Van Wert swimmers host relay tourney

SANDRA GROOMS/for the VW independent

The Van Wert swim teams hosted the seventh annual all-relay Van Wert Sprint Invitational. This is a unique meet for northwest Ohio because it consists of relay events only. Ten schools participated: Ada, Bryan, Elida, Fort Recovery, Minster, New Bremen, St. Henry, Van Wert, Versailles, and Wapakoneta.

The Cougar boys finished third with 156 points behind Versailles (172 points) and Wapakoneta (158 points). The Lady Cougars finished in fourth place with 152 points behind Bryan (180 points), Versailles (178 points), and Wapakoneta (174 points).

“It was a great meet,” said Van Wert swimmer Becca Johnson, a junior. “The deck was full of energy and Van Wert Cougar spirit!”

The Van Wert girls’ top scoring relay team was the third place finish in the 300-meter freestyle with Taylor Grooms, Brittany Jurczyk, Briana Agler, and Erin Dingle.  The 600-meter freestyle team with Grooms, Mackenzie Agler, Jurczyk, and Agler finished fourth.

The Van Wert boys’ relays placed second in three events: 200-meter backstroke, with Trey Stemen, A.J. Foster, Matt Cucciarre, and Eric Easley; 200-meter butterfly with Cody Hanes, Cucciarre, Kase Schalois, Easley; and 200-meter breaststroke with Hanes, Daniel Silette, Schalois and Stemen.  The 300-meter freestyle team of Hanes, Foster, Cucciarre, and Silette finished third.

The VWHS swim teams return to action on Tuesday when they host Kenton.

Van Wert Girls’ Relay Results (all lengths in meters)

400 Medley:  5^th (5:47.53 — Brittany Jurczyk, Erin Dingle, Taylor Grooms, Holly Hammond)

600 Freestyle:  4^th (8:13.40 — Taylor Grooms, Mackenzie Agler, Brittany Jurczyk, Briana Agler), 7^th (9:14.64 — Holly Hammond, Reed Wermer, Rebecca Johnson, Marissa Sperry) , 13^th (10:59.13 — Chelsea Henning, Miranda Rickard, Whitney Meyers, Meridith Arn)

200 Backstroke:  5^th (2:40. 84 — Holly Hammond, Mackenzie Agler, Rebecca Johnson, Hannah Stemen),  9^th (2:57.13 — Reed Wermer, Andi Foster, Chelsea Henning, Briana Agler) 16^th (3:24.67 — WhitneyMeyers, Miranda Rickard, Meredith Arn, Marissa Sperry)

200 Butterfly: 5^th (2:37.57 — Karlyn Koontz, Rebecca Johnson, Hannah Stemen, Taylor Grooms)

200 Breaststroke: 5th  (3:08.88 — Brittany Jurczyk, Reed Wermer, Karlyn Koontz, Erin Dingle), 7^th (3:31.47 — Mackenzie Agler, Andy Foster, Chelsea Henning, Briana Agler)

400 Individual Medley:  5^th (6:03.28 — Hannah Stemen, Andi Foster, Karlyn Koontz, Erin Dingle)

300 Freestyle: 3^rd (3:33.68 -Taylor Grooms, Brittany Jurczyk, Briana Agler, Erin Dingle), 7^th (4:06.82 — Rebecca Johnson, Reed Wermer, Karlyn Koontz, Mackenzie Agler), 8^th (4:08.87 — Whitney Meyers, Holly Hammond, Hannah Stemen, Chelsea Henning), 16^th (4:36.97 — Andi Foster, Marissa Sperry, Meredith Arn, Miranda Rickard),

Van Wert Boys’ Relay Results (all lengths are meters)

400 Medley:  4^th (4:52.29 — Cody Hanes, Eric Easley, Kase Schalois, Trey Stemen)

600 Freestyle:  4^th (7:16.65 — Eric Easley, Trey Stemen, AJ Foster, Kase Schalois), 5^th (8:10.11 — Matt Cucciarre, Josh Overholt, Daniel Silette, Jon Lisa), 10^th (9:15.69 – Adam Jurczyk, Kory Schlatter, Jacob Scheidt, Mitchel Mengerink)

200 Backstroke: 2^nd (2:11.67 — Trey Stemen, A.J. Foster, Matt Cucciarre, Eric Easley), 9^th (3:09.55 — Jon Lisa, Mitchel Mengerink, Kory Schlatter, Josh Overholt)

200 Butterfly: 2^nd (2:09.41 — Cody Hanes, Matt Cucciarre, Kase Schalois, Eric Easley)

200 Breaststroke:  2^nd (2:37.37 — Cody Hanes, Daniel Silette, Kase Schalois, Trey Stemen), 9^th (3:15.05 — Adam Jurczyk, Josh Overholt, Jacob Scheidt, Jon Lisa)

400 Individual Medley: DQ (AJ Foster, Adam Jurczyk, Daniel Silette, Jacob Scheidt)

300 Freestyle:  3^rd (3:09.10 — Cody Hanes, A.J. Foster, Matt Cucciarre, Daniel Silette), 7^th (3:37.51 — Adam Jurczyk, Jon Lisa, Jacob Scheidt, Josh Overholt)