Boys Swimming: Saline repeats as D-1 state champion
Lake Orion leads local contingent by finishing eighth
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
ROCHESTER HILLS — For years, Saline has lived in the shadows of state powerhouse swim programs Ann Arbor Pioneer and Ann Arbor Huron.
FAST FINISH: Clarkston senior Kenneth Stelpflug won his heat of the 500 freestyle and finished ninth overall in Division 1 in the event at Satureday's state finals. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt
How the tides have changed.
Saline defended its Division 1 boys swimming and diving state championships at Oakland University, rolling up an impressive 384 points to easily outdistance the field.
The defending champion Hornets were well ahead of Ann Arbor Pioneer (197), while Rockford (150), Ann Arbor Huron (141), Zeeland Unified (126), Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (116.5), Plymouth Salem (112), Lake Orion (110), Livonia Stevenson (104) and Birmingham Brother Rice (103.5) in the top 10.
Lake Orion was the highest team finisher from the coverage area of www.northokalandsports.com, while Clarkston tied for 19th (29), Troy was 22nd (25), Rochester 27th (12) and Troy Athens (8) were the other local schools to reach the scoring column.
In all 40 schools registered points.
Saline won eight events overall, including the 200 medley relay (1:34.50), 200 freestyle relay (1:25.10, Division 1 state-meet record) and 400 freestyle relay (3:40.83, All-Division state-finals record).
“Last year we (finally) won the state title and we talked about what’s the next step for our program,” said Saline coach Todd Brunty. “We came in here and did something special.” It was an all-time great day. Now we’re trying to do some of those historic things for high school swimming.”
Saline posted one of the more memorable team performances in D-1 in some time. The Hornets won eight events overall and set four D-1 state-meet records, including one all-division mark.
Adam Whitener won both the 200 freestyle (1:39.29) and 100 free (45.76), Donald Boland also had a pair of blue-ribbon finishes, earning titles in the 200 IM (1:51.30) and 100 butterfly (48.95, Division 1 state-meet record). Mike Fisher had the other title for Saline in the 100 breaststroke (56.18, D-1 record).
Others who joined the winners podium on Saturday at OU included Plymouth Canton’s Victor Zhang in the 100 backstroke (51.55), Rockford’s Eric Chisholm in the 50 freestyle (21.19), and Zeeland Unified’s Tyler Keelean in the diving (494.40 points, Division 1 record) and Salem’s Adam Seroka in the 500 free (4:32.90),
Locally, it was a bittersweet day for Clarkston’s Kenneth Stelpflug, who had high hopes of a top three finish in the 500 freestyle. The senior fought the flu all week and did not make the fast heat, settling for ninth in the event (4:41.08), although he did have the sixth-fastest time on the day in the event covering both heats.
Stelpflug was also eighth in the 200 free (1:44.96) and placed in two relays for the Wolves in his final high school meet.
“Idefinitely feel if I was healthy I could break 4:35,”said Stelpflug.”I could have been up there with them. It’s kind of a bummer, but you have to shake it off and focus on net race (in the club season) and hope for the best.”
Clarkston’s Steven Nelson, Zachary Rabideau, Eric Misteravich and Stelpflug were 15th in the 200 medley relay (1:41.36), while Stelpflug, Rabideau, Nelson and Kramer Kamp finished 16th in the 400 free relay (3:19.42).
Rabideau was also 14th in the 100 butterfly (54.34).
Rochester’s sole points were scored by sophomore Jacob Karl, who reached the fast hear and was seventh in the 500 free (4:44.97).
“I think this helps me (to understand) how swimming actually works, how hard it is to make it to the top eight in the state,” said Carl, who has goals of moving up the ladder the next two years and contend for a state title.
Lake Orion’s Will Cavender, Jacob Lindquist, Petar Simic and Zach Diener claimed 11th in the 200 medley relay (1:37.37) to set the tone for the Dragons.
Diener came back to place fifth in the 200 freestyle (1:42.93),Simic was second in the 50 free (21.59) and Lindquist finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke (58.00).
Simic, Lindquist, Diener and Drew Fritsch claimed fourth in the 200 free relay (1:27.11), while the unit of Simic, Lindquist, Diener and Cavander also swam to an eighth-place finish in the 400 free relay (3:14.94).
It marked the Dragons’ third-ever top-10 team finish and best since they were fifth in 2005 and sixth in 2006.
“I think this feels really good. All of the hard work we put in the season paid off,” said Lindquist, a junior. “It makes me want to come back next year and work that much harder.”
The goal was to return to the top 10, according to Lake Orion coach Paul Fairman, who started the program in 1998-99. The Dragons were 14th last season, 31st in 2009 and did not even score a single state-meet point in 2008.
“(Our goal) was top-10, so we made it — barely,” said Fairman.
Troy junior Miles MacDonald claimed seventh in the 100 butterfly (52.50), while junior teammate Rohan Tangri claimed 11th in the 100 backstroke (53.92) for the Colts.
Troy Athens junior Darwin Hsu placed 12th in the 200 IM (2:00.04) and 14th in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.48) for the Red Hawks.
Others that did not place in the top 16 and reach the medals stand include Rochester’s Carl (18th in the 200 free), Jai Singh (27th in the 200 free), Ray Renaud (28th in diving), and Brien Moffitt (20th in 500 free). Lake Orion’s Charlie Maurer (28th in diving) and Brad Matola (44th in 100 breaststroke) also competed for the Dragons.
Troy’s Priysa Kailainathan (36th in diving) and Tagri (38th in 50 free) were out of contention in the aforementioned events, while Rochester Stoney Creek’s Alex Yu (26th in the 200 IM) and Kyle Walsh (21st in 100 breaststroke) missed the medals statnd Stoney Creek, which also placed 26th in the 200 free relay.
Clarkston’s Joey Zendejas (22nd in diving) and Nelson (32nd in 100 backstroke) also competed in individual events for the Wolves.
DIVISION 2
In Division 2, Auburn Hills Avondale sophomore Thomas Nowinski tied for 13th in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.96) to help the Yellowajckets finish 31st in the team standings with 3.5 points. Both Oxford and Rochester Adams did not score points.
Birmingham Seaholm collected 295 points to win its first state title since 1965, while defending champ Birmingham Groves was second (287).
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Category: Auburn Hills Avondale, Clarkston, High School, Lake Orion, Oxford, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy, Troy Athens
