'Best Ever' East Grand Rapids Wins 20th Title
November 19, 2016
By Butch Harmon
Special for Second Half
HOLLAND – East Grand Rapids swim coach Butch Briggs has won numerous MHSAA Finals championships over his 42 years of coaching the powerhouse program. But this year’s group has a special place in his gallery of champions.
The Pioneers captured their 20th MHSAA title since 1972 on Saturday, earning the Lower Peninsula Division 3 championship at the Holland Aquatics Center. East won the title in impressive fashion as it totaled 512 points. Bloomfield Hills Marian finished second with 364. Holland Christian totaled 175 points to place third overall, followed by reigning champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central with 172 and Milan with 134 to round out the top five.
“I’ve been coaching for 42 years, and this is the best swim team East has ever had,” said Briggs. “To swim this well and have such a great group of swimmers; this is our best team, hands down.”
Not only did East Grand Rapids pile up the points, but it also piled up meet records. East swimmers started the Finals off with a record-breaking performance in the 200-yard medley relay from sophomore Sydney Higgins, junior Ileah Doctor, senior Emma Rao and sophomore Laura Levine in 1:44.97.
“”This is very special,” said Rao. “We definitely knew we had the ability to do this. I think the key for us is that we were just so pumped up to be in the state finals.”
Like her teammate, Levine pointed to East’s inner drive as being key to the record-setting win.
“It was definitely the adrenaline,” Levine said. “It’s the state finals, and we had the adrenaline flowing. Being here at the state finals with our team definitely added to it.”
While the Pioneers set a new relay record, Doctor also posted a pair of individual records for East.
Doctor won the 50 freestyle in an LPD3 meet record time of 22.73 seconds and won the 100 breaststroke in a record time of 1:02.60.
“I was not expecting it at all,” Doctor said. “It really helped having my teammates being there for me.”
Helping the Pioneers win the team title was just as important to the talented junior.
“We came down here so excited, and it’s been really been great,” Doctor said. “We knew Marian was dropping down to Division 3 so we knew we had to be ready if we wanted to win. We knew with Marian here that we were not going to run away with this.”
Doctor was also part of East’s 200 free relay team that turned in a record time of 1:33.89. Seniors Lexus VanHoven, Hanna Sanford and Gabby Higgins joined Doctor on the relay team.
Higgins and sophomore sister Sydney Higgins also captured individual titles for the Pioneers. Gabby won the 100 freestyle in a time of 50.70 while Sydney Higgins captured the 100 backstroke in 56.57.
Bloomfield Hills Marian also took part in the record setting. In the final race of the meet, Marian’s 400 free relay team of senior Kailyn Swantek, junior Gabby Granata, junior Lauren Biglin and senior Sophia Schott set a new LPD3 meet record of 3:27.85. That time broke the record they set the previous day during the preliminaries.
East Grand Rapids’ 400 free relay team of VanHoven, Sanford, Sydney Higgins and Gabby Higgins turned in a time of 3:28.96 that also eclipsed the previous day’s record.
Individually, Marian’s Lauren Biglin also claimed a pair of individual championships. In the 200 freestyle, Biglin turned in a time of 1:52.14 to edge senior Riley Kishman of Grand Rapids Catholic Central, who turned in a time of 1:52.73. Biglin also captured the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:03.28.
Milan was powered to its top-five finish by a pair of championship efforts including a record-breaking swim. In the 200 IM, junior Madelyn Cislo set a record for LP Division 3 as she turned in a time of 2:04.62.
“This feels really awesome,” Cislo said. “Last year was a tough one for me. I was seeded first but I had a rough day. This year I came in with the attitude that no matter what, I will just have fun. In the last 50 meters, I just said to myself `Cislo, how bad do you want this.’”
In the diving competition, Milan sophomore Mackenzie Crawford came in as the top seed and performed up to form, totaling 478.3 points to win the title. The victory capped an undefeated season for Crawford.
“It felt really good,” Crawford said. “I was really nervous on some of my dives, but I just calmed down.”
Competing in this year’s Finals was extra special for Crawford, who missed most of her freshman season due to a knee injury.
“I’ve been diving since I was 5 years old,” Crawford said. “I dive five days a week. Diving is what I love to do.”
Pontiac Notre Dame freshman Rhianna Hensler also enjoyed a huge Finals. Not only did Hensler cap her freshman season with an individual title, but also she set an LPD3 meet record as she won the 100 butterfly in 56.21 to edge Susan LaGrand of Grand Rapids Catholic Central (56.24).
“It was very surprising,” Hensler said. “I came in wanting to swim my best time. I swam my best time at the county meet and I came in here hoping to swim in the high 57s, and I end up going in the low 56s. To win a state title and set the record too is very special.”
