LADY BULLDOGS SCORE BIG WIN OVER CLEVELAND ST. JOSEPH’S HIGH SCHOOL

The Lady Bulldogs' swimmers raised their season record to 3-1 with a decisive win over the CLSJ Jaguars 130-55.  The girls have made tremendous improvements since the beginning of the season and it showed today.  There were plenty of great swims by many of the girls as personal records were set all day long. 

Junior Jenni Heid led the Bulldogs with two first place finishes.  Heid took first in the 50 Free 26.55 and in the 100 Free 59.51.  After the meet Heid said, “I am really proud of the girls’ team today!  I think we came and really swam our hearts out event though a lot of people were swimming in events for the first time.  It was a great way to start off the Christmas break.”

Juniors Tori McCauley and Ainsley Wilbur and sophomores Kelly Vantrease and Kelsey Wenk scored first and second place finishes.  McCauley won the 100 Breast with a 1:17.67 and took second in the 100 Free with a 1:00.15.  Wilbur took first in the 200 IM 2:26.54 and second in the 200 Free with a 1:08.73.  Wilbur commented, “The practice and meet in the same day was a challenge.  But no matter what you have to stay positive.  So we kept our heads up and got ready for the next race.”  Vantrease took first with a personal record 2:08.52 in the 200 Free and second in the 500 Free with a 5:42.31.  Wenk took first in the 500 Free with a 5:40.57 and second in the 200 IM 2:27.68.  Coach Reese remarked, “Outstanding swims by Kelly Vantrease.  Every time she swims right now she is showing improvement; their is no limit on her ability.  Kelsey Wenk continues to be a great leader in the pool, giving our team quality swim after quality swim.”

Junior Maddie Dyer recorded a first place finish in the 100 Fly 1:06.82 and a third place finish in the 50 Free 28.19.   Junior Lindsey Adkins scored two-second place finishes.  She earned a 2:09.64 in the 200 Free and a 1:10.38 in the 100 Back.  In the 100 Breast freshman Gretchen Evan 1:19.63 took second and freshman Becca Luketich took third with a 1:22.17.

In other individual event scoring, sophomore Kirsten Earle finished fourth 2:24.26 in the 200 Free and fourth in the 500 Free with a 6:30.83.  Freshman Erika Delker 126.9, junior Sierra Clark 123.45 and sophomore Frances Haas 99.45 took second through fourth places to win the diving event.  Sophomore Sarah Kassinger took fifth in the 100 Fly with a 1:25.53.  Senior Hannah Evan took fourth with a 1:11.94 in the 100 Free. In the 100 Back sophomore Taylor Lewis 1:16.93 and sophomore Katie Kassinger 1:21.76. took third and fourth respectively.

Stow swept first place finishes in all three relays.  Wenk, Wilbur, Heid and McCauley took first in the 200 Medley Relay with a 2:01.17.  Heid, Wilbur, Vantrease and McCauley took first in the 200 Free Relay with a 1:54.05 and Wenk, Adkins, Vantrease and Earle took first in the 400 Free Relay with a time of 4:10.10.  Scoring third place finishes was the 200 Medley Relay team of Adkins, G. Evan, Dyer and sophomore Maria Doty 2:11.74, the 200 Free Relay team of Lewis, Kassinger, sophomore Sarah Kassinger and Dyer 2:03.38 and the 400 Free Relay team of Doty, senior Hannah Evan, Lewis and S. Kassinger.

Coach Reese summed up the meet with these comments, “Our relays are improving every meet, no matter whom we put in them; the girls step up and do a great job. This time a year our focus is on our training, our swimmers are tired, worn down and sore, but we still found a way to have several personal best swims today.  The leadership of our team captains, Maddie Dyer and Rachael Moretti, has been vital for success this past week and it will continue to be over the next few weeks.  We are in a great position to have a lot of success at our league championship meet on January 5th.”

Next up for the girls is Parma Normandy at Normandy High School on December 27th.