Merrill and five other teams descended on Tomahawk for Friday’s Hatchet Relays swim meet, the season-opener for most of the squads.
“This meet was an event where the coaches could challenge the girls in different events and get times for a starting point in the season,” MHS coach Bethany Preboske said. “Now, after our first meet, we know what we must work on in practices. We need to focus on our fundamentals when it comes to diving and turns off the wall. They are so important to master because it will change the outcome of a race.”
As for Tomahawk, “The Hatchets won the 200 Breaststroke relay and managed to score 212 points swimming only one relay per event, whereas every other team was scoring two relay teams,” host coach Theresa L’Esperance said. “Marlee Kiander set a new school record in the 100 IM portion of her relay.”
Kiander anchored the winning group of Megan White, Amanda Koshak and Bethany Koshak to a winning margin of 1.74 seconds (2:26.24). Tomahawk also placed 2nd in the 400 medley (Kelsey Maki, Kiander, White, Sami Kleich, 4:49.54) and 3rd in the 200 free (Kiander, Hannah Schmidt, Kleich, White, 1:54.74). They were 4th in the 200 medley (Mary Galloy, B. Koshak, Kleich, Schmidt, 2:19.20), the 200 back (Maki, A. Koshak, Galloy, Schmit, 2:19.81) and the 850 free (Jamie Sterr, Sam Schaper, Galloy, A. Koshak, 10:58.15).
Merrill’s top finish was a 4th in the 400 free (Elisa Ordemann, Courtney Kolehouse, Mackenzie Baacke, Megan Koelsch, 4:28.96). The Jays ranked 5th in the 850 free (Kolehouse, Koelsch, Emma Sowieja, Tori Engel, 11:30.01), the 200 free (Sowieja, Ordemann, Kolehouse, Koelsch, 1:58.31) and the 200 breaststroke (Sowieja, Kolehouse, Jourdyn Mootz, Jennica Jahnke, 2:42.07). A sixth came from 200 fly (Robin Opsahl, Olivia Wilmink, Ordemann, Taylor LaBorde, 2:28.74).
PR’s were turned in by Kolehouse (:27.68, 50 free) and Ordemann (1:06.18, 100 free).
“Courtney swam a very relaxed race,” Preboske said.
THS was 5th in the 400 medley (White, Schmit, Kleich, Kiander, 4:56.78) and 400 free (Maki, Schaper, Sterr, A. Koshak, 4:34.80).