Host Watertown Area Swim Club takes second in 12-and-under state meet

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion
·2 min read

The Watertown Area Swim Club swimmers not only hosted but also excelled in the 2023 South Dakota 12-and-Under Short Course Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.

Watertown placed second in the meet and also received the Spirit Award.

Rob Johnson of the Watertown Area Swim club swims the 8-and-under boys 25-yard freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 during the South Dakota State Short Course 12-and-Under Swim Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.
Rob Johnson of the Watertown Area Swim club swims the 8-and-under boys 25-yard freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 during the South Dakota State Short Course 12-and-Under Swim Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.

The three-day meet concluded Sunday and featured swimmers from 14 programs.

The older Dolphin swimmers are slated to compete in the state 13-and-Over Swim Championships Friday through Sunday at Pierre.

Sioux Falls and Watertown stay on top

The Sioux Falls Swim Team topped the 14-team field with 3,587 points, followed by WASC with 2.234.5 and the Aberdeen Swim Club at 1,528.5.

Other teams included the Brookings Swim Club (809), Rushmore Swim Team (678), Pierre Swim Team (629), Vermillion Area Swim Team (582.5), Yankton Swim Team (466), Dakota Riptide (219.5), Black Hills Gold Swimming (189), Sturgis Stingrays (180), Deadwood-Lead 76ers (145), Southwest Swim Club (119), Madison Swim Club Inc. (101) and unattached (11).

Team points from the 13-and-Over will be combined to determined the overall state champion.

Averi Reidburn of the Watertown Area Swim Club competes in the girls' 11-12 50-yard freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 during the South Dakota State Short Course 12-and-Under Swim Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.
Averi Reidburn of the Watertown Area Swim Club competes in the girls' 11-12 50-yard freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 during the South Dakota State Short Course 12-and-Under Swim Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.

Dolphins win 11 events in meet

Watertown Area Swim Club swimmers recorded 11 events wins in the meet, led by Justine Kranz. She won five races in the 11-12 girls division.

Collins DeBoer won three events in 8-and-under girls, Channing DeBoer two in 9-10 boys and Graham Mancell one in 8-and-under boys.

The top 16 individuals in each race score points and top eight relays.

Fernando Enriquez of the Watertown Swim Club awaits the start of the 8-and-under boys 25-yard freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 during the South Dakota State Short Course 12-and-Under Swim Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.
Fernando Enriquez of the Watertown Swim Club awaits the start of the 8-and-under boys 25-yard freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 during the South Dakota State Short Course 12-and-Under Swim Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.

Edie Hoftiezer (8-and-under) and Khloe Campbell and Madison Haslem (9-10) also recorded top-3 finishes in girls' individual races for the Dolphins. Crosby Bass and Kegan Kasparek (8-and-under) and Ryan James Matthies and Clayton Muller (11-12) also had top-3 finishes in boys' races for the WASC.

The Dolphins also had 11 relay teams record top-3 finishes.

Girls swimmers on the relays included Cynthia Makens, Sienna Schaunaman, Lydia Stemwedel, Kranz, Collins DeBoer, Hoftiezer, TyLynn Wellnitz, Kylie Tjaden, Haslem, Campbell, Everlie Reuter and June Olson.

Boys swimmers on top-3 relay teams for WASC included Bryton Blauert, Matthies, Penn Feist, Riley Constant, Mancell, Bass, Mason Wookey, Logan Dexter, Nolan Boettcher, Auggie Brewster, Ryan Steffen, Kru Schaack, Channing DeBoer, Muller and Garrett Kunkel.

Sienna Schaunaman of the Watertown Area Swim Club is pictured during the 11-12 girls 50-yard freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 during the South Dakota State Short Course 12-and-Under Swim Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.
Sienna Schaunaman of the Watertown Area Swim Club is pictured during the 11-12 girls 50-yard freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 during the South Dakota State Short Course 12-and-Under Swim Championships at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.

Complete WASC results are available at www.thepublicopinion.com.

Team Scoreshttps://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23690974-12-and-under-team-scores?responsive=1&title=1

WASC Individual Results:https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23690976-2023-wasc-state-meet-results?responsive=1&title=1

WASC Individual Results Add 1:https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23690983-results-add?responsive=1&title=1

WASC Individual Results Add 2:https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23691039-results-add-2?responsive=1&title=1

WASC Relays:https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23690975-2023-wasc-relay-results?responsive=1&title=1

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Three-day meet concluded Sunday at the Prairie Lakes Wellness Center.