Sports/MHSAA Girls Swimming Finals

Farmington Hills Mercy celebrates after winning their second straight MHSAA Division 2 championship.

Farmington Hills Mercy celebrates their second straight MHSAA Division 2 girls swimming championship.

Posted: Nov. 23, 2008 Keywords: Sports, Girls Swimming, Farmington Hills Mercy

Holland –Farmington Hills Mercy capped an incredible season by winning their second straight Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 Girls Swimming Championship at the Holland Aquatics Center on Nov. 22.

The Marlins used their incredible depth to truly dominate the state meet. Mercy finished with 414 points, outpacing the host Holland team with 302 points. Birmingham Seaholm finished in third place with 199, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central fourth with 178 and 2003-2006 state champion Birmingham Groves was fifth with 154 points.

Mercy won three of the 12 events, placed second in four others, and had numerous swimmers earn points by placing in the top 16.

Division 2 team scoring

1. Farmington Hills Mercy, 414; 2. Holland, 302; 3. Seaholm, 199; 4. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, 178; 5. Groves, 154.5; 6. Jenison, 121; 7. Okemos, 117; 8. Dexter, 101; 9. Hudsonville, 95; 10. Farmington Hills Harrison, 79; 11. Midland Dow, 63.5; 12. Grosse Pointe South, 63; 13. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 54; 14. Rochester Adams, 50; 15. Kalamazoo Central, 38; 15. Grosse Pointe North, 38; 17. Harrison Twp L’Anse Cruise, 35; 18. Portage Central, 33; 19. Midland, 28; 20. Allen Park, 22; 21. North Farmington, 21; 21. Battle Creek Lakeview, 21; 23. Portage Northern, 20; 24. Grand Rapids Northview, 17; 25. Pinckney, 11; 26. Bay City Western, 9; 27. Berkley, 8; 27. Lansing Waverly/Catholic 8; 29. Dearborn Edsel Ford, 6; 29. Auburn Hills Avondale, 6; 21. Saginaw Heritage, 5; 32. Brownstown Woodhaven, 3; 33. Walled Lake Northern 2; 34. Ypsilanti, 1.

Complete D2 results l Photo montage l Complete photo gallery

Sophomore Maria Bargardi won the 200-yard individual medley in a Division 2 record time of 2:05.78. Mercy junior Anna Schena placed fourth in 2:08.74, senior Natasha Mason was 10th in 2:13.18, senior Gillian Staudt was 12th, and senior Mo Nicholson 13th. Bargardi finished fourth in the event as a freshman last year.

Farmington Hills Mercy varsity swim team

Head coach: Shannon Dunworth

Diving coach: Jennifer Blitz

Varsity reserve coach: Mike Holtz

Swimmers

Maria Bargardi, Sr.

Kathryn Carey, Sr.

Chandler Foster, Sr.*

Eileen Fredendall, Sr.

Megan Gegesky, Sr.*

Danielle Harteau, Sr.

Kaitlyn Jefferson, Sr.*

Katheryn Johnson, Sr.

Natasha Mason, Sr.

Alexa Milewski, Sr.

Maura Nicholson, Sr.*

Carly Sevald, Sr.

Lauren Smith, Sr.

Gillian Staudt, Sr.

Alex Swies, Sr.

Anna Vandecaveye, Sr.

Lauren Duda, Jr.

Katie Patterson, Jr.

Emily Reamer, Jr.

Anna Schena, Jr.

Nikki Barczak, So.

Emma Craig, So.

Kelly Karpus, So.

Geri Michalzuk, So.

Taylor Steffl, So.

Allison Vogler, So.

Alex Abowd, Fr.

Emma Caruso, Fr.

Carlee Jackson, Fr.

Sato Kakihara, Fr.

Shannon Lemmer, Fr.

Lauren Ochoa, Fr.

Emmy Orrico, Fr.

Olivia Samoray, Fr.

* Captains

Mercy senior Carly Sevald was spectacular in the diving competition, winning the championship with 407.05 points. She improved immensely this season after finishing ninth in 2007.

The Mercy team of sophomore Taylor Steffl, sophomore Nikki Barczak, senior co-captain Megan Gegesky, and freshman Sato Kakihara set a Division 2 record winning the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:36.88.

Holland (Courtney Bartholomew, Emily Bos, Carolie Meyer, Nicole Cordero) opened the event with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay in a Division 2 record of 1:45.27. The Marlins took second in 1:46.68.

TheHolland team of Bartholomew, Bos, Klare Northuis, and Haley Thompson won the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:28.22. Mercy was second in 3:29.2.

Bos also won two individual titles for Holland, winning the 100-yard backstroke in 54.05 and the 50-yard freestyle in 22.62. Both were Division 2 records.

Mercy senior Eileen Fredendall placed fifth in the 100-yard backstroke with Steffl taking seventh and junior Emily Reamer ninth.

The Marlins placed two swimmers in the top five in the 50-freestyle as Steffl placed fourth and senior co-captain Kaitlyn Jefferson taking fifth.

Okemos' Amelia Marsh won both the 200-yard freestyle (1:50:72) and the 500-yard freestyle in a Division 2 record time of 4:58.35.

Mercy had an amazing six swimmers finish in the top 16 in the 200-yard freestyle. Barczak was second, Gegesky fourth, sophomore Emma Craig seventh, Reamer 10th, Kakihara 12th, and sophomore Geri Michalzuk 16th.

