TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The Merrill Bluejays Varsity Girls Swim Team made a good showing at the Oct. 26, 2023, Wisconsin Valley Conference Swim Meet. Overall Merrill came in third place out of seven teams, and Merrill’s Marissa Miles took first place in the 100 Yard Freestyle. Merrill also had three other 4th place finishes, three 5th place finishes, along with a 6th place, a 7th place, a 9th place, and an 11th place finish.
“This was a huge accomplishment for our small young team,” said Merrill Varsity Girls Swim Team Head Coach Kristie Winter. “We went into the meet seeded 6th only ahead of Wisconsin Rapids. To move up to third was nothing short of amazing. It took every single Lady Jay to put the team before themself to make this happen.”
“We battled to hold third place from event two thru the end of the meet,” she said.
The top Merrill Girls in each event were:
Event 1. 200 Yard Medley Relay, Addison Jirovec, Olivia Pajtash, Marissa Miles, and Claire Jirovec came in 5th place at 1:59.88.
Event 2. 200 Yard Freestyle, Olivia Pajtash came in 4th place at 2:09.27.
Event 3. 200 Yard IM, Marissa Miles came in 4th place at 2:22.66.
Event 4. 50 Yard Freestyle, Claire Jirovec came in 9th place at 26.85.
Event 5. 100 Yard Butterfly, Caroline Durbin came in 11th place at 1:11.36.
Event 6. 100 Yard Freestyle, Marissa Miles came in 1st place at 55.87.
Event 7. 500 Yard Freestyle, Olivia Pajtash came in 4th place at 5:44.29.
Event 8. 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, Claire Jirovec, Emily Winter, Brenna Jirovec, and Melissa Miles came in 6th place at 1:49.32.
Event 9. 100 Yard Backstroke, Addison Jirovec came in 5th place at 1:05.70.
Event 10. 100 Yard Breaststroke, Claire Jirovec came in 5th place at 1:17.67.
Event 11. 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, Oliva Pajtash, Emily Winter, Brenna Jirovec, and Addison Jirovec came in 7th place at 4:13.31.
Team Rankings:
- Stevens Point Girls Swimming 541
- DC Everest Girls 505.5
- Merrill High School 251
- Wausau East LumberJacks 249
- Marshβield High School Girls 231
- Wausau West 195
- Wisconsin Rapids Girls 158.5
The Lady Jays will host Sectionals this Saturday, Nov. 4, at Prairie River Middle School, competing against Antigo, Colby/Abbotsford (Coop Team), Ladysmith, Lakeland Union High School, Medford, Menomonie, Mosinee, Rhinelander, Rice Lake, Tomahawk, Wausau East, and Wittenberg-Birnamwood.
“These ladies [Bluejay Girls] will be pushing as hard as they can to qualify for State,” Winter said.
