Saline, Pioneer leading pack at Division 1 swimming finals; Skyline making waves in Division 3
Huron sophomore Anna DeMonte reacts with Novi's Andrea VanderMey after winning the 200 individual medley in a Division 1 state finals record time in Friday's prelimary rounds at the Holland Aquatics Center. (Katy Batdorff | The Grand Rapids Press)
The Southeastern Conference Red Division rivals are the highest-scoring teams after Friday’s preliminaries. Saline will fill a meet-high 19 spots in Saturday’s championship heats while Pioneer is favored to win four events - including a pair of high-scoring relays - based on Friday’s performances.
Scoring out places after Friday’s preliminaries, Saline holds a 227-211 edge over Pioneer. That does not include diving, however. Pioneer held an edge in that category, but junior Emily Stalmack, who finished second in a Nov. 17 regional, was injured on Friday and didn't advance to Saturday's final.
Huron, which has a chance at several individual state championships, would score 150 points if Friday’s preliminaries held true on Saturday. That would put the River Rats behind the rest of the front-runners, which include Novi (195), Holland West Ottawa (192) and Birmingham Marian (192).
Saline’s strength is its depth and the Hornets will feature multiple swimmers in the final heats in six of eight individual events, along with all three relays.
Junior Stephanie Boyle’s third-place performance in the 100 breaststroke preliminary was the Hornets’ top individual finish, but teammates Cristina Czyrka (fifth), Emily Lau (seventh) and Alli Littlejohn (11th) will also compete in the same event on Saturday.
Pioneer had the day’s best time in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Those teams were both anchored by senior Hanna Cowley, who also had the best times in the 100 and 200 freestyle individual events.
Pioneer junior Paige Kostishak finished second in the 200 freestyle and third in the 500 freestyle.
"We were very happy with the way we swam," Pioneer coach Denny Hill said. "Everybody went their best time."
A pair of Huron sophomores will be in the mix for individual state titles. Anna DeMonte won preliminary heats of both the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly. Her time of 2:02.19 in the IM was a Division 1 state finals record.
The River Rats’ Annie Tamblyn finished second in the 50 and 100 freestyles.
In the Division 3 meet at Eastern Michigan, Skyline is on the verge of a top three finish in the state in just its second year of existence.
All three of the Eagles’ relays got into Saturday’s finals, as did six of the eight individuals that competed in preliminaries on Friday.
“East Grand Rapids would have to not show up to lose that meet tomorrow,” Skyline coach Maureen Isaac said Friday evening. “But after finishing 16th last year, our goal this year was to be top 10. I think we have a good chance at third - and maybe second if the stars are aligned - so it was really the best that we could have hoped for.”
Skyline’s top performances Friday came from sophomore Lexie Beemer (first in 100 breaststroke, fifth in 200 IM) and freshman Ashleigh Shanley (fourth in 200 IM, fifth in 100 breaststroke). Stassia McGlothlin (sixth in 200 freestyle), Kim Graziano (fifth in 100 freestyle) and Rebecca Dickey (seventh in 500 freestyle) also clinched themselves spots in the championship heat of their events.
The Eagles’ 200 medley relay team of Meredith Bell, Beemer, McGlothlin and Graziano finished second (1:51.38) behind East Grand Rapids. The 200 freestyle relay was third and the 400 freestyle relay sixth.
Chelsea and Milan will each have five entries in Saturday’s Division 3 championship heats.
Chelsea’s Michelle Kellogg finished eighth in both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, Hannah Olsen was fifth in the 50 freestyle and the Bulldogs’ were fourth in the 200 freestyle relay and seventh in the 400 freestyle relay.
Milan’s Heather Kiger was second in the 100 butterfly and fourth in the 50 freestyle to lead the Big Reds’ Friday effort. Anna Hargrove was seventh in 100 backstroke while both of Milan’s freestyle relays enter Saturday’s finals as the No. 2 seed.
In the Division 2 finals at Oakland University, Dexter will also have five representatives in Saturday’s championship heats.
