Bulldog Swimmers Out Touched By Rival Cuyahoga Falls

 Only nine points separated the boys Bulldog Swim Team from remaining undefeated. 

In a meet where almost 200 points were scored, that's very close.  The Cuyahoga Falls Natatorium was filled to the gills last night for what turned out to be an amazingly close meet for the rival teams. 

Although it was a home meet for the Black Tigers, many on Stow’s team have called it home, too, in years past as members of the Cuyahoga Falls Tiger Sharks club team.  Several of the swimmers and coaches in this contest have known each other for years and the relationships run strong and deep.   Both teams knew coming into this meet that every event, every place and every point would be the difference.  Last week the two boys teams were only points apart in the NOC Championships with the Bulldogs edging Falls by only a few points. 

The Bulldogs (3-1) looked to build on that momentum, but came up short losing their first meet of the season 85-94.  The Lady Bulldogs (2-2) lost 86-97.   Freshman Maddie Dyer had a tremendous meet posting two personal best times.  Dyer commented, "I felt awesome in the 500 free and I was surprised I did so well in the IM."! 

 First place finishes for both teams: the girls 200 Free Fr. Lindsey Adkins 2:09.34; boys 200 IM Soph. Cody Vantrease 2:11.07; diving Jr. Will Sheppard 156.32; girls 100 fly Soph. Jennie Heid 1:06.76; boys 100 fly Sr. Joe Freudeman 57.26; boys 200 free relay of Sr. Jeremy Wentz, Jr. Jacob Earle, Jr. Cameron Potter and Cody Vantrease 1:36.72; girls 100 breast Sr. Jessie Lee 1:14.13; the girls 400 free relay of Lindsey Adkins, Jennie Heid, Fr. Kelly Vantrease and Fr. Kelsey Wenk 3:58.98.

 Second place finishes for both teams:  girl’s 200 medley, the team of Kelsey Wenk, Jessie Lee, Jenni Heid and Lindsey Adkins;  boys 200 medley Sr. Chris Blohm, Earle, Joe Freudeman and Jr. Parker Gabriel;  girl’s 200 free Jessie Lee; boys 200 free Jeremy Wentz; girls 200 IM Kelly Vantrease; boys 200 IM Jacob Earle; girls 50 free Jenni Heid; boys 50 free Cameron Potter; girls 100 free Sr. Becca Kassinger; boys 100 free Jeremy Wentz; girls 500 free Fr. Maddie Dyer; boys 500 free Cody Vantrease; girls 200 free relay of Soph. Ainsley Wilbur, Becca Kassinger, Jessie Lee and Kelly Vantrease; girls 100 back Kelsey Wenk, boys 100 back Joe Freudeman; 100 breast Jacob Earle; 400 free relay of Jeremy Wentz, Cameron Potter, Parker Gabriel and Cody Vantrease.

 Third place finishes both teams:  200 free relay team of Maddie Dyer, Sr. Haley Adkins, Sr. Megan Kolke and Soph. Tori McCauley; boys 200 IM Sr. Greg Dyer;  boys 50 free Parker Gabriel; diving Soph. Sierra Clark; boys 100 free Parker Gabriel, girls 500 free Kelly Vantrease; boys 200 free relay team of Jr Mason Gabriel, Chris Blohm, Fr. Alex Cremer and Greg Dyer; girls 100 back Lindsey Adkins; boys 100 back Chris Blohm; 100 breast Ainsley Wilbur; girls 400 free relay of Ainsley Wilbur, Becca Kassinger, Sr. Haley Adkins, and Tori McCauley; boys 400 free relay of Joe Freudeman, Chris Blohm, Mason Gabriel and Greg Dyer.