Trojans Depth Too Much For Allegan

Plainwell 113   Allegan 71

It was pretty clear from the start of the meet which team was going to eventually emerge victorious.  Of course it was Plainwell.  The Lady Tigers brought only a dozen or less swimmers onto the deck for the conference duel.  What the Allegan squad lacked in quantity, it made up for in quality winning a fair share of the evening events.  But who placed second through fifth?  Oh that would be the talented and deep Trojan squad.  So let’s get to the play by play of this one. 

The opening stanza of the tilt between the Tigers and Trojans was a precursor of the short and entertaining meet.  The Lady Tigers took first in the medley relay, but guess who finished second through fourth? One word, Plainwell.  In the 200 freestyle several swimmers stepped-up their game with stalwart performances by Lindenbach, Pierce, and Lamorandier.  The other gut buster event, the 200 IM, showcased a near photo finish by Hills and Havenaar for second place (fun to watch).  In the 50 drag race, Keator, Varley, McKenzie, Valina Encinal, King, and Lindsey all set the water aflame. 

Our divers continue to make huge gains off the one meter board and swept the competition.  From a spectator perspective, the dives look better from above than from the side.  Fox, Uridge, and the undefeated Emily Zimmer dominated the board by going first through third.  BINGO, they are showing improvement. 

In the second half of the match, the Trojans flexed their muscles and extended their lead.  The 100 fly had good performances by Jewell, DeLaet, and Moore.  The Trojans pulled out the brooms sweeping the 100 free with Jones and Varley leading the way.  In the marathon event, Lindenbach, Lamorandier, Betz, and Evans all showed the crowd what it means to be tough by having solid swims.  The 200 free relay did not disappoint with Keator almost breaking into the 25 second range with her split.  Wicked fast!  Backstrokers Vanslambrouck, Havenaar, and Hills continue to swim well.  Finally, we had a noteworthy breaststroke by Burgess to finish the evening.  It was a subdued but effective performance by the Trojans.

                  By: Jeff Braginton

Trojans Unable to Find Spartan’s Achilles Heel 

Plainwell 75  B.C. Lakeview 111 

After suffering their first defeat, the wounded Trojans treaded water into their meet with the Spartans.  Being a non conference meet, it was clear Coach Murphy wanted to mix things up a bit to allow all swimmers to step-up in new events.  Many of the ladies took the opportunity to showcase their skills.  Here are some notable performances as the Trojans grappled the Spartans:

200 Free-  Ali Pierce and Hailee Lamorandier swam well

200 IM-  Colby Hills and Maddie Betz were solid

50 Free- Carly Braginton was on a collision course for third

Diving-  Tessa Vann, Alex Uridge, and the undefeated Emily Zimmer were off the deep end with fantastic dives

100 Fly-  Mikah Havenaar jetted into third

100 Free- Kylee King had a nice swim

500 Free- Always a noteworthy performance by Hailee Lamorandier, Colby Hills, Naomi DeLaet, and Gabby Evans

100 Breaststroke- Shannon Jewell, Lauren VanLent, and Grace Doerr did well

400 Free Relay- Lindenbach, Keator, Betz, and Burgess churned the waters to second 

Special Shout-Out!  The Lakeview pool is awesome.  Mr. Burns, from Simpsons fame, made a cameo appearance as referee for the event.  Thank you for your service sir.  

                By: Jeff Braginton

Lady Trojans Spurred by the RedHawks  

 

Plainwell 84  Marshall 102 

Rivalry? You bet.  This meet had it all with fierce competition between two evenly matched teams.  The tone of the meet was set early with a hotly contested medley relay with Marshall just out-touching the Lady Trojans.  From this point forward, Plainwell trailed the entire meet, unable to catch-up with the fired-up RedHawks.  Despite losing their first meet, the Trojans had many bright spots and stellar performances. 

Notable Performances:

50 Free Kylee King and Casey Keator

Diving Alex Uridge and the undefeated Emily Zimmer.  Sophia Fox is showing improvement.

