Stephen Sobczak dominates D2 swimming finals, Dexter finishes third
Dexter's Stephen Sobczak had the best performance of any swimmer at the Division 2 boys swimming state championships with three firsts and a second.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Dexter High School senior Stephen Sobczak had been painfully close to becoming an individual state swimming champion two years in a row.
His sophomore and junior years, Sobczak touched the wall second in the 100-yard backstroke, and last year he was runner up in the 100 freestyle as well. He said it was those second-place finishes that willed him to push even harder in training.
It worked.
Dexter finished in third place as a team, its best finish since 2002.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Sobczak had the most dominating individual performance of any swimmer at the MHSAA Division 2 boys swimming and diving state championships at Eastern Michigan on Saturday, taking home a pair of individual state titles in the 100 freestyle (45.07 seconds) and 100 backstroke (50.81), and swimming a leg on Dexter’s first place 200 medley relay team with Ian Wilson, Josh Boren and Mark Brown (1:36.71).
“It was the best feeling in the world, especially after finishing second in both events (last year) and the year before second in backstroke,” said Sobczak, who will swim at the University of Missouri next year. “I wouldn’t say it was a monkey off the back feeling, but it was almost what made me work harder.”
Sobczak's win in the 100 freestyle was vindication of sorts as he edged Birmingham Groves’ Rob McGowan by .23 seconds. It was McGowan’s older brother, Nick, who beat Sobczak in the 100 backstroke each of the past two years.
“Nick was there today and I talked to him and he brought that up,” Sobczak said. “It was kind of funny.
Sobczak headlined a banner day for Dexter, which finished in third place as a team with 265 team points. Birmingham Seaholm took first place with 295 points, defeating 2010 champion Birmingham Groves (285).