(Chelsea Update would like to thank coach Dave Jolly for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea Bulldog Swim and Dive team traveled to Oakland University last weekend to compete in the state championship and finished runner-up to Cranbrook Kingswood.
This year, Chelsea filled the gaps left by last year’s squad and surpassed expectations scoring an amazing 299.5 points. The team had 12 All State performances, set seven varsity records and placed 27 performances during the course of the meet.
The Bulldogs were the only team to place someone in each of the 12 events. Even with this dominating effort, they fell short of the state championship.
Chelsea began the meet with an effort unseen in Chelsea’s rich history of swimming excellence. The 200 yard Medley Relay of Kurt Jolly, Philipi Lopes, Sam Almhiemid and Joey Mangner swam to varsity record performance of 1:35.37 which took 2nd place. Both Cranbrook’s and Chelsea’s times broke the state record. Plus, Chelsea’s relay performance qualified them for All America.
“Each of the boys gave all they had,” said Coach Dave Jolly. “I could not be prouder.”
Kurt Jolly dropped 1.6 seconds off his best 50 yard split and Lopes, Almhiemid and Mangner all dropped time to give the relay its epic performance.
Next up for the Bulldogs was senior Aunic Goodin. Goodin was Chelsea’s lone representative in the 200 yard freestyle, and he swam a 1:46.29 in the event capturing 10th place honors. The senior middle distance performance was just shy of his career best in the event.
In the 200 yard Individual Medley, Chelsea had three young men make the finals of this highly competitive event. Philipi Lopes lead the way with an All State performance of 1:57.35 which earned him 6th place overall, swimming a career best time.
Jacob Hartman also scored for the Bulldogs taking 14th place honors with a time of 2:05.13. A new comer to the state finals was sophomore Preston Ewald, who swam a career best 2:06.61 to earn 15th place overall.
What happen next in the meet was quite spectacular. The 50 yard freestyle, which is an event usually dominated by seniors, saw an upset by sophomore Joey Mangner, who took on the senior dominated event and shocked all with a varsity record time of 21.27, winning the event and making him the fastest sprinter in the state of Michigan.
“Joey is an amazing talent,” the coach said. “What makes him special above all is his tenacity. He just flat out likes to race.”
Mangner became Chelsea’s first state champion in the event. Senior Max Lonnemo had a meet of a life time as well. The senior scored in the sprint event as well.
“Being a senior is special and Max took advantage of all his years of hard work,” Jolly said. “He laid down a wonderful swim.”
Lonnemo swam a career best 22.35 to take 12th place overall and score vital points for the Bulldogs.
Next up was the 1 meter diving competition. Last year, Chelsea won the event as Jake Burris took state champion honors. This year, the honor was bestowed on teammate Joe Smith, who came from behind on the last dive to win with a score of 492.95 points. Burris struggled on one dive in prelims and finished the meet in 3rd place with a score of 476.00 points. Jordan Smith also earned a top spot in the event taking 8th place overall with a score of 389.75.
And, the Bulldog divers weren’t done yet. Senior Larry Lyons also placed for the team taking 14th overall. Lyons had never made it to the state meet and as a senior put up scores that earned him a total of 329.40 points. Each of the diver’s scores were career bests at the state level.
Coach Eric Burris was given the state’s highest honor as “Coach of the Year”. An honor much overdue for the 25-year coaching veteran.
“I have been so impressed with our divers over the past four years,” Burris said. “They have progressed to heights unimaginable over this time. To have back-to-back state champions in the event is quite amazing. The work and the stress of performing at that high a level in front of hundreds (of people) is hard to explain. It is proper that the two finest divers in Division III history earn these honors in back to back years.”
Next up, was the 100 yard butterfly, and senior Sam Almhiemid was on a mission. In the finals, the senior swam a career best of 50.29 and earned 2nd place. His time also qualified him for All America.
