2015 State Meet

Dundee was our temporary home while the girls prepared for the competition at the EMU Michael Jones (no relation) natatorium. Plainwell had a nice batch of qualifiers to keep the loyal Trojan fans entertained throughout the weekend. After a grueling day at the pool Friday, the girls still had the energy to escort Coach around Cabela’s before turning in for the night. Saturday we awoke to snow showers which made the drive home both treacherous and long.

Plainwell finished the meet in 16^th place with 44 points. Great team effort! 

Medley Relay placed 12^th

Ernst, Burgess, Nyberg, Jones. Splits 27.82, 34.98, 28.12, 25.98 Time 1:56.90

Diving

Emily Zimmer 19th 216.20

Leah Brady 20^th 210.45

Sarah Shannon 23^th 134.65

Jaidin Clemens qualified but chose to start her wrestling season, great job this year!

100 Freestyle

Abby Ernst 11^th (55.66 prelims) 55.64 Finals

Jessica Nyberg 13^th (56.26 prelims) 56.30 Finals

Jones Friday 36^th 58.05 prelims

200 Freestyle Relay

Nyberg, Keator, Varley, Jones. Splits 26.13, 26.35, 26.22, 26.10 time 1:44.70

100 Backstroke

Abby Ernst 3rd (58.95 prelims) 58.53 Finals

400 Freestyle Relay 13th

Nyberg, Jones, Varley, Ernst. Splits 57.65, 57.65, 57.47, 54.90 Time 4:47.67

Allison Singh and Veronica Klein qualified but did not compete nice job this year ladies!

                   Brian Ernst

          SCMSC All Conference Awards

Abby Ernst- 200MedleyRelay 1^st, 200 Freestyle 4^th, 100 Back 2^nd, 400 Free Relay 1^st

Marlee Burgess- 200 Medley Relay 1^st

Jessica Nyberg- 200MedleyRelay 1^st, 100 Butterfly 4^th, 100 Back 8th, 400 Free Relay 1^st

Laura Jones- 200MedleyRelay 1^st, 50Freestyle 7^th, 100 Freestyle 5th, 400 Free Relay 1^st

Veronica Klein- 500 Freestyle 6^th

Cassy Keator- 50Freestyle 8^th, 100 Freestyle 7th, - 200Freestyle Relay 4^th, 400 Free Relay 1^st

Emily Zimmer- 1 Meter Diving 4th

Leah Brady- 1 Meter Diving 8th

Shanyn Jewell- 100 Butterfly 8^th

Allison Singh- 200 Freestyle Relay 4^th

Emma Varley - 100 Freestyle 8th, 200Freestyle Relay 4^th, 400 Free Relay 1^st

            2015 Conference Meet

Shaved legs and Speed Suits were the style as the girls competed in the 2015 conference meet. Coach had the girls tapered and ready to go as the prelims started on Friday. In the second year of the expanded league everyone knew what to expect from the other teams and the Plainwell team looked confident during the warm ups. Great individual efforts from all of the girls put Plainwell in a great position leading into Saturday. Plainwell pursued Marshall all day, but in the end their depth was just a little too much and Plainwell comfortably took second place. There were many outstanding personal records set on the weekend and they are listed below. 

Medley Relay

Plainwell A (Ernst, Burgess, Nyberg, Jones) placed themselves nicely in 3^rd on Friday and came out swinging on Saturday to take 1^st. Splits 28.34, 34.83, 27.77, 25.85 winning time 1:56.79

Plainwell B (Hills, Singh, Jewell, Lamorandier) placed in 10^th place both days. Splits 32.83, 35.14, 29.84, 27.79, final time of 2:05.54

Plainwell C (McKenzie, DeLaet, Pierce, Hillmann) Placed 17^th on Friday Splits 34.85, 41.09, 35.95, 30.98, final time of 2:22.87

Burgess Friday 13^th, Saturday 14^th (-1.2 drop from seed time)  

200 Freestyle

Ernst Friday 5^th, Saturday 4^th (-.5 drop from seed time)

Klein Friday 9^th, Saturday 9^th (-4.5 drop from seed time)

Havenaar Friday 18^th (-3.21 drop from seed time)

Betz Friday 21^st 

200 Individual Medley

Jewell Friday 9^th, Saturday 9^th (-7.5 drop from seed time)

