'Outside Shot' Becomes Adams' Historic Win
November 17, 2018
By Keith Dunlap
Special for Second Half
ROCHESTER – In his more than two decades as the face of the Rochester Adams swimming & diving program, Tim Hickey has seen his share of great swimmers in his school’s pool, including former Olympian Peter Vanderkaay.
But Vanderkaay and those other standout swimmers weren’t able to achieve what the current Adams girls team accomplished at Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals at Oakland University.
For the first time in school history, girls or boys, an Adams swim team was crowned state champion in swimming after the Highlanders finished off a dream season by collecting a meet-best 250 points.
Adams outlasted Oakland Activities Association Red rival Birmingham Seaholm, which was runner-up with 220 points.
Grosse Pointe South was third with 214 points.
“You can’t even really put it into words,” Hickey said. “Early in the season, we thought we had an outside shot. As the season progressed and as the kids started performing the way we needed them to, we knew we had a shot. We had some off swims in prelims that made it a little closer than we wanted. But this team came from behind after prelims to win our league meet, and came from behind to win this. It’s just amazing for these girls to come together like they have.”
Helping Adams’ cause was one of the state’s best overall swimmers in senior Lisa Lohner, who will continue her career next season at University of Toledo.
She won both the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.49) and 500 freestyle (4:58.17), and anchored the winning Adams 200 freestyle relay (1:36.76).
Lohner was indeed fighting off tears when the meet ended, although it actually didn’t have anything to do with helping Adams to historic success.
“I’m really sad because I’m done with high school swimming right now,” Lohner said. “It’s a lot right now. This is my family.”
Lohner entered as the heavy favorite in the 200 and 500 freestyle events going in, but admitted there were still a lot of nerves.
“Going into finals, I was really nervous because I knew a lot of people dropped a lot of times in prelims,” Lohner said. “I didn’t know what to expect. I was really nervous going in. (Coach Hickey) talked about it before today that we could be the first team to do it. We decided to not think about it today, but now it’s all coming down.”
While not having as much of a reason to celebrate as Adams, Seaholm head coach Karl Hodgson said his team had plenty to feel good about with its runner-up finish.
“We thought this was going to be a rebuilding year for us,” Hodgson said. “I would have been happy with a top-five. Somebody had us ranked second throughout the season, and I was like, ‘No, we’re not that good.’ But the girls swam great (Friday). Today, we just ran out of gas a bit.”
Having seen Adams up close throughout the season in league action, Hodgson said it was the Highlanders’ depth that separated them.
“When we swam against them in a dual meet, we swam head-to-head against them and almost pulled it off,” Hodgson said. “But they took all the fifth places, and we took the sixth places. That’s the main difference, their depth. They just keep coming at you."
The other individual star besides Lohner was Midland Dow junior Claire Newman, who won the 50 (23.08) and 100 freestyles (51.19).
Fenton freshman Gracie Olsen won the 200 individual medley in a time of 2:03.19, Walled Lake Western sophomore Kamila Podsiadlo won the diving title with 414.60 points, Grosse Pointe South senior Claire Fisher won the 100 butterfly in a time of 54.86, Grosse Pointe South senior Renee Liu won the 100 backstroke with a time of 55.88, and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central senior Jessica Schellenboom won the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:03.88.
Grosse Pointe South’s team of Liu, Fisher, Olivia You and Hannah Blanzy won the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:46.61, while the Portage Central team of Sydney Sonday, Maggie Farrell, Audrey Vermeulen and Julia Semler won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:31.51.
PHOTOS: (Top) Rochester Adams celebrates its first MHSAA Finals title in girls swimming & diving. (Middle) Freshman Kate Stanley helped Birmingham Seaholm to a second-place finish. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Standout Performances, Strength in Numbers Add Up to Marquette Girls Repeat
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
February 18, 2023
MARQUETTE — Numbers lined up in favor of the Marquette girls swimming & diving team here Saturday as they retained their Upper Peninsula Finals title with 393 points.
Gladstone, with just nine on its roster, edged Kingsford 156-153 for the runner-up honor.
“Unfortunately, swimming numbers are down across the state,” said Marquette coach Nate McFarren. “We’ve been fortunate enough to maintain strong numbers, and winning every relay separated us from the pack. I think it’s important for all U.P. teams to have more numbers. I thought Gladstone did real well. I think Tom (Desy, the Braves’ coach) does a great job down there.”
Marquette junior Grace Sobczak collected four firsts, winning the 200-yard individual medley in two minutes, 23.42 seconds and 500 freestyle (5:35.02) and helping the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
Freshman Paige Davis, who was also a part of those relays, added a first in 100 butterfly (1:04.52) and second in 50 freestyle (26.04).
“I couldn’t have done it without my coach and teammates,” Davis said moments after receiving her butterfly award. “Our coach does a real good job training us, and he’s so supportive. We sometimes do agility drills and sometimes dryland training. The relays are fun, and the training has helped.”
Freshman Logan McFarren took the 200 freestyle (2:10.49), helped both freestyle relays and was runner-up in the 500 freestyle (6:02.02).
Senior Maddie Wood, also part of the 200 freestyle relay, took third in the 500 freestyle (6:17.75) and fourth in the 200 IM (2:39.97).
“It feels really great to take the U.P. title,” said Wood, who has been swimming for 12 years. “Our team works super hard, and everything paid off. I got my best times all year in the individual races. I’m thankful for the support from my teammates and coaches and happy my grandparents were here to watch. We do 20-30 50s at least once a week ,and it definitely helps my endurance.”
Gladstone’s Ava Getzloff was a double winner, taking the 50 freestyle (25.83) and 100 backstroke (1:02.07), both in personal bests, and helping the Braves place second in the 200 medley and freestyle relays.
“My starts went pretty well,” said Getzloff, who’s a junior at Escanaba and swims for Gladstone through a co-op venture. “I’m very happy with my times. I also swim for the (Northern Lights) YMCA team and made the state tournament which will be held in March. Everything really went great for our team today.”
Classmate Mary Hook was runner-up in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.54) and 200 IM (2:31.27).
“Timing is everything in breaststroke,” she said. “I feel that’s the most important part. It’s like a special feeling having everyone cheering for you. Their chanting helps you keep your timing.”
Junior Reese Herioux anchored the Braves’ 200 freestyle relay and took third in the 200 freestyle (2:18.53) and fourth in the 500 freestyle (6:21.27).
“I was really happy with our team,” she said. “Marquette is always real good. Our team is real good. Some people do dryland training, but most of my training is in the pool.
“The U.P. Finals are always fun. You get to see a lot of your friends. They have the best stands here for spectators, which makes the Finals real exciting.”
Desy said he was happy with the team’s performance.
“Ava had an outstanding meet, and Mary did a great job today,” he added. “For a small team like ours to take second is pretty awesome. Marquette just has so many more kids than everybody. The girls did an awesome job.”
Kingsford junior Nahi Cristobalena won the breaststroke (1:12.45) and Ishpeming Westwood sophomore Faith Spiroff won Friday’s diving competition with 235.55 points.
(PHOTOS by Randy Ritari – Click to see more.)