2011 Finals: Beware Falling Finals Records

December 16, 2011

Two 2010 MHSAA swimming and diving runners-up took the final step and claimed first-ever championships at Saturday’s Finals in Holland and Rochester. 

The third MHSAA champion, Farmington HIlls Mercy, added a fifth-straight title despite moving up to Division 1 and a less familiar group of competitors in Ypsilanti. 

A total of 12 records fell at the three Finals, including a few times that were the fastest in MHSAA Finals history, regardless of meet. Read on to find out who claimed all three team championships and all the broken records.

(Click for full results from all three Finals). 

Division 1 at Eastern Michigan

Farmington Hills Mercy won its fifth-straight MHSAA championship -- but first in Division 1 after claiming Division 2 titles the last four seasons. The Marlins scored 258 points, 14.5 more than two-time reigning champion Saline. 

Six Division 1 meet records fell. Ann Arbor Huron senior Anna DeMonte repeated as 200-yard individual medley champion with a Division 1 meet record time of 1:59.67. She did the same in the 100 backstroke with another meet record time of 54.56.

Other record breakers were Lake Orion senior Annie Jongekrijg in the 100 freestyle (50.32), Bloomfield Hills Marian’s Jaynie Pulte as a repeat champion in the 50 freestyle (23.23),  Saline’s 200 medley relay of junior Maddy Frost, senior Sammy Richart and juniors Emily Lau and Cristina Czyrka (1:45.97), and Hudsonville’s 200 freestyle relay of seniors Michaela Rookus, Audra Thornton, sophomore Makayla Myers and junior Danielle Freeman (1:35.46).

Waterford freshman Maddie Wright also won two individual events: the 200 freestyle by more than a second in 1:49.04, and the 100 butterfly by more than a second in 54.82.

Division 2 at Holland Aquatics

After three seasons coming in second, Holland won the MHSAA title by 131 points over runner-up Birmingham Seaholm. The championship was the Dutch’s first in girls swimming and diving.

Senior Courtney Bartholomew finished her career with four more championships, and all four set records at some level. She improved on her Division 2 meet record in the 200 IM with a time of 2:00.06, more than two seconds better than her previous record time. She also set an all-Finals record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.99.

Holland’s 200 medley relay of Bartholomew, junior Melissa Vandermeulen, freshman Taylor Garcia and sophomore Holly Morren set an all-Finals record of 1:41.12. Morren, Garcia, senior Klare Northuis and Bartholomew also set a Division 2 meet record of 3:24.46 in the 400 freestyle relay.

Garcia added the Division 2 meet record in the 100 butterfly by winning in 54.39 seconds, more than two faster than the previous record.

Although she didn’t improve on her meet record set previously, Birmingham Groves senior Annie Lazor won the 100 breaststroke title for the fourth time, in 1:02.43.

Division 3 at Oakland

After two seasons of East Grand Rapids first followed by Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood, the annual contenders switched places Saturday with Cranbrook-Kingswood winning the MHSAA championship -- also its first.

Cranbrook-Kingswood scored 328.5 points, followed by East Grand Rapids with 265.5.

Only one meet record was set, but three athletes won multiple individual championships. Plainwell freshman Mallory Comerford set that Division 3 meet record, swimming the 50 freestyle in 23.62. She also won the 100 freestyle in 50.46.

Cranbrook-Kingswood junior Kylie Powrie won the 500 freestyle (5:04.30) and 200 freestyle (1:54.98) and Bloomfield Hills Lahser sophomore Ines Chares won the 100 backstroke (56.2) and 100 butterfly (57.21).

East Grand Rapids junior Olivia Kassouni repeated as diving champion with a score of 451.45, and sophomore teammate Anna Stephens was a repeat champion in the 100 breaststroke, in 1:05.75.