Middle School Swim and Dive Team Recap (2019-2020)

By Tisha Schafer

The 2019-2020 SJMS Swim and Dive Team saw much success this season and
represented the community well. Thirty seven athletes participated this season (19 eighth
graders, 10 seventh graders, 8 sixth graders). This season included 12 athletes participating in
a swim meet for the first time and 5 divers participating in a dive meet for the first time.
Approximately 10 athletes were beginner swimmers. Team records that were broken this
season included the girls 400 Freestyle Relay Team of Kate P., Natalie O., Maddie S., Ella S.
and Ella S. in the 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 IM, and 50 Fly. All 37 swimmers and divers had
personal bests this season.

The regular season schedule began with the team hosting the North Kickoff Swim Meet
at the St. Johns High School pool. The team welcomed DeWitt, Grand Ledge, Holt, Lansing
Junior Legacy, Waverly on deck for some fast swimming. The team was able to pull off hosting
such a large meet with the help of many volunteers including Deb Foote, Peter Sperry and
many of our middle school swim and dive parents. In addition to this meet, the team hosted
meets with Grand Ledge on 12/17/2019 and East Lansing on 1/10/2020. The team traveled to
Grand Ledge on 1/23/2020 for a tri meet with Waverly and Grand Ledge.

The championship season began on January 24th and 25th, 2020, with the St. Johns
Middle School Swim and Dive Club Team travelling to East Lansing High School to compete in
the Capital Area MS/JH League Championship Meet. This meet was the only scored meet of
the season and the boys and girls competed separately. The boys took to the pool in the
morning and finished 7th overall (out of 12 teams). Point scorers for the boys included: 200
Freestyle: Sebastian L. (4th), Xander M. (15th); 100 IM: Jackson A.(13th); 50 Freestyle: Xander
M. (12th); 50 Fly: Sebastian L. (2nd); 200 Freestyle Relay: Xander M., Gavin M., Jackson A.,
Sebastian L. (4th); 400 Free Relay: Matthew S., Hudson S., Dylan A., Kaine H. (9th); Diving:
Isaac S. (4th), Canden S. (5th), Gabe D. (6th). Other contributors included: Wes S. and Tim I.
The girls took to the pool in the afternoon for the Capital Area MS/JH League
Championship Meet. At several points in the meet the SJMS girls led the contest. In the end,
they came home with the runner up trophy. Ella S. was the meet top girl point scorer and broke
a 2017 meet record in the 100 Freestyle with a time of 55.62. Additional meet point scorers were
as follows: 200 Medley Relay: Kate P., Ellie V., Ella S. and Natalie O. (1st); 200 Freestyle:
Maddie S. (3rd), Paige T. (9th), Samantha H. (13th), Aly B. (14th); 100 Individual Medley: Ella
S. (1st), Ellie V. (10th); 50 Free: Natalie O. (9th); 50 Fly: Natalie O. (7th), Karissa G. (12th), Lily
H. (13th); 100 Free: Ella S. (1st), Kate P. (3rd), Maddie S. (4th); 200 Freestyle Relay: Maddie
S., Lily H., Karissa G., Ellie V. (4th); 100 Back: Karissa G. (6th); 100 Breast: Ellie V. (6th), Lily
H. (10th), Paige T. (14th); 400 Freestyle Relay: Kate P., Natalie O., Maddie S. and Ella S. (1st).
Other meet contributors: Carly S., Emma Si., Lindsey S., Sydnie B., MacKenzie V., Emma Sm.,
Lillie H., Natalie L.

A week later, February 1st, 2020, several girls from the St. Johns Middle School Swim
and Dive Team traveled to the MISCA qualifiers meet in Holt, MI. In order to swim at the meet,
state qualifying times had to be met. Results from the meet were as follows: 200 Medley Relay:
Kate P. Ellie V., Ella S., Natalie O. (14th); 100 Freestyle: Ella S. (2nd); 50 Freestyle: Ella S.
(3rd); 200 Freestyle Relay: Maddie S., Lily H., Karissa G., Ellie V. (27th); 400 Freestyle Relay:
Kate P., Natalie O., Maddie S., Ella S. (8th) with a middle school record time of 4:14.50.

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