Burgess Friday 13^th, Saturday 12^th (-1.62 drop from seed time)

Singh Friday 17^th

Moore Friday 23rd (-7.18 drop from seed time) 

50 Freestyle

Keator Friday 7^th, Saturday 8^th (-.99 drop from seed time)

Jones Friday 8^th, Saturday 7^th (-.77 drop from seed time)

Varley Friday 11^th, Saturday 11^th (-.77 drop from seed time)

Widman Friday 21^st (-2.32 drop from seed time)

Pierce Friday 22^st (-.19 drop from seed time)

Hillmann Friday 26^th

McKenzie Friday 27^th 

Evans Friday 29^st (-.46 drop from seed time) 

Diving

 All 4 girls dove on Saturday, great job ladies.

Emily Zimmer 4^th 367.90

Leah Brady 8^th 306.35

Sarah Shannon 9^th 295.45

Jaidin Clemens 10^th 284.30 

100 Butterfly

Nyberg Friday 4^th, Saturday 4^th (-1.55 drop from seed time)

Jewell Friday 7^th, Saturday 8^th (-4.14 drop from seed time)

Hills Friday 9^th, Saturday 10^th (-2.9. drop from seed time)

Pierce Friday 19th (-1.35 drop from seed time) 

100 Freestyle

Jones Friday 3rd, Saturday 5^th (-2.32 drop from seed time)

Keator Friday 7^th, Saturday 7^th (-1.62 drop from seed time)

Varley Friday 7^th, Saturday 8^th (-2.18 drop from seed time)

DeLaet Friday 24th (-1.30 drop from seed time)

Widman Friday 27th (-3.42 drop from seed time)

McKenzie Friday 28^th (-2.42 drop from seed time) 

500 Freestyle

Klein Friday 6^th, Saturday 6^th (-8.87 drop from seed time)

Betz Friday 12^th, Saturday 13^th (-2.28 drop from seed time)

Lamorandier Friday 13^th, Saturday 15^th (-5.35 drop from seed time)

Havenaar Friday 18^th (-8.29 drop from seed time)

Hillmann Friday 23rd (-8.43 drop from seed time) 

200 Freestyle Relay

Plainwell A (Keator, Singh, Varley, Jones) placed themselves nicely in 3^rd on Friday and Saturday took 3rd. Splits 26.77, 27.40, 26.51, 26.16 winning time 1:46.84 Sate qualifying time

Plainwell B (Moore,  Jewell, Burgess, Klein) placed in 9^th place both days. Splits 29.08, 27.53, 28.35, 28.12, final time of 1:53.07

 

Plainwell C (Hillmann, DeLaet, Widman, Evans) Placed 16^th on both days. . Splits 33.26, 29.94, 30.58, 31.99, final time of 2:05.77 

100 Backstroke

Ernst Friday 2nd, Saturday 2^nd 1:00.73

Nyberg Friday 8^th, Saturday 8^th (-1.68 drop from seed time)

Hills Friday 15^th, Saturday 15^th (-3.91. drop from seed time)

Lamorandier Friday 19^th

Moore Friday 20^th 

100 Breaststroke

Singh Friday 16^th, Saturday 12^th (-4 drop from seed time)

DeLaet Friday 22^th (-2.63 drop from seed time)

Evans Friday 26^th 

400 Freestyle Relay

Plainwell A (Nyberg, Varley, Keator, Ernst) placed themselves nicely in 3^rd on Friday and Saturday took 1st. Splits 56.57, 58.92, 58.2, 55.88  winning time 4:04.33 (-14.76drop from seed time) One of the most exciting races of the weekend

Plainwell B (Betz, Havenaar, Lamorandier, Klein) placed in 8^th place both days. Splits 1:04.81, 1:04.22, 1:04.50, 1:01.74, final time of 4:15.27

Plainwell C (Pierce, Evans, Widman, McKenzie) Placed 17^th on Friday. Splits 1:09.66, 1:14.34, 1:10.91, 1:09.63, final time of 4:44.54

 

