Redettes Make It 12 for 13 in 2014
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
February 15, 2014
MARQUETTE — Coach Nate McFerrin had every reason to be excited after the Marquette girls gained their 12th Upper Peninsula swimming and diving title in 13 years Saturday.
The Redettes collected 335 points, followed by defending champion Houghton with 277 and Rudyard with 195 at the Marquette High School pool.
“I didn’t think the girls would do this well,” McFerrin said with a smile. “We thought it’d be close. I’m just surprised by the margin of victory.”
Marquette junior Logan Vear won the 200-yard freestyle race in two minutes, 8.52 seconds, edging classmate Janelle Carroll by slightly more than two seconds.
Carroll then won the 500 freestyle (5:53) and freshman Lyndsey Welch added a first in the 100 backstroke (1:06.06).
Vear, Carroll and Welch joined freshman Lauren Clement on the winning 400 freestyle relay. Welch and Carroll also helped the Redettes take the 200 freestyle event, with Welch a part of the winning 200 medley relay.
Senior Lani Belton, who also helped the 200 medley and freestyle relays, was runner-up in the 100 freestyle in a personal-best 1:00.29 and fourth in the 50 freestyle (27.17).
“I thought I would do well in 50 freestyle, but I didn’t think I would do as well as I did in the 100,” said Belton, who will attend Northern Michigan University this fall. “For me, it’s all part of the mental game. I just focused on what I needed to do.”
Junior Lauren Jackson gave Houghton its lone first in diving with 166.95 points.
“I think we had a couple girls who really stepped up,” Houghton coach Roger Wood said. "This was a real good experience for us. We got contributions from all four of our classes. We felt we had a chance coming in, but Marquette swam real well.
“This was little bit of a reversal from last year. Runner-up is not too shabby against a tough opponent. We lost a lot of points from last year.”
Coach Patty Meehan also was pleased with Rudyard’s third-place finish.
“Our girls did awesome,” said Meehan, who jumped into the pool with the school’s nine swimmers after the meet. “We couldn’t ask for much better. All of them got on the podium.”
Rudyard senior Amy Knapp won the 100 freestyle in a school-record 56.87 seconds and the 100 breaststroke (1:14.54) and helped the Bulldogs place second in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
“I definitely had a lot of help from our coaches,” said Knapp, who plans to attend Lake Superior State University this fall to major in physical therapy. “They were with me every step of the way. Today, I certainly had good starts, which is the key. Our whole team did well this year.”
Meehan says Knapp has been very valuable to the team.
“Amy has become a very strong leader,” she added. “She has certainly been a major contributor.
“We have some very young, talented swimmers coming up. The future looks good, but it’s all about numbers. We’re looking forward to next year.”
Freshman teammate Trista McDowell, who also helped both relays, captured the 50 freestyle in a school-record 26.12 seconds and was runner-up in the 100 backstroke (1:08.54).
“I had a real good start in the 50 (freestyle), which definitely set the tone,” said McDowell. “Our coaches and my teammates have pushed me real hard. If I can continue to progress the way I’ve been, it could get me into a good college. One thing I definitely need to work on is my stroke speed. I just need to keep fine-tuning everything.
“We’re doing better as a team this year. We lost only one meet prior to today. Marquette and Houghton have real good teams.”
Hancock senior Olivia Rouleau won the 200 individual medley for the fourth straight time in a school-record 2:20.28. She set another school record while winning the 100 butterfly (1:03.7), shattering the old mark by more than three seconds.
“It was a little bit stressful going after my fourth straight title in IM,” Rouleau said. “But once I got into it, I was confident. I felt the rhythm.
“I definitely had a real good start in butterfly, although the last 50 yards is always the hardest. Much of it is so mental. This is a great way to end my senior year and high school career. I’m looking for a college and hope to continue swimming, although I’m undecided on where I’ll be going.”
Rouleau also helped two relays place among the top five for the co-op program, which includes student-athletes from Calumet and Painesdale-Jeffers.
PHOTOS (Top) Marquette swimmers and divers celebrate Saturday's 12th MHSAA Finals championship in 13 seasons. (Middle) Rudyard freshman Trista McDowell set a school record and posted two top-two finishes in her first Finals. (Photos courtesy of Jarvinen Photos.)
Preview: Past Champions Marching Again, but Plentiful Challenges Await
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 16, 2023
Intriguing races are brewing for all three team championships to be decided this weekend at Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals.
Ann Arbor Pioneer is looking to win a fourth-straight Division 1 title. But Jenison, last year’s Division 2 runner-up, is bringing a loaded lineup to Eastern Michigan University in hoping of providing the strongest challenge in some time after Pioneer won all three recent Finals by at least 100 points.
