Mark Meyer
Sports Scene
A new eight-team division in the CAAC Blue presented a formidable challenge this season for the Okemos girls swimming team but the Chieftains nevertheless responded with their 11th straight league title, the fourth under the direction of head coach Patrick Saucedo.
Okemos and Haslett tied for the regular season title with dual meet records of 6-1, followed by Grand Ledge and St. Johns at 5-2.
“It was a very tight race,” Saucedo said. “We had eight very competitive teams in the Blue after the realignment [East Lansing, Holt, Jackson, and DeWitt], and the league meet had a lot riding on it.”
Grand Ledge won the league meet, but Okemos scored enough points to finish second and win the overall title, thanks to individual first-place finishes by sophomore Katie Dudley (200 individual medley and 500 freestyle), sophomore Grace Kao (50 freestyle), and junior Carly Schaefer (diving).
“The goal was to finish ahead of Haslett, knowing that should be enough to win the overall title,” Saucedo said. “It was a close meet, a fun meet, and the girls swam fast and well. As young as we were this year, to win another championship says a lot about the team as a whole.”
Second-place finishes in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays added to the Chieftains’ point total and ultimately helped secure the title. Dudley and Kao teamed with senior Nikki Baron and freshman Alex Chow to swim 1:55.09 in the medley while Dudley and Baron teamed with senior Rachel Weisend and sophomore Emily Wozena for a time of 3:51.1 in the 400.
Kao was second in the 100 free (53.91) and Chow was third in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.31).
At the Division 2 state meet at the Holland Aquatic Center, Dudley swam her best time of the season in the 200 freestyle (1:52.33) to finish a close second behind Holland senior Haley Thompson (1:51.87). Dudley also swam a season-best in the 100 free (52.27) to finish fifth behind Grosse Pointe South freshman Catherine DeLoof (50.8).
Schaefer finished ninth in diving, the 200 yard medley relay (Kao, Dudley, Wozena, Chow) was 10th , and the 400 free relay (Kao, Chow, Wozena, Dudley) placed 11th.
“Given how young we were this year,” Saucedo said, “I’d say this season was very successful. Katie and Grace set varsity records in the 100 free and 100 backstroke, and we had two relays in the top 12 at the state meet.
“We have seven freshmen, seven sophomores, and four juniors coming back next year. Our seniors weren’t our top swimmers, which was sort of a different team dynamic than we’ve been used to. But on the other hand, the captains put team success at the top and their overall mind-set was much better this year.”