Swimming: Pioneer last champion standing at “meet of champions” (see WLAA photo gallery – 90 photos)

Northville High School hosted a swimming and diving meet of champions on Saturday and one champion made the biggest splash – and in a big way.

The Pioneers dominated the Division 1 State Finals last year, racking up 368 points, beating second-place Farmington Hills Mercy by 184 points. Northville placed third as a team at last year’s state finals and returns almost their entire roster this year.

Birmingham Seaholm won the Division 2 State Finals a year ago and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook won the Division 3 State Finals last season.

The four teams met on Saturday in a quad-meet and the competition certainly brought out the best in all the teams – and in one team in particular.

Pioneer swept its three matches, defeating Seaholm 128-58; Northville 110-76; and Cranbrook Kingswood 147-39. Northville went 2-1 on the day beating Seaholm 113.50-72.50 and Cranbrook 142-44.

SEE WLAA PIONEER SWIMMING PHOTOGALLERY – 90 PHOTOS


The Pioneers opened the meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay. The team of Stella Chapman, Edwina Jalet, Holly Pringle and Sophia Guo went 1 minute, 48.93 seconds. Seaholm was second in 1:51.01.

In the 200 freestyle, Pioneer’s Vivian VanRenterghem was second (1:54.38) and Lindsay Orringer-Hau touched third (2:00.02). Eva Woods was eighth (2:05.44).

Pioneer went one-two in the individual medley with Chapman taking first in 2:07.64 and Jalet in second in 2:11.41. Rachel Brewbaker was ninth (2:20.72) and Reese Heidenreich was 10th (2:22.10).

In the 50 freestyle, Guo touched second (24.61), Amelia Weyhing was fourth (25.32) and Autumn Bullinger was sixth (25.41). Meg Pinkerton was 11th (26.61).
Pioneer’s Alexandra Mercier won the diving with 235.85 points. Grace Daly was fifth (156.45) and Violet Collier was 11th (114.85).

SEE WLAA PIONEER SWIMMING PHOTOGALLERY – 90 PHOTOS


In the butterfly, Orringer-Hau was fourth (1:00.37), Pringle took seventh (1:01.23) and Woods was ninth (1:03.36). Jeannie Liu was 11th (1:04.9).

Guo continued her brilliant meet with a first place in the 100 freestyle in 52.57. Weyhing was third (54.55) and Bullinger touched sixth (55.29).

The Pioneers again went one-two – this time in the 500 free. Yan Yee Adler was first in 5:14.18 and VanRenterghem was second in 5:18.41. Kate Lindstrom was eighth (5:44.72).

In the 200 freestyle relay, the team of Guo, Bullinger, Weyhing and VanRenterghem took first place in 1:39.77.

It was “back” to the one-two finish for the Pioneers in the backstroke. Chapman took first in 57.76 with Pringle touching second in 59.16. Bridgette Kamara was seventh (1:03.45).

And an encore in the breaststroke as Pioneer finished the individual races with Jalet taking first in 1:07.34 and Adler in second in 1:07.62. Heidenreich was seventh in 1:11.83 and Brewbaker was eighth in 1:13.42.

The Pioneers finished what they started by taking first in the 400 free relay. The team of Weyhing, Bullinger, Chapman and VanRenterghem took first in 3:35.96. The Pioneer team of Pringle, Woods, Brewbaker and Adler took fourth in 3:49.45.

SEE WLAA PIONEER SWIMMING PHOTOGALLERY – 90 PHOTOS

 

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