Spring Lake Takes Lead in Pool, Community
February 12, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Spring Lake boys swimming and diving team has taken a turn toward the elite over the last two seasons, rising from average to one of the best on the west side of Michigan and in its division statewide.
And Lakers over the last two seasons have matched their athletic prowess with a notable outside-the-pool contribution as well, spearheaded by one of its captains.
Spring Lake is the Applebee’s Team of the Month for January after nearly completing one of the most impressive regular seasons in Lower Peninsula Division 3 this winter, and also for an athlete-driven effort that has raised nearly $8,000 over two years to provide services to local cancer patients.
The Lakers finished 11-3-1 in dual meets and rank No. 9 in LP Division 3 after starting this season outside the top 10, with wins over No. 4 Holland Christian, No. 5 Grand Rapids Christian and No. 6 Hamilton twice. Spring Lake also beat LP Division 1 honorable mention Grand Haven for only the third time in program history and first time in at least four seasons – and the team’s losses were to LPD1 No. 6 Zeeland and LPD1 honorable mentions Byron Center and Grandville.
“Three years ago, we had a losing dual meet record. We were losing to teams, a lot of Division 3 teams, and those teams we’ve beaten (the last two seasons),” said Spring Lake coach Jason Lintjer, a three-time MHSAA champion for Grand Haven at 2008 who went on to swim at Michigan State University. “We’re definitely moving in the right direction. We’re getting better year by year.”
The Lakers have also won three invitationals this season: their own, at Ludington and at Bridgman, another honorable mention in LP Division 1. The team’s relays are especially strong – the 200 freestyle relay of Cam Peel, Jacob Weesies, Grant Stille and Evan Wujcik ranks sixth in LPD3 with a top time of 1:31.30, and the 200 medley relay of Peel, Marshall Bailey, Drew Fogel and Weesies is tied for sixth with a top time of 1:43.04. The 400 freestyle relay of Charlie Slajus, Peel, Keon Rick and Fogel is eighth in LPD3 at 3:27.13. All three have qualified for the MHSAA LPD3 Finals beginning March 11 at Eastern Michigan University.
But more than an interesting sidenote is how many athletes could step into those relays and contribute. Peel has the fastest 200 free split, but team’s seventh-fastest swimmer in that relay has been only 1.71 seconds slower. The difference in speed between Slajus’ team-leading split in the 400 free and seventh fastest is only 1.58 seconds.
“The reason we’ve won so much is we’re so deep. Our depth is better than just about every team in every division," Lintjer said. "We don’t have state championship type of swimmers, but we might make a run at a relay because we have four swimmers who can contribute.”
All of this points to Spring Lake as a team on the rise statewide. But adding to these accomplishments has been the work to raise money to assist those fighting cancer, initiated by Rick, a senior.
He watched cancer’s effects first-hand as it took the health of his grandmother, who died in 2015. According to a Grand Haven Tribune report, Rick followed the lead of his brother, who had previously raised a donation to Bluebird Cancer Retreats, which provides programming including counseling for those living with cancer, survivors, and other loved ones and caregivers.
With just a few weeks of work in 2015, Rick raised more than $3,000 for those wishing to take part in Bluebird’s retreats. This year, he raised more than $4,200 with the help of his teammates, coaches and Manistee’s team during their Jan. 21 meet, a “Swim for Hope.”
Rick received donations door-to-door, from businesses and families, Lintjer said, and from Manistee’s program and community as well. Donors could sponsor specific events of the meet or lanes of Spring Lake's pool. Many made donations in the names of loved ones, and those names scrolled on the scoreboard throughout the meet.
In addition to physically organizing most of the meet festivities, Rick directed the effort, instructing teammates who took part as well.
“People are probably surprised he raised $4,000, but I wasn’t very surprised,” Lintjer said. “He’s one our team captains, and pretty much anything he does, he does a great job.”
Spring Lake’s swimming and diving team has 23 athletes this season and has set two pool records, one at home and one at Bridgman. The Lakers will look to repeat as Coastal Conference champions when they host the league meet Feb. 26-27.
Past Teams of the Month, 2015-16:
December: Saginaw Heritage girls basketball – Report
November: Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard volleyball – Report
October: Benton Harbor football – Report
September: Mason and Okemos boys soccer – Report
PHOTOS: (Top) Spring Lake's Eric Schock swims the butterfly during a meet this season. (Middle) Spring Lake athletes wave to the crowd with trophy in hand. (Photos courtesy of the Schock and Rick families).
