Over the weekend, the boys varsity swim team placed first at the OK White Conference championships. Through a grueling eight wins to a single loss season, the boys team came out as official co-champions with East Grand Rapids High School. East won the mid season dual meet, but the Wildcats stuck back by winning the Conference Championship, which resulted in an overall tie.
This is the first time in school history that the swim team has won the OK White championship title.
Head coach Robert Damuth has been coaching swim at the high school for 27 years. He saw a lot of younger swimmers step up and score points for the team, which leaves him excited for the future.
“We’ve won conference titles in the past but never in the OK White and dealing with East,” Damuth said. “To do that was something special, and hopefully it motivates these guys to go get a trophy at the state meet, which they’ve never done as well.”
Overall, three school records were set, two by sophomore Liam Sneller in the 200 and 500 freestyle, where he placed third and second, respectively, and ultimately won 33 individual points for the team. The other record was set in the 200 medley relay, with a time of 1:35.70 by senior captains Kody Livezey and Alex Richardson, junior Caleb Howe and sophomore Ben Duffy.
The medley relay was one of two that placed first in the meet. In addition, the 200 freestyle relay, consisting of Richardson, Howe, senior exchange student Etienne Pizzo and sophomore Alex Boynton, won the event with a time of 1:27.48.
Richardson racked up 34 individual points for the team, placing second in both the 2oo individual medley and the 100 breastroke. Howe was the overall highest point scorer for the Wildcats, with a total of 36 points from placing third in the 2oo individual medley and going a 52.44 in the 100 butterfly to win the conference championship title for the event.
Junior Michael Hoard was another main point scorer for the team, contributing 30 individual points. He placed fifth in the 100 butterfly and third in the 100 breaststroke. As an upcoming senior, his mind is on the future.
“I think we’re going to be even better next year,” Hoard said. “I think that coming into next year, I want to [personally improve] and see if we can pull out another championship.”
Senior captain Nic Gallatin led the Wildcat divers with a third place finish. His final score was 369.05. Gallatin is proud of what his team has accomplished so far this season, and is ecstatic to finish his high school career as conference champions.
“Everyone put in the effort to win against EGR, and that’s huge,” Gallatin said. “Damuth was happy, I was especially happy. The feeling of finally taking down a huge school like that was pretty sick.”
The unprecedentedly large state team of 1o athletes consisting of Gallatin, Richardson, Livezey, Pizzo, Hoard, Howe, Sneller, Boynton, Duffy and sophomore Ethan Chalmers will be competing at the Division II State Championships on March 10 and 11 at the Venema Aquatic Center in Holland.