500 Free Super Sarah Lindenbach qualified for state with a gutsy swim

100 Free Abby McKenzie and Madison Moore good swims

200 Free Relay Riemen, Evans, Vanslambrouck, and Terpstra looked solid

100 Backstroke  Super Sarah Lindenbach reigned supreme again

100 Breaststroke  Lauren VanLent and Marlee Burgess nice job 

It's easy to be a gracious winner and it’s much tougher to be a good “loser”.  We will certainly see what this team is made of in the next couple weeks.  Prediction, the Lady Trojans will settle the score with Marshall at the conference meet.  At least, let’s hope so. 

Special Shout Out-  Coach Murphy.  Thank you for carrying yourself with integrity and class.  You provide a good example for our ladies without outrageous gamesmanship and deckside antics.  I am extremely happy you are our coach.  It isn’t easy, but keep up the good fight.

                      By: Jeff Braginton

September 27, 2016 

                 Plainwell 98  TK/DK/Hastings 88 

Tuesday night’s dual meet with the combined TK/DK/Hastings team brought everything from a Ninja Turtle sighting on the deck to a Burgess birthday breaststroke.  The TK/DK/Hastings team, yes that’s mouthful, brought the Lady Trojans their first major test of the season.  With the outcome uncertain until the final events, the swimmers stepped-up to separate themselves from a deep and talented adversary. 

During the first half of the meet, Plainwell flexed its might with several noteworthy performances.  The medley relay squad posted its second state qualifying time setting the tone for the majority of the meet.  Casey Keator dominated the 50 freestyle by speeding to a sub 27 second time.  The 200 IM also had stellar performances by Sarah Lindenbach and Marlee “Birthday” Burgess.  Which brings us to the diving.  Eleven, yes eleven, divers took the deck to enthrall the near capacity crowd in high drama above the crystalline blue waters of lake P-Well.  Once again, Emily Zimmer did not disappoint with a solid and very important first place finish.  Julia Rhodes also had a noteworthy series of dives for the Plainwell team. 

With excitement building, the Trojans brought their “A” game in the second half of the meet.  The 100 yard freestyle featured team captain Laura Jones smashing the one minute barrier in a close sprint finish.  Gabby Evans also performed well in the exhibition round by defeating the competition by several lengths, nice swim.  Sarah Lindenbach had another state qualifying time in the backstroke; additionally, Tori Vanslambrouck and Colby Hills had solid swims in the event.  With the meet coming down to the wire, the 500 freestyle swimmers entered the pool showing gutsy and inspiring performances by Maddie Betz, Carly Braginton, and Hailee Lamorandier.  Lap counters did a nice job also.  Flip, dip, and shake that sign.  The meet looked in hand after Marlee Burgess and Shanyn Jewell went one and two in the breaststroke.  Both the 200 and 400 free relays swam well with the shorter edition a second short of qualifying for state.  Prediction, next week they qualify. 

Our Lady Trojans were tested and passed with flying colors, blue and white.  However, there are bigger flippers to fry on the horizon with Marshall coming to town.  Bring the family, friends, football team, the mayor, and anyone else to next Tuesday’s October 4th meet.  It will be an epic event!

 Special Shout Out!  Nice work Madison Moore on your varsity 50 free! 

                       By: Jeff Braginton

PLAINWELL 114.5  STURGIS 71.5

Fresh off a big win at home over Harper Creek our Lady Trojans found themselves traveling some 60 miles south taking on Sturgis for what would be our 2^nd conference win in as many weeks. Although the score reflected a convincing win our girls understandably looked tired and a little flat to start the meet. Maybe it was the long bus ride or even the letdown after coming off a big win the previous week? Perhaps the high yardage workouts this time of year are starting to take their toll. Whatever the reason, it was apparent we lacked some energy at the start of this night.  In the end our Lady Trojans fought hard, found a way to come together and ran away with this meet. We saw some character tonight! Good job ladies you’re becoming a team.

