DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
PORTLAND – Adams County swimmers found pockets of success despite the continued domination of the local swim sectional by the Delta Eagles, with six individuals from all three schools reaching Saturday’s A Finals in various events.
Baylee Smith of Adams Central had one of the best nights for the local contingent with her top-four finish in the 200 Free, while GenaMarie Summersett qualified in the 50 and was ninth in the 100.
Bellmont’s Ella Hockemeyer will give the Braves a presence in an individual final after qualifying, while South Adams got two eight-place finishes from Delaney Schwartz and Reagan Bollenbacher.
Individual accomplishments, like season and career bests, are posted below with the full results:
200 Medley Relay
1. Delta 1:54.77
2. Jay County 1:58.76
3. Norwell 1:59.69
7. South Adams 2:13.62
Hill-Schwartz-Armenta-Summersett
8. Adams Central 2:18.69
Michaels-Bluhm-Smith-Powell
DQ-Bellmont
Murray-Witte-Bessesen-Radecki
200 Free
-Adams Central’s Baylee Smith cut .6 seconds from her season best at the ACAC meet to clinch her spot back in the A Final with ease.
-Jodie Neuenschwander will swim in the B Final for the Starfires after trimming seven seconds from last week’s season best in the same pool.
-Bellmont will also have a representative in the B Final, with sophomore Tori McCullough taking three seconds off her career best to grab the last automatic spot for Saturday.
1. Emilia Kadurina-Burris 2:06.34
2. Lilah Kowalski-HN 2:08.54
3. Camry Hensley-Delta 2:08.91
4. Baylee Smith-AC 2:12.75
11. Ella Hockemeyer-B 2:17.79
15. Jodie Neuenschwander-SA 2:22.37
16. Tori McCullough-B 2:22.55
19. Addy Watson-SA 2:27.03
28. Sophia Silva-B 3:08.65
200 IM
-Delaney Schwartz made the A Final with an eighth-place finish, knocking just under two seconds off her season best from last week’s conference meet.
-Bellmont’s Sydney Bessesen cut seven seconds from her career best to take a spot in the B Final in her freshman year alongside teammate Izabella Werling.
1. Alivia Jackson-Delta 2:19.01
8. Delaney Schwartz-SA 2:38.19
11. Izabella Werling-B 2:43.76
13. Sydney Bessesen-B 2:48.52
50 Free
-GenaMarie Summersett showed she belonged in the same pool as Eleanor Groves of Delta by swimming a season best to take fifth place. Groves, who holds the sectional record from her freshman year, swam .09 faster Thursday than she did in last year’s final, which she won.
-Summersett spent most of her time before the heat pumping up teammate Kaylee Armenta, who delivered a season best of her own for a spot in the B Final.
1. Eleanor Groves-Delta 24.64
2. Anna Kalhoefer-HN 25.53
5. GenaMarie Summersett-SA 26.71
11. Kaylee Armenta-SA 28.48
23. Noelle Hippensteel-B 32.17
24. Chloe Post-B 32.20
25. Izzy Krull-B 32.55
26. Ava Powell-AC 32.66
28. Aubree Geerken-AC 36.87
30. Allyson Gilbert-SA 40.32
31. Kasit Sabyrakunova-AC 48.51
100 Fly
-Kaylee Armenta (see gallery below) took her success in the 50 and turned it into an outstanding butterfly performance. Her 1:19.39 for the Stars was a season best and will bring her back Saturday. Th same will be true for Reagan Bollenbacher.
1. Alivia Jackson-Delta 59.89
2. Annalise Cornett-Norwell 1:04.19
14. Kaylee Armenta-SA 1:19.39
15. Reagan Bollenbacher-SA 1:20.34 (see gallery below)
100 Free
-Groves also outswam last year’s sectional-winning time in the prelims in the 100 Free. She’ll be joined by Bellmont’s Ella Hockemeyer, who set her season best, and Adams Central’s Baylee Smith.
