(Chelsea Update would like to thank coach Dave Jolly for the information in this story.)
Sometimes through adversity you find yourself and what you are truly capable of accomplishing. This was true for the Chelsea Bulldog Swim and Dive team.
After losing a tough dual meet to rival Dexter a week ago, a sleeping giant awoke and the team worked together to win the SEC Championship. Chelsea won the meet accumulating 470 points. Dexter ended the meet in second with 422. Tecumseh finished the meet with 201 points to take third place overall. Adrian, Lincoln and Ypsilanti rounded out the placing, respectively.
Chelsea began the finals on Saturday with a dramatic and amazing win in the 200 yard medley relay. Chelsea’s pool record was beaten a week prior by the Dexter squad. Chelsea would have none of that as Kurt Jolly, Philipi Lopes, Sam Almhiemid and Joey Mangner brought the crowd to its feet in a record setting performance.
The quartet set the varsity and pool record stopping the clock at 1:37.21. The time will also make the group the #1 ranked medley relay in the state heading into the state finals in two weeks.
Chelsea’s “B’ relay was also impressive as Jacob Hartman, Zach Lee, Preston Ewald and Collin Babycz swam a 1:44.58 to win the consolation finals.
Sam Almhiemid was back up right away in the next event, the 200 yard freestyle and he and his teammates swam lights out. Almhiemid swam a season and career best in the event of 1:49.59 to take 2nd place overall. Ben Thoms was 6th with a time of 1:53.29. Aunic Goodin swam strong in the finals but was stuck in the consolation heat. It didn’t matter as the senior dropped time to take 6th place overall at 1:50.66. Lee Argir also had a great meet as he qualified for the state championships in the event swimming a season and career best of 1:52.67 in the prelims and followed it up with a solid 1:53.31 in the finals to take 10th place.
Philipi Lopes had his best meet of the year so far as the talented senior won the first of two events of the meet. In the 200 yard individual medley Lopes swam away from the pack swimming a 1:58.48 to win the event. Jacob Hartman also scored in the championship heat stopping the clock at 2:08.00 to take 6th place overall. Dylan Ousley swam a season best in the event just missing the state cut standard with a 10th place clocking of 2:11.20. Preston Ewald turned in a 2:11.52 to take 11th place overall.
Joey Mangner absolutely dominated in the finals of the 50 yard freestyle, swimming a time that had not been seen in years. Mangner came into the finals as the #1 seed and then improved on that — swimming a 21.66 to take the sprint crown. Carter Engler and Max Lonnemo were also impressive both swimming season and career best times of 22.72 in the finals to tie for 4th place overall. Collin Babycz also scored in the event taking 10th place overall with a 23.68. All four sprinters will factor huge in the state championships.
The tandem of Jake Burris and Joe Smith kept the crowd on the edge of their seats throughout the 1-meter diving final. The states #1 and #2 divers were impressive.
“It has been so much fun to watch these two young men develop and perform over the past four years,” said Coach David Jolly. “To have one diver of this caliber is a gift, to have two on the same team at the same time is a joy to witness.”
Joe Smith won the 1-meter competition becoming SEC Champion and setting the varsity and pool record holder at 505.15 points. Burris was just behind at 496.35 points for 2nd. Jordan Smith had a wonderful meet scoring his highest 11 dive score at 393.00 to take 4th place overall. Sean Lyons also put up a personal best of 326.55 points to take 8th place.
“Our divers set us apart from any other team in the entire state,” Jolly said, adding, “They have put us in a position again to make a run at the state championship this year.”
Sam Almhiemid and Andrew Pek swam one of the most exciting races of the meet as the duo from Chelsea and Dexter swam side by side and stroke for stroke the entire race. Pek squeaked out the win but valuable lessons were gained through the experience for Almhiemid. Almhiemid needed to hold his streamline just a touch more on the final wall and that was the difference. Almhiemid finished 2nd with a season best 52.30. Max Lonnemo and Lee Argir were also in the championship heat of the event. Lonnemo finished 4th overall with a 56.15 and Argir was 6th overall at 56.98. Also scoring for the Bulldogs was Preston Ewald who stopped the clock at 58.55 to take 9th place overall.
Joey Mangner was back up in the 100 yard freestyle and became the 1st of Chelsea’s double Conference Champions winning the event with a career best of 48.52.
“Joe is a special athlete with special gifts for sure,” Jolly said, adding, “His greatest gift is that he loves to race.”
Zach Lee also stepped up huge for the Bulldogs as he earned All Conference honors taking 3rd place at 49.75 another season best for the team. Carter Engler had a great meet and he was due as the junior cranked it up a notch over the weekend and also swam in the championship heat taking 5th place at 50.79. Kurt Jolly rounded out the scoring for Chelsea winning the consolation finals with a time of 51.11 to take 7th overall.
Aunic Goodin came with his “A” game in the 500 yard freestyle. The senior moved his best time of the season of 5:02.19 into the 2nd place position. Ben Thoms also scored in the championship heat taking 6th place overall at 5:15.91. Drew Deppner scored 7th place with a time of 5:11.05. Sumner Oesterle had a fantastic championship meet moving into a scoring position, taking 9th place overall.
“Sumner has worked so hard and come so far over the course of the season,” the coach said, adding, “I am so proud of him. He earned this.”
Chelsea would not be denied in the sprint relay despite being underdogs. The Bulldogs got after it and won the 200 yard freestyle relay in convincing fashion. Joey Mangner led off followed by Philipi Lopes, Max Lonnemo and Zach Lee. They combined for a season best 1:28.77 to take the Conference Champion Crown. Again, Chelsea”B” relay was also up to the challenge. Jacob Burris, Lee Argir, Carter Engler and Aunic Goodin swam a fantastic 1:34.42 to take the consolation final of the event.
Chelsea sealed the meet with what promises to be a strong event for the Bulldogs at state meet. Chelsea scored 3 in the championship heat of the 100 yard backstroke. Jacob Hartman was Chelsea’s top scorer taking 4th place overall at 56.59. Kurt Jolly was 5th at 56.74 and Collin Babycz was 6th overall at 57.46. Each of the young men swam season best times. Dylan Ousley also scored for the Bulldogs in the event swimming a 1:00.55 to take 9th place overall.
Philipi Lopes matched Joey Mangner’s earlier accomplishment of becoming a double Conference Champion as he took the 100 yard breastroke crown in convincing fashion. Lopes swam a career best of 59.84. He is only the 2nd breastroker in team history to break 1 minute in the event. He also moved himself into the #1 position in the state with his efforts. The rest of the breastrokers for Chelsea were also impressive. Zach Lee took 3rd place overall to earn his 2nd All Conference award at 1:03.60. Nick Bremmer also swam well in the championship heat of the event and taking 5th place at 1:06.58. Drew Deppner won the consolation finals in the event with a season best of his own at 1:08.68.
Chelsea closed out the meet taking 2nd place in the 400 yard freestyle relay. Max Lonnemo led off in a season best 50.00 split. Carter Engler, Collin Babycz and Sam Almhiemid rounded out the squad. They stopped the clock at 3:21.04. Chelsea’s “B” relay took 9th place as Lee Argir, Aunic Goodin, Preston Ewald and Kurt Jolly swam to a season best of 3:26.33.
Chelsea’s next focus will be on the state championships to be held at Oakland University on the weekend of March 13-14.
“Chelsea is poised to do great things again,” the coach said.