Lauren Daugherty was second in the 50 freestyle and fifth in 100 freestyle in Friday preliminaries; and Casey Edwards third in 100 butterfly
The finals begin at noon Saturday at all three locations.
Below is a list of all preliminary winners and all Washtenaw County competitors that advanced to Saturday’s championship heats. Visit MHSAA.com for full preliminary reports.
200 Medley Relay: 1. Holland West Ottawa 1:47.42; 2. Huron (Annie Tamblyn, Anna DeMonte, Elizabeth Gelb, Maia Bolhuis) 1:48.06; 4. Saline (Mackenzie Milham, Cristina Czyrka, Emily Lau, Maddy Frost) 1:49.39; 7. Pioneer (Mari Isa, Riley Yamamoto, Molly Shanley, Julie Lovejoy) 1:50.65. 200 Freestyle: 1. Hanna Cowley (Pioneer) 1:51.52; 2. Paige Kostishak (Pioneer) 1:53.04; 12. Jordan Rucinski (Saline) 1:56.89; 15. Nicole Ozminkowski (Saline) 1:57.80. 200 Individual Medley: 1. Anna DeMonte (Huron) 2:02.19; 5. Stephanie Boyle (Saline) 2:07.56; 11. Elizabeth Gelb (Huron) 2:11.82; 14. Molly Shanley (Pioneer) 2:13.04; 15. Emily Lau (Saline) 2:13.48; 16. Alli Littlejohn (Saline) 2:13.55. 50 Freestyle: 1. Jaynie Pulte (Bloomfield Hills Marian) :23.58; 2. Annie Tamblyn (Huron) :23.67; 7. Nikki Flynn (Saline) :24.70; 11. Maddy Frost (Saline) :24.90. 100 Butterfly: 1. Anna DeMonte (Huron) :55.94; 9. Molly Shanley (Pioneer) :58.48; 10. Mari Isa (Pioneer) :58.62; 13. Elizabeth Gelb (Huron) :58.99. 100 Freestyle: 1. Hanna Cowley (Pioneer) :51.41; 2. Annie Tamblyn (Huron) :52.36; 6. Nikki Flynn (Saline) :53.40. 500 Freestyle: 1. Rachel Johnson (Milford) 4:58.77; 3. Paige Kostishak (Pioneer) 5:03.35; 10. Jordan Rucinski (Saline) 5:12.10; 11. Nicole Ozminkowski (Saline) 5:12.16. 200 Freestyle Relay: 1. Pioneer (Julia Lovejoy, Michaela Betts, Paige Kostishak, Hanna Cowley) 1:38.04; 3. Saline (Stephanie Boyle, Mackenzie Milham, Nicole Ozminkowski, Nikki Flynn) 1:39.23. 100 Backstroke: 1. Andrea VanderMey (Novi) :56.07; 4. Mari Isa (Pioneer) :59.42; 6. Maddy Frost (Saline) 1:00.03; 15. Paige Sieffert (Saline) 1:01.14. 100 Breaststroke: 1. Shelby Lacy (West Ottawa) 1:04.43; 3. Stephanie Boyle (Saline) 1:06.62; 5. Cristina Czyrka (Saline) 1:07.95; 7. Emily Lau (Saline) 1:08.17; 11. Alli Littlejohn (Saline) 1:08.61. 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. Pioneer (Paige Kostishak, Molly Shanley, Mari Isa, Hanna Cowley) 3:32.88; 2. Saline (Nikki Flynn, Maddy Frost, Stephanie Boyle, Jordan Rucinski) 3:35.57; 3. Huron (Elizabeth Gelb, Annie Tamblyn, Allison Rapundalo, Anna DeMonte) 3:36.29.