PHOTOS: (Top) East Grand Rapids’ Ileah Doctor swims her record-breaking 50-yard freestyle Saturday. (Middle) Bloomfield Hills Marian’s Lauren Biglin swims the winning 500 freestyle. (Below) Milan’s Madelyn Cislo swims to her meet record time in the 200 individual medley. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Preview: Surging In Uncharted Waters
January 14, 2021
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Swimming may be the sport most reliant on a training schedule, with athletes purposefully prepping for a specific championship day.
This season’s plan dissolved in November for Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals participants – but in its place, contenders will compete this weekend under historic circumstances after a two-month pause due to COVID-19.
The Division 1 Final will be hosted by Hudsonville High School, with Division 2 at Grand Rapids Northview and Division 3 at Lake Orion. Diving begins Friday at 5:30 p.m., with all swimming starting at 2 p.m. Saturday. All races will be timed Finals – there will be no preliminaries or final heats, but results will be a combination of the fastest times from all heats.
Spectators are not allowed at this weekend’s Finals, but all three will be streamed live and can be watched with subscription on MHSAA.TV. Click for lineups and seed times for all three meets.
Lower Peninsula Division 1 at Hudsonville
Reigning champion: Farmington Hills Mercy
2019 runner-up: Ann Arbor Pioneer
2020-21 top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2. Saline, 3. Northville.
Farmington Hills Mercy has won the last three Division 1 championships but was only fifth in the most recent rankings from November. Pioneer finished just a half-point behind the Marlins in 2019 and is the favorite to win its first championship since 2008. The Pioneers have an extraordinary 22 entries seeded to score, with six top seeds (including all three relays), plus a diver. Saline, third a year ago, is seeking its first championship since 2014 and first top-two finish since 2017. The Hornets have 13 entries seeded to score including one top seed, plus three divers competing.
Kotoko Blair, Novi junior – She’s the top seed in the 100-yard freestyle (51.56) and second in the 50 (23.67) after finishing third in the 50 and sixth in the 100 in 2019.
Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer freshman – One of many Pioneer standouts, she’s seeded first in the backstroke (56.30) and third in the 200 individual medley (2:04.25).
Greta Gidley, Farmington Hills Mercy senior – The reigning 100 freestyle champion and runner-up in the IM has switched up events a bit and is seeded second in the 500 (5:01.86) and fourth in the IM (2:04.33).
Edwina Jalet, Ann Arbor Pioneer junior – She came in fifth in the backstroke and 15th in the IM a season ago, but returns as the top seed in the breaststroke (1:03.00) and sixth in the IM (2:05.34).
Brady Kendall, Plymouth junior – Kendall was third in the butterfly and fifth in the 50 last season and is expected to make a jump – she’s top-seeded in both races with times of 54.53 and 23.22, respectively.
Emily Roden, Northville sophomore – Last season’s butterfly champion (and third-place finisher in the 200 freestyle) as a freshman, Roden should be back in the mix in both seeded second in the butterfly (56.04) and third in the 200 (1:53.15).
Kiersten Russell, Saline senior – Russell could have a memorable last Finals after finishing third in the backstroke and 11th in the IM as a junior. She is the top seed in the 500 (4:59.33) and fourth in the backstroke (56.87).
Annaliese Streeter, Ann Arbor Huron senior – After finishing eighth in both the IM and breaststroke in 2019, Streeter enters this meet the top seed in the IM (2:03.40) and second in the breaststroke (1:03.18) with the latter less than two tenths of a second off the top rank.
Vivian VanRenterghem, Ann Arbor Pioneer junior – She’s seeded first in the 200 freestyle (1:52.82) and seventh in the backstroke (57.89) after finishing second in the 200 and tying for ninth in the 100 free a season ago.
Annie Costello, Ann Arbor Huron senior – Last season’s Division 1 diving champion won with a score of 425.40 and won her Regional this fall by 41 points with a 436.05, the only Division 1 score at any Regional to break 400.
Lower Peninsula Division 2 at Grand Rapids Northview
Reigning champion: Birmingham Seaholm
2019 runner-up: Grosse Pointe South
2020-21 top-ranked: 1. Birmingham Seaholm, 2. East Grand Rapids, 3. Rochester Adams
Seaholm is seeded to win its second-straight championship and third in five seasons. The Maples have 28 entries seeded to score with the top seeds in all three relays plus a diver competing. But this race also changed up quite a bit with East Grand Rapids opting out – the Pioneers won Division 3 last season and were riding a four-season streak of team Finals titles in either Divisions 2 or 3. Adams won Division 2 in 2018 and then finished sixth in Division 1 last season. With 23 entries seeded to score and a diver, the Highlanders should be in the mix again.
Grace Albrecht, Jenison freshman – She’s set to make an impressive Finals debut as the top seed in the 50 (23.76) and fourth seed in the 100 free (52.82).