          Brian Ernst

Plainwell 113, Otsego 67

Plainwell hosted Otsego for a fun filled final dual meet of the season on Tuesday, October 27, 2015. It was parent/senior night and emotions ran high as the swimmers/ parents paraded on deck prior to the meet. The ladies were back on task quickly as the swimming started, converting their emotions to wins by taking 8 of 12 first place spots throughout the meet. After diving, Coach introduced yet another impressive senior class consisting of Veronica Klein, Allison Singh, Abby Ernst, and Jessica Nyberg. Good luck to you girls in your future endeavors we have really enjoyed watching you grow up. The ladies wrapped up the meet with a nice state qualifying time in the 400 Free Relay. The final event of the night was a 50 Free between 2 very dedicated Plainwell swimmers, who have both practiced all season long, but have not been able to compete. Lauren Vanlent is suffering from an overuse injury and Lizzie Gorten is a transfer student whose eligibility won’t take effect until the spring season, we hope to see them both racing next fall. Plainwell ended up winning the meet by a score of 113 to 67, here are the places.

200 Medley Relay: Plainwell 1^st, 3^rd

200 Freestyle: Klein 1^st , Betz 2^nd , Lamorandier 3^rd

200 Individual Medley: Burgess 2^nd, Jewell 3^rd, Singh 4^th

50 Freestyle: Keator 2^nd, Varley 3rd, Jones  4^th

50 Freestyle X: DeLaet 2^nd , Pierce 3^rd , Evans 4^th

Diving: Brady 1^st, Shannon 2^nd, Clemens 3^rd

100 Butterfly: Ernst 1^st (State cut), Jewell 3^rd, Hills 4^th

100 Freestyle: Keator 1^st , Varley 3^rd, Moore 4^th

100 Freestyle X: McKenzie 1^st , Hillmann 2^nd, Widman 3^rd

500 Freestyle: Betz 2^nd, Lamorandier 3^rd, Havenaar 4^th,

200 Freestyle Relay: Plainwell 1^st and 3^rd

100 Backstroke: Hills 1^st, Moore 4^th, McKenzie 6^th

100 Breaststroke:  Klein 2^nd, DeLeat 5^th , Evans 6th

400 Freestyle Relay: 1^st (State Cut: Nyberg, Varley, Jones, and Ernst) and 3^rd


                                                         

 Plainwell 114 South Haven 69

The long rainy drive didn’t dampen the spirits of the Lady Trojans as they took on the South Haven Rams on Tuesday October 20^th in South Haven. Plainwell took the upper hand immediately placing teams 1^st and 3^rd in the Medley Relay. Betz, Burgess, and Havenaar kept the pressure on in the 200 Free by respectively taking 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd. Ernst led the charge in the 200 IM by placing 1^st, followed by Jewell in 2^nd and Moore in 3^rd. In the 50 Free Jones took 2^nd, Singh snagged 3^rd, McKenzie got 6^th. Pierce swam to 1^st in the 50 Exhibition followed by Hillman in 3rd and Widman in 4^th. The divers had another great 1 2 3 performance with Zimmer, Brady, and Clemens holding everyone attention on the 1 Meter board. Jewell flew her way to a 1^st with Klein and Hills battling it out for 3^rd and 4^th in the 100 Fly. In the 100 Free Nyberg 1^st, Varley 2^nd, and Keator 4^th took the varsity heat, while DeLaet, Hillmann, and Evans took 1^st through 3^rd in the exhibition heat. Betz had a smoking fast 500 Free to take first while Lamorandier and Havenaar, surfed her wake in for 2^nd and 3^rd. Plainwell took 1^st, 3^rd and 4^th in the 200 free relay. Coach was able to start placing swimmers in exhibition during the 100Back allowing Hills (1^st) and Lamorandier (3^rd) to relax as Moore battled for 2^nd. DeLaet grabbed a solid 3^rd in the 100 breaststroke with Burgess and Nyberg swimming exhibition. Plainwell finished out the meet with a nice 2^nd and 3^rd place finish in the 400 free relay.  Final score Plainwell 114 South Haven 69. Nice job Ladies.

                              B.E.

