BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
The Wolves lost two close meets against Marian and Farmington Hills Harrison last week.
“It’s been busy but good,” Amber Miller, head coach for Clarkston Girls Swim and Dive, said about the week and the first six teams the girls have faced. “The story of our season so far is we are right there. We lost but it has all been five, ten, 15 points and in swimming that’s nothing. All of the meets are neck and neck. They are exciting meets because usually after diving we are tied. Then, second half they get a relay, then we get a relay and it’s back and forth. It’s one of those there is not a clear winner until the last event. It’s been exciting. We just have to work on finishing the second half as strong as we started.”
The girls lost to Marian on Sept. 11, 97-89. For relays, Clarkston finished in first place in the 400-yard freestyle with Evie Dice, Betsey Walkowiak, Caroline Hughes, Haley VanBuskirk, 3:47.96; first place in 200-yard freestyle, Alexis Moon, Rachel Kociba, Allison Vassilakos, Dice, 1:45.83; and second place in the 200-yard medley with Walkowiak, Moon, Hughes and VanBuskirk, 1:52.80.
For individual events: 50-yard freestyle, Walkowiak, second, 26.21; Kociba, fourth, 27.23; Vassilakos, sixth, 27.49; 100-yard butterfly, Dice, first, 1:00.20; Hughes, third, 1:01.76; 100-yard freestyle, Kociba, fourth, 59.98; Jenna Brown, fifth, 1:00.58; 100-yard backstroke, Hughes, second, 1:02.60; Walkowiak, third, 1:05.78; 100-yard breaststroke, Moon, first, 1:08.41; Brown, fourth, 1:18.28; 100-yard breaststroke, Moon, first, 1:08.41; Brown, fourth, 1:18.28; 200-yard freestyle, VanBuskirk, first, 2:01.37; Dice, second, 2:02.94; 200-yard IM, Moon, second, 2:20.41; Sophia Winkelblech, fifth, 2:44.59; and 500-yard freestyle, VanBuskirk, first, 5:26.95; Vassilakos, fifth, 5:50.69.
For 1-meter diving, Abby Bartley finished in first place, 200.48; Abby Line, second place, 171; and Elise Lowell, third, 167.18.
They lost to Harrison last Thursday, 108-78.
“We held our own against them,” said Miller. “They finished third in the Division 1 state meet last year. They are probably our hardest competition of the year. They have such a strong senior class.”
For relays, the Wolves finished in second and third in the 400-yard freestyle with Dice, Walkowiak, Hughes, VanBuskirk, second, 3:48.21; and Kociba, Vassilakos, Emily Taverna, Lizzy Craig, third, 4:19.06. They finished second in the 200-yard freestyle with Walkowiak, Moon, Kociba, Vassilakos, 1:47.87; and 200-yard medley, second place, Dice, Moon, Hughes, VanBuskirk, 1:53.27;
For individual events, 50-yard freestyle, Dice, first, 25.35; Kociba, fourth, 26.83; Katrina Benson, sixth, 28.33; 100-yard butterfly, Hughes, third, 1:01.18; Walkowiak, fifth, 1:04.65; Taverna, sixth, 1:25.56; 100-yard freestyle, VanBuskirk, first, 55.60; Kociba, fourth, 59.43; 100-yard backstroke, Dice, second, 1:02.30; Hughes, third, 1:02.92; 100-yard breaststroke, Moon, second, 1:09.42; Brown, fifth, 1:17.20; 200-yard freestyle, VanBuskirk, second, 1:57.85; Vassilakos, third, 2:09.54; 200-yard IM, Moon, second, 2:19.43; Walkowiak, third, 2:21.74; 500-yard freestyle, Vassilakos, second, 5:45.46; and Sophia Walker, fifth, 7:22.97.
For 1-meter diving, Line, first, 184.25; Bartley, second, 163.55; and Alivia Walbridge, third, 143.10.
Miller added for every meet the team has had at least six sit out due to injury or illness.
“We haven’t been full strong yet,” she said. “I am looking forward to these girls being healthy.”
The Wolves host Rochester Adams this Thursday and Lake Orion next Thursday for Senior Night. Both starting at 6 p.m
“We are looking to secure a few more county cuts before county meet so we can go in with a strong team,” Miller said as the team also prepares for the Oakland County meet, set for the first week of October.
The team invites the community to see them and check out their new scoreboard.
“It has been years in the making,” Miller smiled. “It’s up and installed. We have that and plans of getting new pool equipment this year, a new diving board and next hurdle is starting boxes. My goal is to have top of line aquatics. It’s happening. It’s a collaborative effort. We have gotten great support from CCS (Clarkston Community Schools) and OLY. Our parents have been great supporting the kids, the boys and girls teams, to make these things that we have been talked about a reality. It’s a huge accomplishment. It’s a community win.”

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