Elly Belmore, St. Clair Shores Lakeview junior – Last season’s breaststroke champion is slated to swim that race and the IM, entering as the 14th and 12th seeds, respectively, in those races.
Lily Cleason, Ann Arbor Skyline sophomore – After finishing 14th in the 200 free and swimming the backstroke in Division 1 in 2019, she’s seeded third in the 200 (1:53.56) and tops in the backstroke (56.63) at this Division 2 meet.
Samantha Clifford, Birmingham Seaholm sophomore – She was third in the 50 and fifth in the 100 free as a freshman, and could bring the Maples one or two individual championships as the second seed in both the 100 (52.07) and 200 free (1:52.22).
Allison Danko, Rochester Adams senior – As noted above she with her team also swam in Division 1 last season, finishing seventh in the 500 and 11th in the 200 free. She’s the top seed in the 500 (4:57.91) by nine seconds and the fourth seed in the 200 (1:53.97) this weekend.
Madeline Greaves, Farmington senior – After winning four Division 1 relay championships over her first two seasons with now-closed Farmington Hills Harrison, she added Division 2 individual titles last season for Farmington in the IM and 500. She’s seeded first in the IM (2:04.59) this weekend and also in the backstroke (1:04.74).
Gracie Olsen, Fenton junior – The Tigers standout has won individual titles in three events over her first two seasons, the IM as a freshman and the butterfly and 200 free as a sophomore. She’s seeded first in both of her 2019 title races, in 55.17 and 1:51.28, respectively.
Jordyn Shipps, DeWitt senior – She’s hoping to add a first Finals championship after taking fifth in the 200 and fourth in the 100 free in 2019; she’s seeded first in the 100 (51.12) by nearly a second and second in the IM (2:06.07).
Lily Witte, Dexter sophomore – The reigning diving champion cleared the Division 2 Regional field this time by more than 34 points with a 472.00. Her 468.40 at last season’s Final was the second-highest Finals score in Division 2 during the three-division era.
Lower Peninsula Division 3 at Lake Orion
Reigning champion: East Grand Rapids
2019 runner-up: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
2020-21 top-ranked: 1. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 2. Bloomfield Hills Marian, 3. Hamilton.
Even before East Grand Rapids opted out of the Finals, there was going to be a new champ in this division as EGR was slated to swim in Division 2. Cranbrook after winning this meet in 2017 finished second to the Pioneers the last two – last season by only 11 points. The Cranes enter this weekend with 17 entries seeded to score, including five top seeds, and two competing divers. Marian finished third last season and was runner-up in 2016 and 2017, and will make a run at this weekend’s championship with 14 entries seeded to score, two top seeds, and a diver. Hamilton could build on last year’s fifth-place finish, entering with nine entries seeded to score including one top seed, plus three divers.
Hannah Fathman, Hamilton senior – Fathman won the 50 last season after being part of a championship relay as a sophomore. She enters Saturday seeded second in the 50 (23.91) and fourth in the 100 free (52.92).
Ginger McMahon, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett junior – McMahon won the breaststroke as a freshman and returns this weekend as the top seed in that race (1:04.27) by more than three seconds and as the second seed in the IM (2:09.14).
Justine Murdock, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood senior – She’ll look to add to her three individual and one relay title won over the last two seasons. She’s the reigning champion in the backstroke and IM and the meet record holder in the former, and she arrives as the top seed in both in 56.76 and 2:08.19, respectively.
Riley Nugent, Plainwell junior – She’s won two straight championships in the 500 and also was second in the 200 free last season. She’s the top seed in the 500 (5:08.11) by nearly five seconds and the second seed in the 200 (1:54.95).
Julia Waechter, Bloomfield Hills Marian junior – She was part of a relay champion as a freshman and could be closing in on one or more individual titles as the top seed in the 50 (23.57) and second seed in the 100 free (51.57). She was fourth in the 50 and fifth in the 100 last season.
Gwen Woodbury, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood senior – Woodbury will finish a career that’s included three individual titles and four relay championships, including a win in the 200 freestyle with a runner-up finish in the butterfly as a junior. She seeded first in the 100 free (51.29) and also in the 200 (1:50.57), by four seconds.
Lara Wujciak, Flint Powers Catholic senior – She was fifth in the butterfly and swam the backstroke last season and should move up significantly in both. She’s seeded first in the butterfly (56.59) and fifth in the backstroke (59.27).
Abigail Sullivan, Otsego junior – After finishing third last season behind two seniors, Sullivan is the likely favorite also based on a strong Regional. Her 442.10 was 73 points higher than anyone else at a Division 3 qualifying meet.
PHOTO: Lindsay Orringer-Hau swims to a ninth place in the butterfly at last season's Division 1 Final, and will be among standouts looking to score big for Ann Arbor Pioneer this weekend. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)