“Sam is an incredible swimmer. He is an incredible athlete. Most swimmers that swim this fast are exclusively swimmers. That is all they do. Sam has excelled at soccer, baseball and swimming. I have had the great honor of working with one of the finest athletes in Chelsea’s history,” Jolly said.
Lee Argir scored for the first time at the state level, as he earned 15th place with a time of 56.31. Max Lonnemo also got in on the scoring as he swam in his 2nd event of the meet, taking 16th place at 56.92.
The sprinters were up again in the 100 yard freestyle. Joey Mangner was up again and after winning the 50 yard freestyle, he was on a mission. Beside Mangner and Andy McGregor from East Grand Rapids, he swam stroke for stroke and in the last few feet, Mangner was touched out. He swam a career best 47.02 and earned All State honors, while scoring the most points for the Bulldogs in the meet.
Kurt Jolly and Zach Lee performed unbelievably well. Jolly came into the meet seeded 29th which is a tough uphill battle in such a competitive meet. In the prelims, Jolly slipped on the start, which usually leads to not making it to the finals. But he fought and made it to the 16th place position with a time of 49.58.
Jolly did not waste the opportunity. In the finals, he swam a career best of 48.85 to take 12th place overall.
Zach Lee also had his battles. Coming into the meet sick and not 100 percent, the sophomore showed heart unseen before by coach Jolly. He swam to a season best 49.41 taking 15th place.
“Zach is the most courageous swimmer I may have ever coached. Most kids would not have swam and he not only swam, he placed through pure heart. I am so very proud of him,” Jolly said.
In the 500 yard freestyle, Chelsea had two veteran swimmers – Aunic Goodin and Ben Thoms. Both fought hard and earned valuable points for the team. Goodin, in the middle of the pool in the consolation finals, fought off a late charge by the field to take 9th place overall at 4:51.71, which set a personal best for the talented senior. Ben Thoms also swam his heart out taking 12th place overall with a season best 4:58.20. “Both these guys were so vital to our success over the past four years,” the coach said. “They have given all they can to this program.”
The sprint relay was next and Joey Mangner led off for the Bulldogs followed by Carter Engler, Max Lonnemo and the team was anchored by Philipi Lopes. The 200 yard freestyle relay is one of the most competitive events in the meet. Raw speed is the key and Chelsea traditionally has plenty.
Chelsea’s quartet set a varsity record of 1:26.60 which qualified them for All America consideration.
“After having a three-way tie in the event for the title last year, I didn’t think anything could top that performance. These guys are just amazing,” Jolly said.
The 100 yard backstroke is Chelsea’s strongest event and they proved it, placing four swimmers in the finals. Almhiemid led the way with a 52.39 career best mark. It earned him all State for the 2nd time individually taking 5th place overall.
Although backstroke is Chelsea’s strongest event, it was also the most competitive at the state level. Kurt Jolly was the second highest scorer for the Bulldogs, dropping 2.97 seconds off his time and swam a career best of 53.77 in the finals to take 10th place overall.
Collin Babycz, coming off a broken collar bone in the off season, was simply amazing taking 14th place with his career best performance of 55.24. Senior Jacob Hartman placed in his second event of the meet taking 16th place overall with a time of 55.68 as the talented senior finished up his career in style.
The last individual event of the afternoon was the 100yd breastroke. Philipi Lopes was Chelsea’s top qualifier and he did not disappoint. The talented senior broke the 17 year old varsity record swimming a 58.62 in the finals to take 4th place overall. Zach Lee also qualified well for the state finals and held his own taking 13th place overall with a time of 1:02.37. Healthy and with another year of preparation the state finals next year will see even greater things from the talented sophomore.
The last event of the meet was the 400 yard freestyle, and Chelsea put three seniors and a sophomore up on the blocks. Aunic Goodin led off followed by Max Lonnemo, Kurt Jolly and Sam Almhiemid. The foursome swam a season best for the Bulldogs of 3:14.52 and took 4th place overall. The event capped off the highest team score in Chelsea’s rich swim and dive team history.
