Swimming: Segal sets another pool record as Pioneers swim past Skyline
Not that we needed another example of how great the Pioneer boys’ swimming and diving team is, but since we’re on the subject …
During Thursday night’s dual-meet with Skyline, Pioneer’s Matthew Segal broke the Pioneer pool record in the 100-yard breaststroke. The junior, who also has set the pool record at Huron and Chelsea, swam a time of 56.30 seconds to set the record in a pool that has hosted some awesome swimmers over the years.
One of those awesome swimmers was right behind Segal – which brings us back to the subject of how good this Pioneer team truly is. Finishing second in the breaststroke was teammate Vaughn Hajra, with a speedy time of 57.94 – just a little more than a second off Segal’s pool-record time.
When a swimmer sets a pool record and his teammate is just a touch behind him is more confirmation of a very strong team. And the Pioneers are indeed a very strong team – as Skyline discovered on Thursday night.
Pioneer defeated its city rival 120-65 in an SEC dual-meet featuring elite swimming programs.
The Pioneer foursome of Hajra, Jack Wilkening, Robert Yang and Cameron Williston opened the meet with a first-place time of 1:37.47 in the medley relay. Skyline’s foursome of Atticus Dewey, Derek Mrachko, Matthew Lee and Jack Staunton took second in 1:42.20.
Segal, who has D-1 state cut times in every event, won his first individual race of the meet with a time of 1:42.67 in the 200 freestyle. Ryan Hume was second (1:45.01) and Caleb Rice third (1:47.65) as the Pioneers grabbed the top three spots. Skyline’s Evan McKelvey was fourth (1:52.53).
Skyline’s Ben Kurniawan won the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.77. Pioneer’s Samuel Fonte was second (2:03.26) and Yang third (2:06.06).
Skyline went one-two in the 50-free. Lee took first in 22.56 with Mrachko touching second in 22.77. Pioneer’s Cameron Williston was third in 22.78.
Pioneer’s Cole Tremewan won the diving with 310.80 points with teammate Max Rolla-Mullis in second (204.80). Skyline’s Charlie Andrew-Vaughan was third (145.40) and teammate Soren Nielsen was fourth (120.45).
Kurniawan won his second race of the night for the Eagles with a time of 52.06 in the butterfly. Yang was second (53.78), Koa Williams third (55.06) and Justin Su fourth (55.82) for the Pioneers.
Lee won the 100 freestyle for Skyline with a time of 49.25. Teodor Jaworski was second (49.35) and Williston third (49.51) for the Pioneers.
Rice gave Pioneer first-place points in the 500 freestyle with his winning time of 4:58.27. Skyline’s Grant Gorman was second (5:07.82), Pioneer’s Matthew DeBona was third (5:09.19), Skyline’s Daniel Koselka was fourth (5:11.74) and Pioneer’s Kenji Wagner was fifth (5:13.19).
Pioneer went one-two in the 200 free relay. The short last-name foursome of Hume, Yang, Segal and Rice touched first in 1:30.12. The Pioneer team of Williams, Labadie, Jack Shemke and Gabriel Sanchez-Burks took second in 1:31.65. Skyline’s team of McKelvey, Kurniawan, Staunton and Mrachko took a close third in 1:31.69.
Wilkening’s first-place time of 53.82 in the backstroke was another meet highlight for the Pioneers. Hume took second in 54.59 and Dewey was third for Skyline with a time of 55.08.
Pioneer wrapped up the meet with a first place in the 400 free relay. The team of Williston, Jaworski, Hume and Segal won in 3:16.37. Skyline (Lee, Dewey, McKelvey and Kurniawan) took second in 3:22.00.
MAIN PHOTO: Pioneer’s Matthew Segal breaks the Pioneer pool record in the breaststroke. Photo by Martha Hashimoto