In Division 3, East Grand Rapids returns after a season away and is another likely favorite as it builds on plenty of recent success as well, but with reigning champion Bloomfield Hills Marian in the mix and Cranbrook Kingswood looking to also make a push.
And Division 2 will have a new champion regardless with EGR switching things up.
Competition begins at noon for Friday’s preliminaries and Saturday’s championships. Friday’s action will begin with swimming, with divers taking the pool approximately 3:30 p.m. at all three sites. All three Finals will be streamed live on MHSAA.tv both days. Click for information on purchasing tickets, plus schedules and qualifiers for all three meets.
Lower Peninsula Division 1 at Eastern Michigan University
Reigning champion: Ann Arbor Pioneer
2022 runner-up: Northville
2023 top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2. Grand Haven, 3. Jenison.
Pioneer has won three straight Division 1 championships, and a fourth consecutive would tie the eighth-longest Girls Swimming & Diving Finals title streak including with its teams that won four straight from 1989-92. Last season’s victory came with 322 points, 104 ahead of Northville, which was then 44 ahead of third-place Saline. Pioneer has 19 entries seeded to score (among the top 16), including all three relays, plus two divers competing. Grand Haven is seeking its first top-two Finals finish since 2000 and 2001 – when it finished runner-up to Pioneer in Class A both seasons – and has 10 individuals and all three relays seeded to score. Jenison was last season’s Division 2 runner-up, posting its best Finals team finish. The Wildcats bring some major star power – among 10 individual entries and three relays seeded to score, four are top seeds, and the team also has two divers.
Grace Albrecht, Jenison senior: After winning the 50-yard freestyle in Division 2 her first three seasons – and also swimming on two championship relays last year – Albrecht is seeded first this weekend in the 50 (23.35) and 100 backstroke (53.69) and is expected to swim on at least one top-seeded relay. She also was Division 2 backstroke runner-up in 2022.
Stella Chapman, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior: She’ll look to add to her career haul of four individual and six relay championships, and is the reigning title winner in the backstroke and 200 individual medley. She’s seeded first in the IM (2:00.01) and backstroke (53.66), the latter three-hundredths of a second faster than the meet record she swam a year ago.
Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield sophomore: After a 2022 Finals debut that included championships in the 200 and 500 freestyles, Eichbrecht is seeded first in both at 1:47.96 and 4:50.15, respectively. That 500 time is more than 12 seconds faster than the rest of the field and less than six seconds off the all-Finals record of 4:44.47.
Sophia Umstead, Jenison junior: She won the IM and 100 breaststroke last season in Division 2 and swam on two championship relays, and enters this weekend as the top seed in the 100 butterfly (54.02) by nearly three seconds and breaststroke (1:01.67) as well. She’s also expected to swim on at least one top-seeded relay.
Anna Wiechertjes, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern/Eastern senior: Last season’s runner-up in the 50 and third-place finisher in the 100 freestyle is seeded first in both with times of 23 seconds and 50.73, respectively.
Jenison 200 freestyle relay: The Wildcats enter with a seed time of 1:33.79, only 43 hundredths of a second off the meet record swam in 2018 – and they should get a strong push from contenders Grand Haven and Pioneer.
Ellie Seiter, Oxford senior: Oxford had the two highest-scoring divers at Division 1 Regionals, with Seiter at 433.05 and followed by teammate Tristan Krajcarski at 427.60. Seiter finished fourth last season while diving for Grand Blanc.
Lower Peninsula Division 2 at Holland Aquatic Center
Reigning champion: East Grand Rapids
2022 runner-up: Jenison
2023 top-ranked: 1. Farmington Hills Mercy, 2. Ann Arbor Skyline, 3. Midland Dow.
With last season’s top two finishers competing in different divisions this season, there will be a new champion and runner-up – although the favorite is plenty familiar with the experience. Mercy has won 11 team titles in this sport, most recently in 2019 in Division 1, and tied for fourth in Division 1 last fall. All three relays and 15 individual entries are seeded to score, with three divers competing, and two Mercy relays are top-seeded. Skyline’s championship came in 2015 in Division 1, and the Eagles finished sixth in Division 2 a year ago and have three relays and nine individuals seeded to score this weekend. Dow is seeking its first top-two Finals finish and placed seventh a year ago. The Chargers also have three relays and nine individual entries seeded to score.
Brooklyn Beauch, Byron Center senior: She finished ninth in the butterfly last season and could finish her high school career with a major splash entering as the top seed in that race (54.25) – her time three-tenths of a second off the meet record – and with the third seed in the backstroke (56.49).
Kelley Hassett, Birmingham Seaholm senior: Last season’s 500 freestyle champion also has a relay title from 2021 and will enter her last Finals as the second seed in the 200 free (1:52.50) and 500 (5:00.37) and expected to swim on the second-seeded 400 freestyle relay.
