The varsity boys swim team started off their season strong at the Pangborn Invitational on Dec. 9 at SVSU despite a close second place finish with 395 points behind Dexter High School with 410 points.
“I thought we put in a good effort and performed well,” senior captain Jackson Goethe said.
The events were split into four divisions based on ability so those with close times could compete against each other. DHS had swimmers in all four divisions in all events and in the 50 free and 100 free there was several exhibition heats so swimmers were able to compete in an event if they weren’t put in any other events.
“Everybody got to their events on time, no false starts, no disqualifications, everybody seemed to put best times or near best times on their events,” Goethe said.
In the first division, first place individual finishes included senior Ben Martin in the 200 IM in 1:58.32 and the 500 free in 4:59.39 and Goethe in the 50 free and 100 free with times of 21.74 and 48.52, respectively. The 200 Medley Relay of Martin, senior Connor Keilitz, freshman Nehemiah Mork and Goethe finished first with a time of 1:41.78 and the 400 Free Relay of Goethe, Martin, Mork and junior Ricky Knoff also finished first in 3:19.10. Mork finished second in both the 200 free in 1:50.37 and in the 100 fly in 55.34. The 200 Free Relay of Keilitz, sophomore Zach Hoffman, Knoff and sophomore Jeremy Wisler placed fourth.
In the other three divisions there were first place finishes in the relays as well. In the 200 Medley Relay, the team of juniors Nick Smith and Nick Olen and seniors Brian Schultze and Robert Auger finished in 1:59.50 in the fourth division and in the third division the team of sophomore Alec Justin, senior Tommy Hall, freshman Ben Brandstadt and freshman Nick Pixton placed first in 1:54.09. The fourth division team of freshman Beau Matthews, junior Christian Pirie, senior Brett Putzig and Olen were the only first place finishers in the 200 Free Relay. In the 400 Free Relay, the fourth division team was again the only first place finisher with the team of Matthews, Pixton, Lundington and Alec in 4:01.75.
Other first place individual finishers were Pixton in the 200 free, third division, in 2:03.78; Hoffman in the 50 free, third division, and the 100 free, third division, in 23.86 and 52.56, respectively; Auger in the 100 free, fourth division, in 56.83; Olen in the 100 breast, fourth division, in 1:12.68 and Schultze in the 100 breast, third division, in 1:12.34.
Dexter High School’s points from diving helped them edge out DHS for the win, but the boys team has plans to improve their swimming and make sure that doesn’t happen again despite their lack of a diver.
“Just better training over all, more fitness, more speed,” Goethe said. “Better swims on the top end.”
The boys’ next meet will be Friday, Dec. 11, away at Heritage High School at 6:00 p.m. To see full results of the Pangborn Invitational, follow the link below.
