Winning isn’t everything. Clarkston’s swim team is making waves despite an as yet winless season in dual meet competition.
The Wolves fell to Royal Oak 94-92 at Clarkston on Jan. 19 to go 0-4 for the season, but Greg Dedow qualified for the Oakland County meet on Feb. 3 and Bobby Nelson set a pool record.
Dedow made county times in both the 500-yard freestyle (5:08.7) and 200-yard freestyle (1:56.45), in which he finished first and second respectively.
During the third event of the night, Nelson broke Dan Reed’s four-year-old mark of 2:08.9, finishing in 2:08.39 in the 200-yard individual medley. Nelson also won the 100-yard breastroke with a time of 1:08.53, nearly three seconds ahead of the Ravens? Tom Mack (1:11.06).
‘Those two swimmers have really carried the team and they have trained very hard,? Clarkston coach Kenwyn Chock.
‘They’re my best two swimmers, hands down.?
Clarkston’s 200-yard freestyle relay of Nelson, Phil Voorheis, Dedow and Adam Curry (1:38.97) downed the Ravens? next closest finisher by more than four seconds.
Jacob Rush has qualified for the 100-yard backstroke and Voohreis is qualified in the 100-yard butterfly.
Chock said the team is still very exciting to watch and cheer as the season goes on because of their dedication.
‘They train so hard,? she said.
‘Every single swimmer has improved in every one of their races. What team can say that,? she added.
All of the team’s 14 swimmers swam their personal bests against the Ravens, Chock said.
After the county meet, Clarkton plays host to Lake Orion on Feb. 8 in their last dual meet of the season.
The boys get another chance against their season dual meet opponents at the Oakland Activities Association meet at Lake Orion on Feb. 22.