2021 Girls MHSAA Division 2 Championships
- November 19-20, 2021
- OU Aquatic Center, Rochester, Michigan
- SCY (25 yards)
- MHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving Central
- Final Results
Ernest W. Seaholm High School, located in Birmingham, Michigan, won its third consecutive Division II women’s high school state championship on Saturday.
The school became the first to have won three state titles within Division II since Holland High School did so from 2011 to 2013. The team won with 314.5 points, over 70 points more than second-place Grosse Pointe South.
Seaholm’s head coach, Karl Hodgson, said in a news release that winning consecutive championships is much harder than winning just one.
“It’s just more difficult,” Hodgson said in the release. “It gets harder each time and is a relief. It feels great.”
Seaholm relied largely on its depth and relay prowess to win the meet, sweeping the relays but only having one individual event winner. The team won the 200 medley relay in 1:45.33, the 200 free relay in 1:35.99, and the 400 free relay in 3:29.43. All three times qualify for All-American consideration.
Anchoring the free relays was junior Samantha Clifford, who also won the only individual event for the school when she clocked a 51.02 in the 100 free. The time is Clifford’s best, and it’s a USA Swimming Futures qualifying time and an All-American consideration time.
Portage Northern senior Angelina Baker broke the Division II record with her 500 free time of 4:54.97, which also earned her first place. The time is an All-American consideration time.
Two swimmers won both of their individual events at the meet: Fenton senior Gracie Olsen and Portage Northern junior Hannah Williams.
Olsen won the 200 IM (2:01.58, All-American consideration) and the 100 fly (54.19, automatic All-American). Olsen, who will be swimming for Indiana in the fall, won the 200 IM for a second time (after winning as a freshman) and the 100 fly for the third straight time.
Williams won the 200 free (1:50.38, All-American consideration) and the 100 breast (1:03.76, All-American consideration). She defended her 200 free title from 2020, though she was slightly off her 2020 championships time of 1:49.42. She also defended her 100 breast title, swimming an almost identical time to her 2020 race, which was 1:03.68.
Other top performances:
- Jenison sophomore Grace Albrecht and Ann Arbor Skyline senior Claire Kozma tied for first in the 50 free with a time of 23.94.
- Ann Arbor Skyline junior Lily Cleason won the 100 back with a time of 55.77 (All-American consideration).
- Byron Center freshman Addison Deppe won the 50 free Paralympic race in 34.35.
- Dexter junior Lily Whitte won diving with 503.55 points.
Skyline!