart, East Grand Rapids senior – The reigning champ in the breaststroke and 50 free has three individual and two relay titles total over his career, and enters this weekend seeded first in the 50 (20.68) and second in the breaststroke (58.09). That qualifying time in the 50 is four hundredths of a second off the meet record he swam in 2017.
Nolan Briggs, Byron Center senior – The reigning champion in the butterfly is seeded third this time (50.84); he also was fourth in the 50 last season and is seeded second (21.06) behind Bart in that race.
Skyler Cook-Weeks, Holland Christian senior – He’s won the 500 the last two seasons and added a relay title last year as well. Cook-Weeks is seeded first in the 500 (4:35.90) and 200 (1:38.61) and as part of a top-seeded 400 relay (3:07.47) that could make a move on the meet record of 3:06.15.
Kevin Hao, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood senior – Enters seeded third in both the breaststroke (58.73) and IM (1:55.18) after finishing fifth in the breaststroke and second in the IM last season.
Luke Mason, Holland Christian senior – He’ll look to add to last season’s 200 IM and relay titles, entering this weekend as the second seed in the 200 free (1:41.94) and sixth seed in the 500 (4:50.85).
Ian Miskelley, Holland Christian senior – Swimming his first season in high school (he previously attended Holland Black River, which doesn’t have the sport), Miskelley has shown why he’s been known as one of the state’s top talents. He enters the weekend with the top seed in the IM (1:50.63) that is only eight hundredths of a second off the meet record and the top seed in the backstroke (49.88) that is already faster than the meet record in that race. He’ll also swim on the 400 relay noted above.
Cam Peel, Spring Lake junior – Finished sixth in the 50 and third in the 100 last season, but is seeded first in the 100 (46.16), third in the 50 (21.25) and is expected to swim on the top-seeded 200 medley relay (1:35.17).
Cooper Prue, Flint Powers Catholic senior – Placed sixth in the breaststroke and swam the prelim heat in the 200 freestyle last season, but could make a big jump coming in seeded first in the breaststroke (56.53) and fourth in the butterfly (51.13).
Riley VanMeter, Holland Christian junior – Tied for second in the butterfly and finished second in the backstroke in 2017; enters this weekend seeded first in the butterfly (49.84) and second in the backstroke (51.22).
Cayden Petrak, St. Johns junior – Last season’s runner-up to a now-graduated senior, Petrak missed the championship by less than two points. He won his Regional by 155 last week with a score of 496.10, second in Division 2 only to East Grand Rapids’ Nicholas Merritt (499.25).
PHOTOS: Swimmers prepare to launch during last season's Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Pioneer Climbs Podium for 16th Time, 1st Since 2009
By
Will Kennedy
Special for Second Half
March 27, 2021
HUDSONVILLE — Ann Arbor Pioneer dominated Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals and came away with its 16th championship, earning four individual titles in the process.
Coach Stefanie Kerska said she was thrilled with the way her team performed throughout the entire competition, earning 369 points. That total was nearly 100 points more than the Pioneers’ closest competitor.
“I am super pleased, I think we just wanted to be consistent from the start to the finish of the season,” Kerska said. “I thought they did such a great job doing that. Whether it was their preparation, execution, or just the way they’ve handled themselves, they’ve really been a dream.”
But the day got off to a fast start for Saline, which finished second in the team standings. The Hornets took home the top spot in the 200-yard relay with a time of 1:30.35, more than a second faster than any other team and breaking a Hudsonville pool record. But Pioneer wasn’t far behind, finishing in second place, with a time of 1:31.74.
Another pool record fell in the second event of the day, the 200 freestyle. Pioneer senior Matthew Segal earned it with his time of 1:38.24 and added 20 points for his team. Northville senior Conner Halberg touched the wall less than a second after Segal, clocking in at 1:38.87. Rounding out the podium was Saline junior Matt Adanin at 1:41.41; he would later finish runner-up in backstroke as well.
The Pioneers topped the podium again in the individual medley, with junior Ryan Hume touching the wall first in 1:50.37.
“I’ve been training for the whole year for this 200 IM,” Hume said. “I just had one mission, which was to win. I’m hoping to win again next year and hopefully break a varsity record.’
During the sprint of the afternoon, the 50 free, West Ottawa claimed two of the top three spots on the way to finishing team runner-up. Junior Kevin Maas finished first with a blistering swim of 20.60 seconds to break the pool record. Senior teammate Josh Rottier finished in third (21.33), as Lake Orion senior Dane Herrick finished in the middle with a time of 21.13.
Even though his team finished just off the top of the podium, West Ottawa coach Steve Bowyer said he was beyond pleased with the way the Panthers ended the season.
“We knew coming in this year that Ann Arbor Pioneer was going to be really tough to beat,” Bowyer said. “We came in hoping for a runner-up finish and our guys got the job done today … we had some really nice performances today.”
Just like most other events on the day, Pioneer dominated the one-meter dive, as senior Cole Tremewan won by nearly 40 points, scoring 449.05.
“I’m so happy for our diving program and for Cole winning; it was such a big moment for him,” Kerska said. “I know he felt a lot of pressure and handled it so beautifully.”
The 100 butterfly proved to be a race where Saline could claw back some points, finishing two swimmers among the top 16 to Pioneer’s one. Huron Valley junior Fletcher Smith topped the podium with a time of 50.40.
In the 100 free, Pioneer placed three swimmers among the top 16, while Saline had two. But the Hornets got more points earning the individual title thanks to senior Ethan Saunders’ blazing 44.64.
The Pioneers padded their lead in the 500, placing two swimmers among the top three, Hume finished in second (4:31.93) and junior Cameron Williston finished in third (4:40.80). Northville’s Halberg finished just ahead of Hume with a time of 4:31.31.
A new LP Division I Finals record was set in the 200-freestyle relay by West Ottawa’s team of Rottier, Tai Afrik, Alex Boersema and Maas, who finished in 1:23.25. Maas closed hard, finishing the final leg in just 19.94. Saline came in just milliseconds after the Panthers (1:23.68). The Pioneers weren’t far behind, clocking in third with a time of 1:25.32
“It was really close, Saline’s freestyle was superfast, so I knew I had to bring it home for the team,” Maas said.” That was our goal, to get that state record, for the entire season. We talked about it like every day.”
Pioneer put two more finishers among the top 16 in the 100 backstroke, which was won by Rochester junior Jack VanHowe in 49.35. Pioneer then dominated in the 100 breaststroke, with Segal posting an all-division/class Finals record of 53.26.
Segal said he was thrilled with the accolade, but the team title means so much more.
“This team is amazing,” Segal said. “I’m really happy about all my other events, achieving state titles in individual events is really fun, but winning it as a team is a surging sense of pride. To accomplish something we know we’ve been working for, we’ve had it in our minds the whole season.”
Pioneer continued to rack up the big points, finishing the 400 free relay in second place with a time of 3:03.84. Saline took the top spot again with a time of 3:03.84.
The title marks the Pioneers’ first since 2009. Though they don’t plan on waiting 12 years before winning it again, finally breaking the drought meant a lot to this team.
“It means a lot. ... I was on those Pioneer former state championship teams, so I know what it means to the school and the community,” Kerska said. “I’m just so glad that we’re bringing back the tradition of Pioneer swimming and diving.”
PHOTOS: (Top) An Ann Arbor Pioneer swimmer celebrates during Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals at Hudsonville High School. (Middle) A Holland West Ottawa competitor swims the breaststroke. (Below) Another racer swims the butterfly. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)