Girls Swimming Rewind: Eagles still smiling after strong showing at D-2 meet

Skyline Coach Maureen Murrett has already started coaching the boys’ swim team but there is still a hangover smile on her face after the girls’ strong showing last month at the Division 2 State Finals. And that smile is going to be there for a while.

“We now have won every event at the state meet on the girls’ side which I think is pretty cool,” said Murrett. “It was a really great season and a really great weekend for the Eagles.”

Skyline had another strong season in the competitive SEC Red Division and capped it off by finishing seventh overall at the MHSAA D-2 State Finals at Oakland University on Nov. 20. Birmingham Seaholm took first overall with 314.5 points followed by Grosse Pointe South (241) and Grand Rapids Northview (191).

Skyline had two swimmers finish first in individual races.

Senior Claire Kozma tied for first place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.94 seconds. Jenison’s Grace Albrecht also swam 23.94 in the finals. Kozma was the first Skyline swimmer to win the 50 free at a state meet.

Kozma also touched seventh in the 100 butterfly in 57.93.

Junior Lily Cleason won the 100 backstroke with a time of 55.77 for the Eagles. Teammate Shannen Lee, a sophomore, was fourth in 58.19.

Cleason also took sixth in the 200 freestyle in 1:53.62.

The Eagles also had a strong showing in the 200 freestyle relay. The team of Kozma, Allie Deininger, Lauren MacNeil and Lily Cleason touched second with a time of 1:37.94. Seaholm took first in 1:35.99.