Lost but Not Forgotten

As I sat down to write about this meet I was unable to locate my notes. I was a little upset at first but then realized that for this meet it was absolutely perfect. Plainwell made their way down the, I- 94 Corridor, to swim against St Joseph. Although non-conference St. Joseph has an established program and has provided Plainwell with great competition over the years. Both teams traded wins throughout the contest and the girls swam/dove their best. The meet was a battle to end and Plainwell came up short by just 2 points, 92 to 94. Why was it good that I lost my notes? Because this was a tremendous team performance put on by all the swimmers and divers. Yes there were outstanding individual efforts, but in the end it came down to the difference of a fifth place finish. That is why I like Swimming, you can put forth extra effort to turn a fifth place into a fourth place and maybe win the meet for your team.  Gritty meets like this are only preparing the team better for the upcoming conference meet. I can’t wait to see the team perform coming off taper and hungry for every point. Great job Ladies!

                                                  B.E.

          Plainwell 108, Allegan 77.

Plainwell hosted Allegan on Tuesday, October 13^th for the 2015 dual meet. A large crowd turned out to watch this inter-conference rivalry as Plainwell went to work. It was great to see swimmers and parents from past teams still following the Plainwell program. The girls appreciated the support and swam/dove an outstanding meet winning by a score of Plainwell 108, Allegan 77.

         Here are the Plainwell places:

200 Medley Relay: Plainwell 1st and 3^rd

200 Freestyle: Klein 2^nd, Betz 3^rd, Havenaar 4^th

200 Individual Medley: Singh 2^nd, Jewell 3^rd, Moore 4^th, DeLaet 5^th (Exhibition)

50 Freestyle: Jones and Varley tied for 1^st, McKenzie 4^th (with a PR)

50 Freestyle X: Pierce 1^st, Evans 2^nd, Widman 4^th

Diving: Zimmer 3^rd, Brady 4th, Shannon 6^th

100 Butterfly: Nyberg 1^st, Jewell 2^nd, Hills 4^th

100 Freestyle: Ernst 1^st with a state cut, Keator 3^rd, McKenzie 5^th

100 Freestyle X: Pierce 2^nd, Widman 3^rd, Evans 4^th

500 Freestyle: Klein 2^nd, Betz 3^rd, Havenaar 4^th, Lamarandier (with a PR Exhibition)

200 Freestyle Relay: Plainwell 1^st with a state cut and 3^rd

100 Backstroke: Hills 2^nd, Lamorandier 3^rd, Moore 4^th

100 Breaststroke:  Burgess 2^nd, Singh 4^th, DeLeat 5^th

400 Freestyle Relay: 2^nd and 3^rd                                         

                                     B.E.

Plainwell’s first week of the dual meet schedule provided us with two very exciting meets with Plainwell @ Marshall on Tuesday and Battle Creek Lakeview @ Plainwell on Thursday. The fans were given spectacular show as the ladies fought for every point. This fiery competition provided the Trojans with many new personal records as the girls stepped up to the challenges in the pool.  Coach had swimmers in different roles trying to get every point possible and girls fought valiantly right through the 400 Free Relay of both meets.

At Marshall, Plainwell got things going with a 1^st in the Medley relay.  Ernst took 1^st and Klein followed up with a PR in the 200 Freestyle. Burgess set a PR and Jewell shaved 3 seconds off her IM while Plainwell took 2^nd, 4^th, and 5^th. The Zimmer, Brady, and Shannon took 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th with some outstanding performances to tie the score at 39 to 39. Nyberg took 1^st in the Fly, Ernst grabbed 1^st while Klein set another PR in the 500 Free. Marshall’s depth took over as the meet concluded with a Score of Plainwell 79 Marshall 107.

BC Lakeview was a similar meet with both teams alternating wins through diving. Again the divers positioned Plainwell well with a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd leaving Plainwell just 2 points behind in the team score. Jewell had a great 100 Fly to take 3^rd, and Nyberg showed everyone the way to the finish taking 1^st in the 100 Free, with Singh and Burgess taking 4^th and 5^th. Lamorandier may have found a new event showing her toughness in the 500 Free by taking 3^rd followed closely in by Havenaar 4^th and Keator 5^th. Ernst won and Moore took 5^th spot in the Backstroke. Klein showed some of her versatility by taking home a 3^rd place in the Breaststroke with DeLaet chasing her in for 5^th. In the end BC Lakeview was a little deeper than Plainwell outscoring them 105 to 81.

It was a tough week for the team but the girls handled themselves like professionals and are looking towards future meets.

                                                                   B.E.

