By Nick Beversdorf
Reporter
On Thursday (Oct. 13), the Merrill swim team faced off against DC Everest for their last home meet of the season. For combined team scores, Everest won with 122 points compared to Merrill’s 47, but over two-thirds of the Merrill team achieved personal bests, keeping them going after a series of tough opponents the past few weeks.
Caitlyn Kolehouse was the top performer of the night, placing first in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 27.24 and placing first in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:01.65.
Trinity Kanitz placed first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 6:00.78 and third in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:31.98.
Faith Wheat placed third in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:27.45 (originally fourth, but a false start from Kaytlin Woller moved her up one), and placed third in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 6:34.39. Ananda VanWie placed fifth in the 200-yard freestyle with 2:34.91.
Katy Ball placed fifth in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:54.66 and Alexis Kanitz placed right behind her in sixth with a time of 3:00.74. Ball also placed fourth in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:06.64.
Woller placed fourth in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 29.94 and Trinity Evans placed sixth with a time of 31.04.
In the 100-yard butterfly, Aliyah Pillai placed fourth with a time of 1:20.48 and Stevie Booher placed fifth with a time of 1:26.33.
In the 100-yard backstroke, Pillai placed fourth with a time of 1:20.39, Trinity Evans fifth with 1:20.61 and Booher sixth with 1:23.82.
In the 100-yard breaststroke, Rylee Hoeppner placed third with a time of 1:25.91 and Rachel Hoeppner was right behind her in fourth with a time of 1:27.7. Alexis Kanitz placed sixth with a time of 1:35.5.
For the relays, the Merrill A-team consisting of Trinity Evans, Rachel Hoeppner, Pillai and Alexis Kanitz placed fourth with a combined time of 2:22.82 in the 200-yard medley relay. The B-team consisting of Breann Cagle, Rianna Dowds, Booher and Ruth Mile placed fifth with 2:40.06.
In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Merrill A-team consisting of Kolehouse, Ball, Woller and Trinity Kanitz placed fourth with a combined time of 1:55.57. The B-team consisting of Trinity Evans, Rylee & Rachel Hoeppner and Wheat placed fifth with a time of 2:07.23. The C-team of Alexis Kanitz, Dowds, Booher and VanWie placed sixth at 2:13.84.
Lastly, in the 400-yard freestyle relay, the A-team consisting of Kolehouse, Ball, Woller and Trinity Kanitz placed fourth with a combined team time of 4:21.49. The B-team of Pillai, Wheat, VanWie and Rylee Hoeppner placed fifth at 4:48.81 and the C-team of Dowds, Mile, Cagle and Rachel Hoeppner placed sixth at 5:25.3.
On the JV side of things, Cagle placed third in the JV 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:18.43 and Mile placed fourth with a time of 1:20.47. Mile also placed fourth in the JV 50-yard freestyle.
Lastly, Dowds placed third in the JV 100-yard backstroke with a time of with a time of 1:28.47 and Cagle placed fourth with a time of 1:33.2
“The girls came out and swam hard Thursday night. With about two-thirds of our swims being personal bests,” comments head coach Kristie Winter. “This past week we have been really working hard and the girls are tired so having so many personal bests this week was really impressive. I look forward to seeing what we can do at the championship meets that stat this week.
“Friday we have the JV championship meet, then next Thursday is the WVC conference meet at UWSP. I am looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish.”
It was also Senior’s Night, with Seniors Faith Wheat, Alexis Kanitz, Rachel Hoeppner and Caitlyn Kolehouse recognized during the swim break.
For full results, click here.