Source: Hometown Life

Author: Mike Moore

LAKE ORION — In what serves as annual preparation for the state finals, some of the best girls swimming and diving teams came together Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at Lake Orion High for the Oakland Country Championships.

And despite arriving with a new coach, it was the same old result for the Farmington Hills Mercy squad, which took home the top spot in the event for the 12th year in a row.

“It was a pretty big meet for the girls, but especially the new staff,” said coach Mike Venos. Venos took over this year for Shannon Dunworth, who retired after last season. “Traditionally, we’ve always swam well here, but it was one of those things where we really wanted them to do well and keep that tradition going.”

Mercy took home first with a team score of 376.

Bloomfield Hills Marian was second with 289.5 and was followed by White Lake Lakeland (207), South Lyon High (184), Rochester Adams (181), Birmingham Seaholm (162), Lake Orion (138), Harrison-Farmington Thunderbirds (119), Birmingham Groves (112.5), North Farmington (80), Clarkston High (75), Walled Lake Northern (60), Royal Oak High (59), Bloomfield Hills High (38), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (35), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood (34), Rochester High (33), Troy High (32), West Bloomfield High (26), Highland-Milford (25), Walled Lake Central (20), Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (13), Novi High (12), Troy Athens (6), Oxford High (5) and Auburn Hills Avondale (3). Several other teams also competed, but didn’t register a point.

“This is really a barometer for us to see how we do in these bigger, championship meets,” Venos added. “This is traditionally a meet with some great teams. It’s great to have this kind of competition for everyone.”

Winners at the event included the Mercy team of Katie Minnich, Tierney Janovsky, Alainna Skellett and Lindsey Case in the 200-yard medley relay, which won in a time of 1 minute, 47.61 seconds.

In the 200 free, Mercy’s Kendall Goit won in 1:52.6, while in the 200 IM, Minnich won in 2:05.7.

In the 50 free, Harrison-Farmington’s Ashley Turak won in 23.57 seconds.

In the 1-meter diving event, Walled Lake Central’s Amanda Ling won with a final score of 472.49, while in the 100 butterfly, Lakeland’s Emma Hazel won in 56.84 seconds.

In the 100 free, Lake Orion’s Claire Abbasse won in 51.24 seconds.

In the 500 free, Marian’s Lauren Biglin won in 5:03.23.

Marian took home another victory, claiming the 200-free relay in a time of 1:36.86 thanks to the team of Sophia Schott, Mary Kate Nodland, Kailyn Swantek and Biglin.

In the 100 backstroke, Minnich earned Mercy another title, finishing in 55.51 seconds.

In the 100 breaststroke, Charlotte Pierce of Groves won in 1:05.41.

Marian’s 400-free relay team of Schott, Gabby Granata, Swantek and Biglin won in 3:31.22.