Cougar swimmers do well at Lima tourney

SANDRA GROOMS/for The Van Wert independent

LIMA — The Cougar swim teams traveled to Lima YMCA for the annual Lima Holiday Invitational involving 21 schools. The Van Wert boys placed sixth overall and the girls were ninth.  Lima Shawnee won the meet for both boys and girls. Other schools participating included: Ada, Celina, Coldwater, Elida, Fort Recovery, Kenton, Lima Bath, Lima Central Catholic, Lima Senior, Marion Local, Minster, New Bremen, Ottawa Glandorf, Russia, St, Marys Memorial, St. Henry, Upper Scioto Valley, Versailles, and Wapakoneta.

Eric Easley was the only medal winner for VWHS with a second place finish in the 100-yard backstroke. He also scored fourth place in the 200-yard freestyle.

Other scorers for the Cougar boys were: Kase Schalois, eighth in the 500-yard and 14th in the 100-yard freestyles; Cody Hanes, 10th in the 100-yard breaststroke and 15th in the 50-yard freestyle; Trey Stemen, 10th in the 500- yard and 16th in the 100-yard freestyles, Matt Cucciarre, 11th in the 200-yard and 15th in the 100-yard freestyles, and AJ Foster, 12th in the 100-yard and 14th in the 50-yard freestyles.

Scoring for the Van Wert girls were: Taylor Grooms, seventh in the 200-yard and eighth in the 100-yard freestyles; Erin Dingle, 11th in the 500-yard freestyle; Rebecca Johnson, 13th in the 200-yard freestyle; Karlyn Koontz, 15th in the 500-yard freestyle and 16th in the 200-yard individual medley; Brittany Jurczyk, 15th in the 100-yard backstroke; and Hannah Stemen, 16th in the 100-yard backstroke.

Both boys 200-yard medley relay teams scored: Cody Hanes, Eric Easley, Trey Stemen, and AJ Foster finished fourth and Matt Cucciarre, Daniel Silette, Kase Schalois, and Adam Jurczyk finished 13th. The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Eric Easley, Trey Stemen, AJ Foster, Cody Hanes finished sixth. The 400-yard freestyle teams with Kase Schalois, Adam Jurczyk, Daniel Silette and Matt Cucciarre finished 11th and Jacob Scheidt, Jon Lisa, Kory Schlatter, and Josh Overholt finished 16th.

The 200-yard medley girls relay with Hannah Stemen, Brittany Jurczyk, Taylor Grooms and Erin Dingle placed 15th, while the 400-yard freestyle teams with Brittany Jurczyk, Andi Foster, Erin Dingle, and Taylor Grooms placed eighth and Holly Hammond, Mackenzie Agler, Rebecca Johnson, and Karlyn Koontz placed 16th.

The Van Wert swimmers will next compete on January 5 when they travel to Wapakoneta.

Girls Results (all distances in yards)

200 Medley Relay:  15^th (2:14.13 – Hannah Stemen, Brittany Jurczyk, Taylor Grooms, Erin Dingle), 22^nd (2:28.80 –Briana Agler, Andi Foster, Karlyn Koontz, Mackenzie Agler)

200 Freestyle:  7^th (2:12.14 – Taylor Grooms), 13^th (2:41.78 –Rebecca Johnson)

200 Individual Medley:  16^th (2:46.05 – Karlyn Koontz), 19^th (2:47.27 – Brittany Jurczyk)

50 Freestyle: 18^th (28.34 – Erin Dingle), 41^st (30.89 – Chelsea Henning), 42^nd (30.95 – Holly Hammond), 46^th (31.54 –Andi Foster), 54^th (32.56 – Mackenzie Agler),  64^th (33.82- Whitney Meyers), 81^st (35.29 – Meredith Arn), 82^nd (35.43 – Marissa Sperry), 105^th (44.00 – Miranda Rickard)

100 Freestyle: 8^th (59.82 – Taylor Grooms), 25^th (1:10.65 – Holly Hammond, 28^th (1:11.53 – Andi Foster), 36^th (1:14.51 – Chelsea Henning), 51^st (1:20.32 – Whitney Meyers), 56^th (1:21.53 – Meredith Arn)

500 Freestyle: 11^th (6:24.66 – Erin Dingle, 15^th (6:35.18 – Karlyn Koontz), 21^st (6:51.48 – Hannah Stemen)

200 Freestyle Relay:  23^rd (2:10.47 – Holly Hammond, Chelsea Henning, Hannah Stemen, Briana Agler), 34^th (2:21.11 – Rebecca Johnson, Marissa Sperry, Meredith Arn, Whitney Meyers)

100 Backstroke: 15^th ( 1:16.35 – Brittany Jurczyk), 16^th (1:16.37 – Hannah Stemen), 30^th (1:26.17 – Rebecca Johnson), 32^nd (1:27.57 – Mackenzie Agler), 38^th (1:34.26 – Marissa Sperry)

100 Breaststroke:  48^th (1:39.91 – Briana Agler)

400 Freestyle Relay:  8^th (4:22.54 – Brittany Jurczyk, Andi Foster, Erin Dingle, Taylor Grooms), 16^th (4:50.48 – Holly Hammond, Mackenzie Agler Rebecca Johnson, Karlyn Koontz), 19^th (5:17.00 – Chelsea Henning, Marissa Sperry, Meredith Arn, Whitney Meyers)

Boys Results (all distances in yards)

200 Medley Relay:  4^th (1:51.62 – Cody Hanes, Eric Easley, Trey Stemen, AJ Foster), 13^th (2:06.59 – Matt Cucciarre, Daniel Silette, Kase Schalois, Adam Jurczyk)

200 Freestyle: 4^th (2:00.93 – Eric Easley), 11^th (2:11.31 –Matt Cucciarre), 21^st (2:32.75 – Jacob Scheidt), 24^th (2:40.79 – Josh Overholt)

50 Freestyle: 14^th (25.02 – A.J. Foster), 15^th (25.22 – Cody Hanes), 42^nd (28.33 – Adam Jurczyk), 69^th (31.80 –Kory Schlatter), 83^rd (42.80 – Mitchel Mengerink)

100 Freestyle: 12^th (57.58 – A.J. Foster), 14^th (59.01 – Kase Schalois), 15^th (1:05.27 – Matt Cucciarre), 16^th (59.22 – Trey Stemen), 21^st (1:03.18 – Daniel Silette), 27^th (1:04.07 – Adam Jurczyk), 30^th (1:05.03 – Jacob Scheidt), 40^th (1:10.79 – Kory Schlatter)

500 Freestyle: 8^th (5:53.33 – Kase Schalois), 10^th (6:06.90 – Trey Stemen)

200 Freestyle Relay: 6^th (1:39.66 – Eric Easley, Trey Stemen, AJ Foster, Cody Hanes), 21^st (2:00.96 – Jacob Scheidt, Jon Lisa, Kory Schlatter, Josh Overholt)

100 Backstroke: 2^nd (57.50 – Eric Easley), 33^rd (1:49.30 – Mitchel Mengerink)

100 Breaststroke:  10^th (1:13.55 – Cody Hanes), 28^th (1:27.05 – Jon Lisa), 31^st (1:29.36 – Josh Overholt)

400 Freestyle Relay:  11^th (4:13.06 – Kase Schalois, Adam Jurczyk, Daniel Silette, Matt Cucciarre), 16^th (4:44.25 – Jacob Scheidt, Jon Lisa, Kory Schlatter, Josh Overholt)