In the third installment of our weekly high school/age group round up, we will focus primarily on the more scholarl athletes, as there wasn’t a whole lot of action going on in USA Swimming over the last weekend. As always, be sure to post your swimmers’ exploits from the past week in the comments so that we can all see what is going on in swimming around the nation. The roundup is a short one this week, but finishes with some great news for the sport.
We’ll start in Michigan, where Ann Arbor-Pioneer High School, one of the country’s great swimming programs, underwent a serious challenge on Thursday night against Adrian High School in a girls dual meet. The Adrian Maples snagged 5 state-qualifying marks, including a 57.27 win from Emily Goodson in the 100 free and a solid sub-4 in the 400 free relay (3:59.87). The final score was 97-88 in favor of Pioneer, who the week prior fell for the first time ever to Dexter High School.
The rest of the big news coming out of high school ranks in the past week were reports that at least two new high school swim teams will be popping up soon around the country. The first is in Kansas, where the De Soto school district is planning to apply for a joint swim team for De Soto and Mills Valley High Schools. According to the Shawnee Dispatch, the vote came up at the last board meeting, but on some procedural grounds was invalitated. The issue is expected to come up again (and be passed) at the board’s October meeting.
The Timesherald.com reports that another new squad will begin competition this year. A combined squad of Port Huron High School and Port Huron North High School will begin practicing November 21st as a combined squad under the moniker “the Pirates,” which the team members themselves coined. This is a move that has been long hoped for at Port Huron High, which has been without a team since the 60’s (that is, the 1860’s). That is not to say that they don’t have a swimming history. The area counts amongst its former residents Mark Noetzel, who in 1979 chose to swim his senior year at the aforementioned Pioneer High School because his native Port Huron didn’t offer the sport. Noetzel would go on to be an All-American and team captain at the University of Michigan and later an assistant with the Wolverines.
It’s encouraging to see that even in the tough financial times that face our country, in two of the hardest-hit states, citizens still see a benefit in expanding athletics programs to include swimming.
Next week you should follow up on the waukesha south/arrowhead duel meet on thursday, its the biggest(and most competitive) rivalry in wisconsin!! Both teams have had insanly fast times for mid-season meets(1:52 200 free, 4:58 500, 52&53 100 free, 58 100 back from WS; and thats just the sophmores!! And arrowhead also has had 2:07 2IM, 23 50 free, and 51 100 free! Not to mention both teams have spectacular relays!). Itll be an ineresting meet seeing as both teams are heavy favorites for the state title!
I really enjoy this section if the blog! Its great to see all specdrums of swimming covered on here!!!
Thanks for the tip! We’ll definitely check it out.
Great series….been waiting for something to post about my kids’ team. West Florence High in South Carolina took 2nd at the Socastee Invitational. Ryan Sutton from Socastee was the BMOC, took 200 IM (2:12) and 100 fly (55). Dan Quin from WF won the 2free in 1:51.
Keep up the good work guys!