Swimming: Huron features strong finishes in SEC meet with Saline

Special to WLAA
October 4, 2021, 3 years ago

By Margaret Baker / For WLAA

The Huron Swim/Dive team hosted a very deep and talented Saline team Thursday evening at the Ratatorium. The Hornets won the meet 129-56.

Kudos to Huron’s one diver this season, Sophia Riegle, who picked up fifth place points in her second-ever high school meet (111.75), and to senior Kathryn Hemmila, Huron’s only event winner, who touched first in the 500 free (5:38.47).

Hemmila also picked up 3^rd place in the 200 Free (2:05.34) and swam in Huron’s second place 200 Free relay (senior/captains Zannah Baker and Emma Kaipainen, Hemmila, and sophomore Jasmine Xu), which finished in 1:44.40. Xu, Kaipainen, sophomore Sawako Sakamoto and Baker just missed a second-place finish in the 200 Medley relay (1:56.30), touching just behind Saline’s “B” (Kylie Evenson, Ellerie Brunty, Isabella Arbaugh, and Jillian Bradin) (1:56.01). Huron’s strongest placement was in the 100 Breast, with three swimmers in the top five: Xu, 2^nd (1:11.31); Kaipainen, 4^th (1:12.92), and senior Ayaka Sakamoto, 5^th (1:19.13).

Other point scorers for the Rats included senior/captain Cali Streeter, 5^th in the 200 Free (2:10.84 and 5^th place points in the 100 Free (1:04.42); Kaipainen, who took three seconds off last week’s time and finished 2^nd in the 200 IM (2:16.92); A. Sakamoto, 5^th in the 200 IM (2:35.53); Baker, 2^nd in the 50 free (25.46); sophomore Ece Uyulur, 5^th in the 50 Free (28.91) and 3^rd in the 500 Free (6:06.57); senior Margo Leone, 4^th in the 500 Free (6:22.59); S. Sakamoto, 2^nd in the 100 Fly (1:02.92) and 3^rd in the 100 Back (1:03.18); sophomore Shalya Pawlicki, 5^th place points in the 100 Fly (1:16.36); Xu, 2^nd in the 100 Free (55.63); sophomore Rihanna Gleason, 5^th place points in the 100 Back (1:26.09); and Baker, S. Sakamoto, Uyulur, and Hemmila, 3^rd in the 400 Free Relay (4:02.38).

Huron will send a contingent of freshmen and sophomores to Dexter’s Wylie Pool for the annual Freshman/Sophomore meet this Saturday, Oct. 2nd, then travel to Pioneer Thursday, Oct. 7th for a 6 pm tip-off.