Swimmers get competitive

Swimmers have qualified in four events for the state finals during their win against Lake Orion last Thursday. 103-83.
The 200-yard medley relay team of Amber Hallman, Natalie Vela, Sami Stelpflug and Kathryn Culver finished 1:54.02; Stelpflug, 5:15.71 in the 500-yard freestyle; Culver, 1:09.49 in the 100-yard breaststroke and 24.80 in the 50-yard freestyle.
C.J. Hughes qualified for the Oakland County meet in the 100-yard backstroke.
“She did a great job in the 100 backstroke and the 200 IM,” said Clarkston Girls Swim Coach Kenwyn Chock. “Freshman Shannon Sequin went 1:09 in the 100 backstroke – that was a surprise.”
Chock added the first year swimmers did a great job.
“It’s our Seawolves program,” Chock explained. “It is feeding into the high school program. We started it in 1999. We are one of the few USS teams that most of the kids are from Clarkston. The kids learn to be competitive at a young age. Some might leave and then you see them again in high schools.”
She noted Seawolves stopped in July and the swimmers have only been back in the pool for a few weeks to prepare for their high school season. The girls have already dropped time in their events.
The top finishers for the 200-yard freestyle were Stelpflug in first, 1:59.40; Vela in third and Natasha Oldman in fifth; in the 200-IM Ceren Ege finished second in 2:17.28; Hughes, fourth, Oldman, fifth; 50-yard freestyle, Culver, first, Taylor Tekiele, third; 1-meter diving, Nicole Hurst, second, 173.3, Rebecca Didion, third, Makayla Tuomi, fifth; 100-yard butterfly, Vela, first 1:02.52, Deanna Cumming, third, Delaney Brown, fifth; 100-yard freestyle, Hallman, second, 57.91, Tekiele, third; 500-yard freestyle, Stelpflug, first, Kiley Ferer, fourth, Oldman, fifth; 200-yard freestyle relay, Tekiele, Ege, Vela, Rachel Linton, first, 1:47.78; 100-yard backstroke, Hughes, second, Hallman, third, Oldman, fourth, Sequin, fifth; 100-breaststroke, Culver, first, Ege, third, Ferer, fourth; and the 200-yard freestyle relay, Stelpflug, Hallman, Tekiele and Culver, first, 3.50.86.
“This is a really good team,” said Chock. “This is the first year I can say my swimmers are competitive – that’s nice.”
The girls host Seaholm on Thursday for their OAA meet, 6 p.m.