Tess Heavner, Fenton junior: She finished second in the IM and fifth in the breaststroke a year ago and is top-seeded this weekend in the IM (2:04.21) by more than two seconds and backstroke (56.04) as well.
Amylia Higgins, Farmington Hills Mercy senior: She tied for the top seed in the 50 (23.88) and brings in the sixth seed in the 100 free (53.44) after finishing fifth in the 200 and fourth in the 500 in Division 1 last season.
Emma Klotz, South Lyon sophomore: She’s expected to make a big jump from a solid debut last season of ninth in the 100 free with two top-five relay finishes, entering this weekend seeded first in the 50 (23.88 – tied with Higgins) and 100 free (52.58).
Adrienne Schadler, Ann Arbor Skyline freshman: She’s entering her first Finals top-seeded in the 200 (1:50.54) by nearly two seconds and in the 500 (4:58.96) with a time only 33 hundredths of a second off last year’s winner.
Bryce Scully, Berkley senior: She finished fifth in the butterfly and eighth in the breaststroke last season and enters this Finals the top seed in the breaststroke (1:05.07) and fourth in the butterfly (57.91).
Bella Emery, Holt senior: She finished 11th in Division 1 last season and posted the highest Regional score last week in Division 2 (402.80) by more than 50 points.
Lower Peninsula Division 3 at Oakland University
Reigning champion: Bloomfield Hills Marian
2022 runner-up: Holland Christian
2023 top-ranked: 1. East Grand Rapids, 2. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 3. Bloomfield Hills Marian.
East Grand Rapids is swimming for a third-straight Finals championship and seventh in eight seasons after winning Division 2 a year ago. All three relays are seeded first or second, with 20 individual entries seeded to score and four divers competing. Reigning champion Marian has all three relays and nine individual entries seeded to score, and Cranbrook – seventh in Division 3 last season – has all three relays and 11 individual entries seeded to finish among the top 16 in their respective events, plus two divers competing.
Ellery Chandler, East Grand Rapids sophomore: She finished third in the breaststroke, 12th in the IM and swam on championship and runner-up relays in Division 2 as a freshman, and comes into Division 3 as the top seed in the breaststroke (1:05.53), ninth in the 50 and likely swimming on two top-two relays.
Kiera Danitz, Ogemaw Heights senior: After finishing third in the 50 and ninth in the 100 freestyle last season, she enters this Finals top-seeded in the 50 (24.42) and 11th in the 100.
Ella Dziobak, Dearborn Divine Child sophomore: The reigning champion in the 500 and runner-up in the 200 free is the top seed in the 500 (5:06.29) by more than five seconds and second in the 200 (1:52.84).
Julijana Jelic, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood senior: She’s the reigning backstroke champion and was fourth in the IM a year ago as well; she’s the third seed this time in the backstroke (58.94) and fourth in the IM (2:12.01) and likely to swim on two top-three relays.
Scarlet Maison, Standish-Sterling junior: The IM champion as a freshman in 2021, she finished third in that race and second in the breaststroke last season. She is seeded this weekend first in the IM (2:08.65) and second in the breaststroke (1:07.31).
Lauren McNamara, Flat Rock senior: She’s won the butterfly the last two seasons and also was second in the IM in 2022. She’s seeded first in the butterfly (56.48) by nearly three seconds and third in the IM (2:10.95) this weekend.
Camryn Siegers, Holland Christian freshman: She’ll debut at the Finals with top seeds in the 100 free (51.40) and backstroke (55.88) – the latter time 3.04 seconds ahead of the field – and may swim on two top-three relays as well.
Kate Simon, East Grand Rapids junior: She was third in both the IM and 100 free and swam on winning and third-place relays in Division 2 last season, and will enter this weekend top-seeded in the 200 free (1:51.13), second in the 100 (51.97) and also likely to swim on two top-two relays.
Annabelle Williams, Mian senior: The reigning 200 free champion also finished third in the 100 free last season. She’s seeded fourth in the 200 (1:54.83) and third in the 100 (52.57) this weekend.
Laney Wolf, Wayland sophomore: She debuted with championships in the 50 and 100 freestyles and two top-six relay finishes a year ago. She’ll look to encore entering as the fourth seed in the 50 (24.54) and 100 (53.55) and possibly swimming on two top-five relays.
Maria Colombo, East Grand Rapids senior: She finished fourth in Division 2 last season with a 412.25 – after finishing third in Division 3 as a sophomore – and her 444.75 at her Regional last week was the highest score in any division.
Kaitlyn Molnar, Grosse Ile senior: The reigning Division 3 diving champion won last year with a score of 360.05 and won her Regional last week with a 409.75 – second only to Colombo in Division 3 and higher than all three winning scores in Division 2.
PHOTO Ann Arbor Pioneer's Stella Chapman powers to the win in the 200-yard individual medley at last season's Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)