200 Medley Relay: 1. Holland 1:45.84; 9. Dexter (Lisa Crompton, Morgan Quist, Casey Edwards, Paige Garwood) 1:51.65. 200 Freestyle: 1. Amelia Marsh (Okemos) 1:51.11. 200 Individual Medley: 1. Marissa Murphy (Forest Hills Central) 2:05.16; 9. Morgan Quist (Dexter) 2:13.65. 50 Freestyle: 1. Emily Bos (Holland) :23.27; 2. Lauren Daugherty (Dexter) :23.96; 15. Paige Garwood (Dexter) :25.03. 100 Butterfly: 1. Marissa Murphy (Forest Hills Central) :56.56; 3. Casey Edwards (Dexter) :58.13. 100 Freestyle: 1. Emily Bos (Holland) :50.33; 5. Lauren Daugherty (Dexter) :52.54. 500 Freestyle: 1. Amelia Marsh (Okemos) 5:02.79; 10. Bridget Morgan (Dexter) 5:11.67. 200 Freestyle Relay: 1. Birmingham Seaholm 1:37.84; 6. Dexter (Casey Edwards, Paige Garwood, Bridget Morgan, Lauren Daugherty) 1:39.63. 100 Backstroke: 1. Courtney Bartholomew (Holland) :53.53; 10. Lisa Crompton (Dexter) 1:00.62. 100 Breaststroke: 1. Annie Lazor (Birmingham Groves) 1:04.62. 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. Holland 3:28.00; 6. Dexter (Casey Edwards, Laura Steavenson, Bridget Morgan, Lauren Daugherty) 3:38.91.
200 Medley Relay: 1. East Grand Rapids 1:50.25; 2. Skyline (Meredith Bell, Lexie Beemer, Stassia McGlothlin, Kim Graziano) 1:51.38. 200 Freestyle: 1. Tiffany Oricchio (Haslett) 1:55.44; 6. Stassia McGlothlin (Skyline) 1:58.23. 200 Individual Medley: 1. Bronte Stewart (Sturgis) 2:09.86; 4. Ashleigh Shanley (Skyline) 2:13.57; 5. Lexie Beemer (Skyline) 2:14.47; 8. Michelle Kellogg (Chelsea) 2:15.24; 11. Rebecca Dickey (Skyline) 2:15.65; 13. Anna Hargrove (Milan) 2:16.31. 50 Freestyle: 1. Jayme Groth (Bloomfield Hills) :24.20; 4. Heather Kiger (Milan) :24.67; 5. Hannah Olsen (Chelsea) :24.91. 100 Butterfly: 1. Leigh Holmes (Alma) :58.08; 2. Heather Kiger (Milan) :58.24. 100 Freestyle: 1. Mary Kate MaClean (Detroit Country Day) :53.08; 5. Kim Graziano (Skyline) :53.66; 13. Hannah Olsen (Chelsea) :55.73. 500 Freestyle: 1. Tiffany Oricchio (Haslett) 5:09.28; 7. Rebecca Dickey (Skyline) 5:20.01; 9. Stassia McGlothlin (Skyline) 5:21.81; 16. Meredith Bell (Skyline) 5:30.34. 200 Freestyle Relay: 1. East Grand Rapids 1:41.12; 2. Milan (Anna Hargrove, Emily Weber, Lauren Cook, Heather Kiger) 1:41.26; 3. Skyline (Lexie Beemer, Ashleigh Shanley, Rebecca Dickey, Kim Graziano) 1:41.29; 4. Chelsea (Donna Prieskorn, Michelle Kellogg, Talia Dyerly, Hannah Olsen) 1:41.31. 100 Backstroke: 1. Marissa Blumenthal (Birmingham Lahser) :58.85; 7. Anna Hargrove (Milan) 1:00.83. 100 Breaststroke: 1. Lexie Beemer (Skyline) 1:07.10; 5. Ashley Shanley (Skyline) 1:08.70; 8. Michelle Kellogg (Chelsea) 1:09.69. 400 Freestyle Relay: 1. Cranbrook-Kingswood 3:40.90; 2. Milan (Emily Weber, Heather Kiger, Lauren Cook, Anna Hargrove) 3:40.91; 6. Skyline (Stassia McGlothlin, Rebecca Dickey, Ashleigh Shanley, Kim Graziano) 3:44.67; 7. Chelsea (Hannah Olsen, Jaclyn Murphy, Donna Prieskorn, Michelle Kellogg) 3:45.06.