Hornets Trounce Trojans in Pool

picked up another win the in SEC Thursday, defeating Monroe 132-54.

The outcome of Thursday’s meet was never really in doubt, so coach Todd Brunty had the boys swimming in off-events and working on various skills as the team nears the important part of the schedule.

“We did well tonight. We’re working on little things like turns so that we’ll be at our best when it matters,” said Brunty, who hopes to coach the team to a third straight MHSAA Division 1 championship.

The Hornets won all three relays and all but three individual events.

In the 200-medley relay, David Boland, Geoffrey Duong, James Fisher and Austin Deal took first place in 1:42.54, making the Division 1 cut. Saline’s relay teams also took second, third and fourth. Matt Lund, Josh Ehrman, Matt Stevens and Matt Sieffert were second in 1:44.54. Adam Whitener, Simon Rucinski, Stefan Koberl and Will McCullough were third in 1:45.99. Tom Walls, Lucas Allen, Michael Bundas and Ben Pummell fourth in 1:46.58.

In the 200-free, Monroe’s Michael Allen won the event in 1:50.12. Saline’s Stephen Amori was second.

Freshman Robert Calmente won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:22.09. Matt Wilson and Ian McEwan completed the 1-2-3 finish for the Hornets.

Monroe’s Jonathon Voelker won the 50-yard sprint in 22:56. Saline’s McCullough, Duong and Pummell finished 2-3-4.

Sam Blair took first in the diving event, scoring a 235.25. Dustin Wall was second in 197.05.

Whitener captured the 100-yard butterfly in 54.50. Stevens also made the Division 1 state cut, finishing second in 55.28.

Saline went 1-2-3 in the 100-yard freestyle. Fisher won the event in 51.91. Boland and Lund took second and third, respectively.

The Hornets took the top four spots in the 500-yard freestyle, with Walls and Bundas making the Division 1 cut. Walls was first in 4:54.82. Bundas was second in 4:56.65. Sieffert (5:00.51) and Allen (5:02.30) finished third and fourth,

The 200-yard freestyle relay was contest between two Saline teams. Austin Deal, Koberl, Fisher and Boland were first in 1:32.80. Lund, McCullough, Stevens and Whitener were second in 1:33.16.

Josh Ehrman won the 100-yard backstroke as the Hornets went 1-2-3. Ehrman finished in 56.43 to beat the state cut. Rudnik and McEwen finished second and third.

The Hornets finished the evening by winning the 400-yard freestyle relay. Allen, Bundas, Walls and Ehrman won the event in 3:33.86.

The Hornets face two tough tests next week. Thursday at Ann Arbor Huron, Saline competes against Huron and the highly ranked Dexter team. On Feb. 11, Saline competes in the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association meet at Eastern Michigan, which is the site of the state finals March 9-10.