By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
BATTLE CREEK—Host Harper Creek ran away—or, more accurately, swam away—with the SCC title on Saturday, Nov. 8, racking up 527 points.
But the three local girls swim & dive teams—Plainwell, Otsego and Allegan—had plenty to celebrate as well.
The Trojans finished runner-up with 318 points, edging out Sturgis by seven points and Marshall by 17 points. The Bulldogs were sixth with 277 points, while the Tigers were seventh with 165 points.
All three area teams had one event champion, with Otsego’s perhaps the most unlikely of the group.
Bulldog senior Millie Shattuck put on a clinic during the diving competition, earning 389.6 points. That was 7.8 points ahead of runner-up Aubrey Yarger of Hastings, who just so happens to be the defending Division 2 state champion.
“I couldn’t be happier with how the girls performed this past weekend,” Otsego coach Darryl Belton said. “I don’t know if we’ve ever swam and dove that well in a girls league championship.
“Millie winning the diving was the upset of the week. She beat the defending D2 state champion and did it by being consistently great in all 11 dives.”
Otsego teammate Hailey Montgomery was third in diving with 292.75 points.
“Neither of our divers had a bad dive,” Belton said.
Plainwell’s event championship came from Sophia VanHeest, who took top honors in the 100-yard backstroke at 1:02.05. She was took second in the 500 freestyle at 5:27.32.
For Allegan, Eliza DeLeat won the 50 free at 25.5 and was runner-up in the 100 butterfly at 1:03.61.
“Our girls showed tremendous progress throughout the season, with most swimmers achieving season or lifetime best times at the championship meet,” Allegan coach Carol Gephart said. “The team’s energy, encouragement and unity on deck were clear contributors to their success.
“The girls really came together and supported each other every step of the way. Their commitment and growth over the season were remarkable, and Eliza was a big part of that.”
Other individual-event highlights for Otsego came from Hope Stender and Belle Xenos, with both securing second-place finishes.
Stender was second in the 200 free at 2:02.23 and third in the 500 free at 5:34.16. Xenos, meanwhile, took second in the 50 free at 26.21 and was fourth in the 100 free at 57.32.
“Stender broke the team record in the 200 and then swam out of her mind in the 500,” Belton said. “Bella, Alyssa Long, Aubrey Smith and Laney Sweet finished in the top eight in their individual events joining Millie, Hailey and Hope on the All-Conference team.”
And it wasn’t just the girls who earned All-Conference who impressed Belton.
“My newbies blew up,” he said. “Kylee Worden made it to the finals in both of her individual events (50 and 100 free) and she just learned how to do this in August. Lydia Griffith held the B medley relay together with a great breaststroke leg and Morgan Gruber was so fast in all three of her relays.
“Halle Olweean finished in the top 16 in the 50 and Juni Sisson dropped over 20 seconds of time in BOTH of her events. And I can’t say enough about the job Karis Slater did on Saturday-her freestyle was lights out.
“I am excited for the state meet and the girls who will be competing there, but it is going to take a bit to come down off of this.”
For Plainwell, Olaia Dominguez-Trincado had strong showings in the 100 fly (third at 1:04.56) and the 200 IM (fourth at 2:25.06).
Teammate Sylar Luckett was runner-up in the 100 free (56.51) after placing sixth in the 200 free (2:07.25).
Allegan’s Annabell Roden was fourth in diving with 282.0 points.
In the relays, Otsego had a pair of top-three showings: the 400 free team of Xenos, Aubrey Smith, Laney Sweet and Stender was second (3:58.92) and the 200 medley team of Smith, Xenos, Sweet and Stender was third (1:59.35).
Plainwell’s 200 free relay team of Luckett, Brecken DeHaan, Ellah Anderson and Dominguez-Trincado was second at 1:47.74.
