The high school swim season got off to its traditional start in Z Land Saturday, with the girls starting the season at the Norwell Invite, which mixes local sectional teams with some other teams from northeast Indiana.
Norwell had a strong showing, as expected and won the team race.
Highlights and notes from Saturday’s action:
-The veteran relay team of Shaylin McCray, Morgan Brames, Brooklyn Brownlow and Madison Witte for Bellmont turned in a great season-opening time and finished ninth in the medley relay, just 3.5 seconds behind the team’s best time last year.
-South Adams’ Julia Arnold turned in a career PR in the 200 Free to finish fifth for the Starfires.
-Ella Hockemeyer swam a career best in the 100 Free, finishing ninth in 1:04.26.
-Cassie Coyne’s performance in the 500 was impressive as she took second place in 6:02.33. Coyne is one of the favorites to win this year’s 500 at the Jay County sectional.
-Calah Hill shaved 17 seconds from her career best in the 500 to finish in ninth.
-Rilynn Ervin was within two seconds of her sectional finals time last season and finished fourth in the backstroke for Norwell.
Team Scores
1st-Norwell 243.5; 2nd-Columbia City-207; 3rd-Huntington North-196; 4th-Angola-179; 5th-Oak Hill-132; 6th-Bishop Dwenger-128; 7th-South Adams-97; 8th-Adams Central-67; 9th-Bellmont-52.5
200 Medley Relay
1. Angola 1:59.03
6. Norwell 2:11.48 Barnhart-Meredith-Huffman-Rinkenberger
7. Adams Central 2:12.12 Smith-Hendricks-Moser-Michaels
9. Bellmont 2:15.74 McCray-Brames-Brownlow-Witte
10. South Adams 2:16.48 Kinsey-Arnold-McIntire-Summersett
200 Free
1. Holly Oelschlager-CC 2:08.62
2. Emerson Meredith-Norwell 2:10.25
3. Cassie Coyne-Norwell 2:10.79
5. Julia Arnold-SA 2:17.89
9. Brooke Thomas-AC 2:23.42
10. Ella Hockemeyer-Bellmont 2:26.18
11. Gracie Rinkenberger-Norwell 2:27.95
200 IM
1. Brooke Shelburne-Angola 2:24.56
3. Ella Krug-Norwell 2:30.65
7. Marlee Meredith-Norwell 2:35.87
9. Haleigh Reinhard-Norwell 2:42.61
12. Shaylin McCray-Bellmont 2:48.31
50 Free
1. Ella Sears-Angola 26.07
3. Ava Kinsey-SA 27.10
8. Sawyer Peterson-Norwell 28.19
T-9. Renee Fraze-Norwell 28.42
T-9. Madison Witte-Bellmont 28.42
11. Baylee Smith-AC 28.94
12. Danica Michaels-AC 29.36
100 Fly
1. Ella Sears-Angola 1:01.14
3. Ella Krug-Norwell 1:06.53
8. Ryleigh Huffman-Norwell 1:16.70
9. Alaina Barnhart-Norwell 1:19.94
11. Nia Litwiller-SA 1:21.77
100 Free
1. Erin DeVito-CC 57.96
4. Ava Kinsey-SA 1:00.88
6. Rilynn Ervin-Norwell 1:02.81
7. Brooke Thomas-AC 1:03.04
8. Madison Witte-Bellmont 1:03.49
9. Ella Hockemeyer-Bellmont 1:04.26
12. Renee Fraze-Norwell 1:05.68
500 Free
1. Taylor Shelburne-Angola 5:55.70
2. Cassie Coyne-Norwell 6:02.33
4. Olivia Daniel-Norwell 6:18.22
9. Calah Hill-SA 7:00.09
11. Molly Threewits-Norwell 7:05.88
12. Elaina Miller-SA 7:30.22
200 Free Relay
1. Huntington North 1:50.62
3. Norwell 1:52.81 Peterson-Fraze-Huffman-Meredith
4. Adams Central 1:56.42 Michaels-Smith-Moser-Thomas
5. South Adams 2:04.23 McIntire-Litwiller-Grush-Scott
9. Bellmont 2:09.60 Hockemeyer-Brames-Brownlow-Goble
10. Norwell 2:11.72 Ebright-Hannie-Hand-Page
12. Bellmont 2:13.64
Ashley-Juengel-Murray-Howell
100 Back
1. Annika Carpenter-HN 1:05.58
4. Rilynn Ervin-Norwell 1:11.74
5. Kate Moser-AC 1:14.37
7. Alaina Barnhart-Norwell 1:15.22
9. Shaylin McCray-Bellmont 1:15.94
10. Baylee Smith-AC 1:18.68
100 Breast
1. Emma Johnson-CC 1:14.71
3. Haleigh Reinhard-Norwell 1:19.04
5. Julia Arnold-SA 1:21.87
7. Olivia Daniel-Norwell 1:23.52
11. Savannah Hendricks-AC 1:26.06
12. Kylee Hannie-Norwell 1:26.83
400 Free Relay
1. Huntington North 3:53.19
3. Norwell 4:07.07 Peterson-Krug-Coyne-Meredith
4. South Adams 4:23.77 Summersett-Litwiller-Arnold-Kinsey
6. Norwell 4:24.84 Threewits-Ervin-Meredith-Daniel
7. Bellmont 4:25.13 McCray-Brownlow-Hockemeyer-Witte
12. Adams Central 4:56.50 Bluhm-Hendricks-Gardenour-Thomas