-GenaMarie Summersett took ninth with a season-best time for the Starfish, just ahead of teammate Addy Watson, who somehow swam the exact same time as last week at 1:04.01. The two Starfires were in the same heat and in adjoining lanes to Groves’ outstanding pace.
-Danica Michaels (AC) also made the B Final with a season best.
1. Eleanor Groves-Delta 53.48
2. Anna Kalhoefer-HN 55.76
7. Baylee Smith-AC 1:00.34
8. Ella Hockemeyer-B 1:00.70
9. GenaMarie Summersett-SA 1:01.07
10. Addy Watson-SA 1:04.01
14. Danica Michaels-AC 1:06.20
22. Langley Murray-B 1:12.28 (see gallery below)
25. Madeline Witte-B 1:12.72 (see gallery below)
30. Aubree Geerken-AC 1:28.82
500 Free
-Last year’s champion, Alivia Jackson of Delta, did not compete in Thursday’s prelims in the 500, opening the door for Huntington North’s Lilah Kowalski to steal a state spot from the Eagles.
-Bellmont sophomore Izabella Werling cut four seconds from her season best to take tenth place. Classmate Tori McCullough did the same and took 13th.
-Calah Hill (SA) (shown below) and Ella Bluhm (AC) both qualified for the B Final with slight improvements to their season bests.
1. Lilah Kowalski-HN 5:46.75
2. Camryn Hensley-D 5:49.26
10. Izabella Werling-B 6:12.76
12. Calah Hill-SA 6:28.27
13. Tori McCullough-B 6:29.15
17. Ella Bluhm-AC 6:37.07
20. Noelle Hippensteel-B 6:50.60
200 Free Relay
-The Starfires snuck into the A Final with a big improvement on any attempt this season in the 200 Free Relay. Anchored by Addy Watson and including Calah Hill in the team, they cut five seconds from the team season best.
-Bellmont’s relay team took the final spot in the A Final to overcome the disappointment of being DQed in the first relay of the night. The young team, anchored by senior Ella Hockemeyer, broke the two-minute mark for the first time.
1. Delta 1:44.44
7. South Adams 1:54.28
Armenta-Neuenschwander-Hill-Watson
8. Bellmont 1:57.40
Radecki-McCullough-Werling-Hockemeyer
10. Adams Central 2:08.32
Michaels-Geerken-Bluhm-Smith
100 Back
-Sydney Bessesen made a big cut to her career best and will hope to move up a spot and into the B Final before Saturday to wrap up her freshman season.
1. Lora Warner-Delta 1:03.04
2. Maria Laux-JC 1:05.65
14. Calah Hill-SA 1:15.75
15. Danica Michaels-AC 1:16.89
17. Sydney Bessesen-B 1:18.45
19. Jodie Neuenschwander-SA 1:22.41
22. Langley Murray-B 1:24.76
23. Collins Vossler-B 1:35.26
25. Allyson Gilbert-SA 1:45.05
100 Breast
-Reagan Bollenbacher had an outstanding time in the prelims in the breaststroke, jumping over multiple girls to take the last spot in the A Final. She cut 5.5 seconds from her previous season best, which was just last week at the ACAC meet. She’ll attempt to break her career PR Saturday, needing to cut just .4 seconds to match her time back in the 2024 sectional prelims.
1. Marlee Meredith-N 1:10.88
2. Shiloh Bunch-Delta 1:14.98
8. Reagan Bollenbacher-SA 1:23.47
9. Madeline Witte-B 1:23.56
10. Ella Bluhm-AC 1:24.25
11. Delaney Schwartz-SA 1:24.57
21. Ava Powell-AC 1:32.90
23. Chloe Post-B 1:37.79
26. Sophia Silva-B 1:41.74
400 Free Relay
-Bellmont and South Adams both qualified for the final event Saturday with season-best times.
1. Delta 3:53.02
4. Bellmont 4:17.82
Bessesen-McCullough-Werling-Hockemeyer
7. South Adams 4:32.31
Bollenbacher-JNeuenschwander-Hill-Watson
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