Kelly O’Day
Sports editor
The battle for the GNC title came down to the final dual last Thursday, and Ladysmith worked the home-pool advantage to a narrow 93-90 win over the Hatchet swimmers.
“Tough loss!” THS coach Theresa L’Esperance exclaimed. “We needed to win the last event to win, and Ladysmith out-touched us. Ladysmith is a great team, and we really did our best to overcome their talent.
“Kaylie Svacina set 2 new freshman records, in her IM and 500. Lauren Hilt held the IM and Rachel Dallman held the 500. Mikhayla (Kleich) swam a new personal record and is now 3rd all time in the 200 with her win. Katie Volz had her second-best backstroke swim of the year in her win. Annaluz Fox took diving.”
Tomahawk went 1-2 in the 100 back with Volz (1:05.05) and Megan Marcks (1:09.08), and ranked 1st and 3rd in the 100 free (Dallman, :56.16/Baylee Dallman, :59.41) and diving (Fox, 163 pts./Marcks, 113). Kleich took the 200 free in 2:06.69.
The Hatchets rated 2-3 in the 50 free (R. Dallman, :25.71/Morgan Weber, :26.66), 500 free (Kleich, 5:47.53/Svacina, 5:54.08), 200 medley relay (Volz, Kirstin Marcks, Weber, Shely Benaszeski, 2:00.92/M. Marcks, Svacina, Karli Cecil, Jackie Elliott, 2:05.82), 200 free relay (Weber, Benaszeski, Kleich, R. Dallman, 1:44.72/B. Dallman, K. Marcks, Maddy McPherson, Cecil, 1:53.00) and 400 free relay (B. Dallman, R. Dallman, Kleich, Volz, 3:55.44/Svacina, McPherson, Elliott, M. Marcks, 4:23.72).
Other runner-up placings came from Svacina (200 IM, 2:23.34), Volz (100 fly (1:07.23) and K. Marcks (100 brea, 1:16.11).