Groves Accomplishes Year-long Goal in Earning 1st Finals Title Since 2010
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 11, 2023
HOLLAND – Birmingham Groves junior Angus McDonald remembers a phone call between teammates following last year’s fourth-place finish at the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals.
“I remember a year ago, we were on a call late at night saying that we could really win state next year, and we’ve been working for this the whole year,” McDonald said. “It’s something we’ve dreamed of for so long.”
That dream became a reality Saturday as the Falcons claimed the Division 2 crown by a narrow margin over Detroit U-D Jesuit.
Groves finished with 274 points, while Jesuit had 267 points. Birmingham Seaholm (210) was third and Grosse Pointe South (207) placed fourth.
The Finals win was the Falcons’ first since 2010.
“We thought we had a chance to win the BIg Dance,” Groves coach Ricky Forrest said. “We knew it was going to be very tight. We knew it was going to be a dogfight, and it was.
“We had a lot of kids step up, and our captains and our leadership on the team did a tremendous job.”
Groves has steadily climbed the ladder at the Finals. The Falcons had placed ninth two years ago, and knew this feat was possible with the return of several experienced swimmers.
“It was a goal that they had last March, and they put in the work,” Forrest said. “It's one of the most rewarding feelings in the world when you put in the work, and you get to see it. I'm getting goosebumps just talking about it right now.”
McDonald won the 100-yard breaststroke (55.90) and was a part of the victorious 200 medley relay team that set the tone early.
“We knew if any year was going to be the year, this was it, and we’ve been striving so hard to make it happen,” McDonald said. “U of D put up a great fight, and they’re a very strong team. We’re just so happy to come out with this, and this feels amazing.”
Senior Ian Duncan, who clocked a winning time of 1:40.01 in the 200 free, became emotional as he clutched the championship trophy and talked about the journey to reach this moment.
“In this sport more than anything, you have early mornings and late nights and you think about all the things that can get you through those hard practices when you really don't want to do it,” Duncan said. “Keeping your dreams alive, that one day you might get in the pool and win it all for your team and the school that you represented for four years. It's really something that keeps you going through the hard times. It's immeasurable.”
After Friday’s preliminaries, Groves set out to prove it had enough mettle to win it all.
“We brought it together in our hotel room, and we thought we had a chance to do something special,” Duncan said. “We all looked each other in the eye, and we all knew if we could come together as a team and trusted each other then we were going to come out on top.”
Forrest said the little things made the difference.
“Our boys swam outstanding yesterday and today, and it's really crazy how all the small things that we teach and we coach always matter when the races are so tight,” he said.
Jesuit placed runner-up for the second-straight year. Last year the Cubs finished second to Ann Arbor Skyline.
“We kind of knew all season that we were talented,” Jesuit coach Drew Edson said. “I didn’t realize we were going to be up like this, but our focus the entire season and this weekend was the team.
“This is the best team around when it comes to being loving and appreciative for the successes they've had because they’ve worked for every amount of it.”
Jesuit captured wins in a pair of relay events, the 200 and 400 free.
“Top to bottom our kids did phenomenally,” Edson said. “Our relays were great, individually we were great and we had a lot of top-end speed. We were just missing a little bit of depth, and I think that’s where championships are won. Our kids swam their hearts out.”
Fenton senior Max Haney became a two-time Finals champion winning the 200 IM (1:48.44) and the 100 back (48.92).
Grosse Pointe South senior Logan Hepner recorded the top honor in diving for the second-straight season, this time by scoring 560.801 points. His father Chad had won a Finals championship in diving for the Blue Devils in 1993.
Byron Center's Austin Briggs (50 freestyle), Grosse Pointe south's Keiran Rahmaan (100 butterfly) and Troy Liu (100 free), and Walled Lake Northern's Seah Diffenderfer (500 free) also won championships, Diffenderfer repeating in that race.
PHOTOS (Top) Birmingham Groves celebrates its LPD2 team championship Saturday at Holland Aquatic Center. (Middle) Fenton’s Max Haney races to the 200 IM victory. (Below) Grosse Pointe South’s Logan Hepner launches during his repeat pursuit in diving. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)