Michigan high school girls swimming and diving: Ann Arbor Pioneer three-peats in Division 1
Even by Ann Arbor Pioneer’s standards, this one was pretty strong.
The Pioneers won six of 12 events — recording seven automatic All-American times — and motored to their third consecutive Division 1 swimming and diving state championship on Saturday at Oakland University. Pioneer scored 322 points to finish well ahead of runner-up Northville (218), Saline (174), and Farmington Hills Mercy and Grand Haven (tied for fourth with 167 apiece).
“Our main goal for the season was not for setting the records or the times, but swimming for each other, because we knew we had a target on our back and we knew we had something to prove,” said junior Stella Chapman, who figured in four first-place finishes.
Chapman won the individual medley (2:01.91) and the backstroke (54.07), plus swam legs on the Pioneers’ medley relay (1:43.19) and 400-meter freestyle relay (3:24.90). But it was far from a one-person show: the Pioneers occupied the top steps of the awards platform throughout the afternoon.
Lucy Mehraban won the 50 free (23.07) and finished second (49.93) behind teammate Sophia Guo (49.89) in the 100 free — all of which are All-American standards.
Even in the relay the Pioneers didn’t win — the 200 free, where they were second behind Grand Haven (1:34.57) — their time of 1:34.81 was still fast enough to hit the cutoff for All-American consideration.
It’s the Pioneers’ third straight team title, and 19th overall.
“From start to finish, this team is a real joy to coach,” head coach Stefanie Kerska said. “From the freshmen on the team to the veterans, they take the accountability of the tradition of this program real serious, and from day one they went to work. We weren’t really planning on taking anything else (but first place) home today.”
“We knew we were expected to be there,” Chapman said. “We had to train at a certain level. We had to prepare for everything. We didn’t take anything for granted, we knew we had to work for it, regardless. Starting on day one, we made it our goal to be very precise in what we do and make sure everything had a reason, then we knew it would work out in the end if we didn’t worry about all the different competition that we had.”
Actually, some of the Pioneers’ competition was pretty solid as well. Livonia Stevenson’s McKenzie Siroky won the breaststroke by four seconds in 1:00.27, a day after setting an all-time record of 1:00.07 in Friday’s preliminary heats.
“You don’t take anyone lightly; every swim is all-out,” she said. “My key is I like to go all-out, as fast as I can like it’s the 50 in the medley relay, and from there I take it one 25(-yard segment) at a time. I think I’ve just got to get to the next wall, then bring it home, bring it home.”
West Bloomfield freshman Elizabeth Eichbrecht was a double-winner in the distance events, taking the 200 (1:48.42) and the 500 (4:52.71). Northville senior Emily Roden won the butterfly with an automatic All-American time (54.05), and Saline senior Alice English was the champion diver (419.90 points).
Division 2
East Grand Rapids moved up a class after winning the Division 3 title last fall, and was able to continue its success against a new field of competitors. The Pioneers totaled 280 points, ahead of Jenison (219), three-time defending champ Birmingham Seaholm (181) and Grand Rapids Northview (181) on Saturday at Calvin University.
East only won once, the 200 free relay, with Caroline Flermoen, Alysa Hein, Ellery Chandler and Kate Simon (1:36.44), but scored points from the championship heat in 10 of the 12 events.
Dexter senior Lily Witte set an all-class record in one-meter diving, scoring 554.65 points for her 11 dives. Jenison sophomore Sophia Umstead won the individual medley (2:00.33) and the breaststroke (1:01.11).
Division 3
With East Grand Rapids moving up, that cleared a path for Birmingham Marian to claim the Division 3 title at Holland Aquatic Center. The Mustangs had 245 points to edge top-ranked Holland Christian (230.5) and second-ranked Milan (208).
Marian’s Rachel Bellow won the individual medley (2:06.08) and breastroke (1:04.55), and swam on the two Mustang champion relays: the medley with Lily Low, Marianna Becharas and Axelle Ballarin (1:48.67), and the 200 free with Low, Ballarin and Lena McKenney (1:38.72).
It was the fourth title in school history for the Mustangs.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MHSAA girls swimming and diving: Ann Arbor Pioneer three-peats