Plainwell 103, Alma 83

Plainwell traveled to Allegan to take on Alma in the Pent-Meet (5 team) Saturday October 3^rd. With South Haven, Otsego, and Allegan all in attendance it was like a mini-conference meet, giving some of the younger swimmers a glance at what to expect in November. The swimmers have to remember they are swimming against the clock and can take places away from other heats and the girls did a great job. Plainwell was coming off their Homecoming week which always stretches the girls thin with all the extra activities. The team pulled together and beat Alma by the unofficial score of Plainwell 103, Alma 83. Here are the Plainwell places

200 Medley Relay: Plainwell 2^nd and 3^rd

200 Freestyle: Klein 1^st, Betz 2^nd, Havenaar 4^th
200 Individual Medley: Ernst 1^st, Burgess 3^rd, Jewell 4^th (with a PR)
50 Freestyle: Jones 2^nd, Moore 3^rd, Lamorandier 5^th
Diving: Brady 1^st (with a PR), Clemens 2^nd, Shannon 3^rd (with a PR)
100 Butterfly: Ernst 1^st, Jones 4^th, Hills 5^th
100 Freestyle:  Varley 2^nd, Keator 3^rd, Delaet 5^th
500 Freestyle: Klein 1^st, Betz 3^rd
200 Freestyle Reley: Plainwell 1^stand 3^rd
100 Backstroke: Hills 2^nd, Lamorandier 3^rd, Moore 5^th
100 Breaststroke:  Jewel 3^rd, Evans 5^th
400 Freestyle Reley: 2^nd
                                                                                       B.E.

Plainwell made the long road trip to DeWitt for the 2015 Invitational Meet. This one is scored a little different by only allowing each team to score up to two swimmers per event. The Plainwell Dads all looked sharp in their traditional Hawaiian shirts as the meet got under way. Plainwell came out swinging in the Medley Relay with a 1^st place/State Cut time by Ernst, Burgess, Nyberg, Keator and a 9^th (actual 5^th Place) by the team of Lamorandier, Singh, Hills, Varley. In the 200 Free, Betz and Havenaar swam in the second fastest heat and took 1^st and 3^rd respectively.  Klein did a beautiful job of setting up a rival swimmer for a come from behind 4^thplace, fun stuff!  In the 200 IM Jewell swam up from an 8^th place seed to take 5^th and shaved 2 seconds off her seed time.  In the 50 Free McKenzie and Moore both dropped time and Moore grabbed the heat win.  Keator swam up from her 8^th place seed to take 4^th place overall.   Zimmer dove to a 2^nd place against some tough competition and Clemens was able to secure a strong 11^th place.   Hillmann swam up from her 8^th place heat seed to take 5^th in the 100 Back. Also in the 100 Back, Ernst swam to 1^st and took home the pool record.  In the 100 Breast Evans had 10 second drop and took her heat!  Also in the Breast Stroke Burgess continued to chip away time swimming to a 5^th place overall, while Singh was able to secure 9^th (8^th actual).  Plainwell finished 3^rd overall while swimming against a strong field including some D2 schools. The day concluded in the parking lot with the traditional tailgate. Thank you parents for the delicious bounty that we enjoyed!

                                                     Brian Ernst

Plainwell 121.5   Sturgis 64.5

 

The Lady Trojans continued their winning ways at home against Sturgis by a score of 121.5 to 64.5. The Medley Relay team of Ernst, Burgess, Nyberg, and Jones scored a 1^st place and posted a State Qualifying Time to start the meet off right. Keator, Jones, and Varley respectively swept the 50 Freestyle and Pierce, DeLaet, and Hillman respectively swept the exhibition heat. In Diving Zimmer scored 1^st, Clemens was 3^rd, and Shannon grabbed 4^th with B-E-A-utiful performances. In the 100 Fly Nyberg earned a hard fought 2^nd place and had an early season drop in time.  In the 100 Free DeLaet, McKenzie, and Widman swept the first exhibition heat, while Moore, Hillman, and Evans respectively swept the second heat again showing some nice Plainwell depth. Klein swam to a 1^st in the 500 Free. Nyberg took 1^st in the 100 Back, while Lamorandier dropped some time to grab 4^th. In the 100 Breast Burgess dropped time on her way to 1^st, Singh took 3rd, and Jewell stole 4^th. Finishing things off in the 400 relay Keator, Varley, Jones, and Nyberg had a solid 1^st and Havenaar, Betz, Hills, and Klein stole 2^nd from Sturgis, great job ladies! The girls had some close racing and fought for points across the board, keep up the hard work! State Qualifications: 200 Medley Relay: Ernst, Burgess, Nyberg, and Jones, 100 Free: Ernst

