Clarkston residents Rhianna Hensler and Julia Nellis helped Notre Dame Prep of Pontiac finish in the top ten at the MHSAA Division 3 Girls Swim & Dive State Championship at Eastern Michigan University, Nov. 17-18.
Hensler, a sophomore at NDP, finished with a time of 23.78 in the 50-yard freestyle and 55.67 in the 100-yard butterfly for first place finishes in both.

She also broke her record last year in the 100-yard butterfly to a new Division 3 state record.
“I felt a lot of pressure coming in defending my state record, and being seeded first in both events, which affected me during preliminaries,” she said. ” With the help of my coach, my teammates and even swimmers from other teams, I was able to connect the dots and get the win.”
“We’re very proud of Rhianna and feel very fortunate she has the opportunity to have these memorable high school experiences,” said John Hensler.
Nellis, a senior at NDP, earned All-State honors with a fourth place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, 1:08.43; and 14th place in the 100-yard freestyle, 54.54.
Hensler and Nellis teamed up in the NDP 200-yard medley relay, 1:51.79; and 400-yard freestyle relay, placing ninth in each, breaking their school records in both.
Notre Dame Prep finished in eighth overall out of 36 teams. They broke into the top ten for the first time in school history. The team is coached by Nim Shapira with assistant coaches Renee Kendall and John Hensler.

  Girls Swim and Dive, Notre Dame Prep