In the 500-yard freestyle, four Mercy swimmers were in the top 16: Craig was fourth, Schena eighth, Kakihara 15th, and Staudt 16th.

Marissa Murphy of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central won first in the 100-yard butterfly in a Division 2 record of 56.45. Bargardi was fourth, Fredendall eighth, Gegesky ninth, and senior Alex Swies finished 16th.

Birmingham Seaholm's Lauren Nichols was champion in the 100-yard freestyle in a Division 2 record of 50.85. Barczak was second in 51.73. Jefferson finished fourth. Nichols placed second in the 50-yard freestyle.

Birmingham Groves' Annie Lazor was victorious in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:04.56. Swies was sixth in the event and Nicholson was 13th.

Mercy easily won the 2007 MHSAA Division 2 title outpacing second place Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 346.5 to 216. The win broke Birmingham Groves' streak of four straight Division 2 titles. Groves finished fifth.

2008 was Mercy's second year competing in Division 2 after years of success in Division 1. In 2006, Mercy was third in Division 1 behind Ann Arbor Pioneer and Holland. Mercy finished runner-up to champion Pioneer in 2002, 2004, and 2005.

This season was full of successes for the Marlins, winning every dual meet and each invitational they entered this season.

Mercy won their fourth straight Oakland County Swimming and Diving Championship. The Marlins used their incredible depth to power to 404 points in the meet. 2007-2008 MHSAA Division 3 champion Bloomfield Hills Marian was a distant second with 219.5 points.

The Marlins also won another Catholic High School League championship. They have won all but one CHSL championship since 1967. You read that correctly -- 1967. The Marlins won 23 straight CHSL titles from 1967 to 1989 before falling by one point (423-422) to Marian in 1990 to end the streak. Since then, the Marlins have won 18 consecutive titles.

Mercy also won the Rock Maurer Invitational over a strong field that included Ann Arbor Pioneer. The Marlins pulled one of the biggest upsets in recent Michigan swimming history, beating Pioneer 111-75 in a dual meet during the season. It was the first time in more than a decade that Pioneer lost a dual meet. The Pioneers won their ninth straight MHSAA Division 1 title at Eastern Michigan University.

Mercy was led by 2008 captains Nicholson, Gegesky, Jefferson, and diver Chandler Foster.

"Our captains are very representative of our whole team," said head coach Shannon Dunworth, who has coached the team since 2003. "We don't have any one outstanding individual on our team. … We do have a lot of worker bees, a lot of soldiers, a lot of swimmers who put in a lot of hard work. That's exactly what our captains are."

Division 1

Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti

Ann Arbor Pioneer powers to ninth straight championship

Ann Arbor Pioneer won their ninth straight Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 championship and the 16th in their history. The Pioneers won nine of 12 events in the finals and totaled 349.5 points. Ann Arbor Huron was second with 165 and Novi third with 160 points.

Team scoring

1. Ann Arbor Pioneer 349.5, 2. Ann Arbor Huron 165, 3. Novi 160, 4. Saline 149.5, 5. Brighton 126, 6. Temperanc Bedford 125, 7. Rockford 119, 8. Holland West Ottawa 117, 9. Zeeland East 108, 10. South Lyon 107, 11. Grandville 105, 12. Milford 98, 13. Byron Center 75, 14. Salem 59.5, 15. Livonia Stevenson 55, 16. Holt 53, 17.Grand Haven 52, T18. Lapeer East 31, T18. Monroe 31, 20. Utica Eisenhower, 21. Macomb Daktoa 28, 22. West Bloomfield 26, 23. Livonia Franklin 24, 24. Traverse City West 21, 25. Northville 16.5, 26. Grand Blanc 15, T27. Grand Ledge 14, T27. Sterling Heights Stevenson 14, 29. Plymouth 11, T30. Rochester 9, T30. Utica Ford 9; T32. Clinton Twp Chippewa Valley 6, T32. Hartland 6, 34. Clarkston 3, T35. Wyoming United 2, T35. Hastings 2, T35. Canton 2, 38. Troy 1.

Complete D1 results l Story/photos

Division 3

Oakland University, Rochester

Bloomfield Hills Marian wins second consecutive championship

Bloomfield Hills Marian won their second straight Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 championship beating East Grand Rapids 355-246. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood was third with 227 points.

Team scoring

1. Bloomfield Hills Marian 355, 2. East Grand Rapids 246, 3. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 227, 4. Milan 171, 5. Bloomfield Hills Lahser 143, 6. Plainwell 139, 7. Alma 120, 8. Chelsea 103, 9. Grand Rapids Catholic Central 95, 10. Tecumseh 70, 11. Holland Christian 70, 12. Hamilton 68.5, 13. Gibraltar Carlson 67, 14. Bloomfield Hills Andover 58.5; 15, Sturgis 53, 16. Ann Arbor Skyline 47, 17. Haslett 45, 18. Trenton 30, 19. Essexville Garber 28, 20. Spring Lake 26, 21. Detroit Country Day 25, 22. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 20, T23. Dundee 16, T23. Ferndale 16, 25. Livonia Ladywood 9, T26. Oscoda 6, T26. Grand Rapids Chrisitan 6, T28. Grosse Ile 4, T28. Bay City John Glenn 4, 30. Ludington 2.5, 31. Marysville 1.

Complete D3 results l Story

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