After Sturgis won the first relay race of the night Plainwell stormed back with Maddie Betz grabbing the top spot in the 200 free. Hailee Lamorandier took 2^nd while Grace Doerr finished in 6^th.  Shanyn Jewell grabbed 2^nd in the 200IM with Mikah Havenaar and Carly Braginton finishing in 3^rd and 4^th. Cassy Keator won the 50 free with a time of 27.00 flat while Burgess and Varley had a very close battle for 3^rd and 4^th.

In the diving the outcome was in question until Emily Zimmers final dive of the night moved her into the top spot. Alex Uridge took 4^th, Sofia Fox 5^th and Joslyn Miller who dove exhibition scored an impressive 137.60.

Coming out of the diving break Colby Hills, Laura Jones and Naomi DeLaet would take an impressive 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the 100 Fly while Marlee Burgess, Mikah Havenaar and Madison Moore would Place 1,3,4 in the 100 Free.^. Sarah Lindenbach had another very good 500 Free taking 1st. Maddie Bets followed in 2nd and Hailee Lamorandier 4th.  Carly Braginton found herself in 2^nd place at the end of the 100 Backstroke with Colby Hills close by for 3^rd and Tori Vanslambrouck 5^th. One of the closest races of the night came in the 100 Breaststroke with a three way battle for the top spot. The victory would go to Shanyn Jewell with Sarah Lindenbach right behind for 3^rd and Lauren Vanlent 4^th.

Showing some noticeable improvement in both form and speed in the 100 Free event was Kylee King, Abbey McKenzie, Gabby Evans, Sydni Rieman, Addie Terpstra and Julie Widman. Also swimming well in the 50 Free was Kylee King, Addie Terpstra, Ashleigh England, Vallina Encinal Andrea, Bailey Williams and Emma Lindsey. Nice job Ladies!

               PLAINWELL 111 HARPER CEEK 75

On September 13^th our lady Trojans hosted the Harper Creek Beavers in their first conference meet.  Setting the start for the season our girls prepared for what was sure to be a good meet as the beavers are always a tough opponent.

Harper Creek brought some depth but our lady Trojans placed well.  Building team points placing two swimmers in the top 3 spots in most races.  The freshman class is bringing good depth for PHS building stronger and stronger times with each meet.  The same applies for our divers with some good freshman talent adding to our diving group.   As a result the Trojans brought home their first conference win for the season with a score of 111-75 over Harper Creek. 

With this early season showing the ladies are well on their way to reaching individual and team goals.  Some personal best times were recorded by: Maddie Betz, Marlee Burgess, Hailee Lamorandier, Julie Widman and Grace Doerr.  Emily Zimmer edged out a talented Devon Larson of Harper Creek for the top spot in diving with a score of 231.75.  We saw state qualifying times for Sarah Lindenbach in the 100 backstroke (1:03.29) and for the 200 medley relay team of Lindenbach, Burgess, Braginton and Varley (1:59.36)
                           By; Lori Jewell

Welcome to another fantastic season of Plainwell Swim & Dive for 2016

Please come out and show your support as Coach Andrea Murphy leads our Trojan Swim & Dive team to another winning season. For 2016 the Trojans are 34 strong and are led by Seniors Emma Varley, Emily Zimmer, Laura Jones and Andrea Vallina Encinal. Also returning for Plainwell will  be a much deeper, stronger and more experienced Junior and Sophomore class that should pick up where they left off at the end of last season. New to the team this year we are also joined by a very large talented Freshman group that will sure to be valuable contributors all season long and into conference finals...

The Trojan Swim & Dive team has gained some valuable experience in its first two weeks of competition. Kicking off the season we traveled to Harper Creek for a relay meet, hosted Wayland in a scrimmage at home then invited Kalamazoo Central to our first official home dual meet of the season. All three meetings went extremely well. The Freshman got their first taste of high school competition. The Seniors got a change to lead the underclassmen and the Sophomores and Juniors got a chance to knock some cobwebs off and step up in their new roles. All in all a great two weeks that left the Trojans official dual meet record at 1-0. Great Start Ladies!

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