                                                                Brian Ernst

Welcome to the 2015 Plainwell Swim & Dive Season

 

Plainwell 108  Mattawan 77

 

The Lady Trojans opened the 2015 dual meet season at WMU against Mattawan by winning 108 to 77. It was great to see many returning athletes and the introduction of a large freshmen class. Team captains Allison Singh, Veronica Klein, Abby Ernst, and Jessica Nyberg led the charge as Plainwell’s depth earned them a sound win. Junior Emma Varley had some excellent splits in the freestyle events and Junior Emily Zimmer won the diving event.  Sophomores Cassy Keator, Marlee Burgess, and Colby Hills picked up where they left off last season scoring valuable points where the team needed them. Freshmen Naomie Delaet, Shanyn Jewell, Hailee Lamorandier, and Madison Moore had outstanding first meet performances, showing us a glimpse of Plainwell future. Finally Leah Brady and Sarah Shannon made their diving debuts by impressing the crowd with their spectacular body control. State Qualifications: Abby Ernst 200 Free, 500 Free

                                                             Guest contributor-Brian Ernst

                       2014 Year End Recap

Michigan D3 State Finals Oakland University

200 Medley Relay Team: 15^th  Place: 1:56.30

Abby Ernst (Back Stroke 28.09)  Emma Seiler (Breast Stroke 33.42)
Aaryn Jewell (Butterfly 28.35)  Laura Jones (Freestyle 26.44)

200 IM 16^th Place

Abby Ernst 2:22.70

 100 Freestyle 19^th Place

Aaryn Jewell  56.65

Diving 25th Place
Emily Zimmer

 200 Free Relay 12^th Place 1:43.66

Laura Jones 26.85, Jessica Nyberg  25.70
Emma Seiler  26.01, Aaryn Jewell 25.10

 100 Backstroke 8^th Place

Abby Ernst 1:00.16 

400 Free Relay 11^th Place 3:46.12

Jessica Nyberg 56.87, Emma Seiler 57.33
Abby Ernst 56.55, Aaryn Jewell 55.37

                   2014 Conference Final Meet Results

200 Med Relay:

2^nd Place: Abby Ernst, Emma Seiler, Jessica Nyberg, Laura Jones 1:55.82

9^th Place: Mikah Havenaar, Karlee Gauthier, Colby Hills, Emma Varley 2:05.41

200 Free:

3^rd Place: Aaryn Jewell,  8^th Place: Veronica Klein, 12^th Place: Kaitlin Oakes

 200 IM:

2^nd Place: Abby Ernst, 12^th Place: Mikah Havenaar, 13^th Place Marlee Burgess

 50 Free:

10^th Place: Laura Jones, 13^th Place: Emma Seiler,  

1 Mtr Diving:

5^th Place: Emily Zimmer, 8^th Place: Jaidin Clemens, 12^th Place: Molly Wright
100 Butterfly:
4^th Place: Aaryn Jewell, 6^th Place: Jessica Nyberg,
100 Freestyle:

5^th Place: Laura Jones, 8^th Place: Emma Seiler, 12^th Place: Emma Varley, 15^th Place: Cassy Keator

500 Freestyle:

6^th Place: Karlee Gauthier, 8^th Place: Veronica Klein, 10^th Place: Kaitlin Oakes,

200 Free Relay:

3^rd Place: L. Jones, K. Gauthier, E. Seiler, A. Jewell

10^th Place: A. Singh, V.Klein, M. Burgess, K.Oakes 
100 Backstroke:

2^nd Place: Abby Ernst, 8^th Place: Jessica Nyberg

100 Breaststroke:

4^th Place: Karlee Gauthier, 13^th Place: Marlee Burgess, 16^th Place: Allison Singh

400 Free Relay:

4^th Place: V. Klein, J Nyberg, A. Ernst, A. Jewell

9^th Place: C Keator, K. Oakes, A. Singh, E. Varley