Two-Time Defending Champs Start in Winning Form

Swim teams around Michigan take note. The two-time defending state champion Saline Hornets swim and dive team looks as strong as ever.

The Hornets opened the season Friday at Waterford Kettering with a 122-64 win over Birmingham Groves  (ranked third in Division2) and a 119-67 victory over Birmingham Brother Rice (ranked second in Division 1).

“We picked off right where we left last year. We soundly defeated high quality teams in Brother Rice and Groves,” said Saline coach Todd Brunty.

Saline broke six Kettering pool records.

The 200 individual medley team of David Boland, Josh Ehrman, Michael Bundas and Matt Stevens set a new mark (1:37.49) to win.

Boland, James Fisher, Bundas and Adam Whitener set the pool record in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:27.53). Whitener, Fisher, Stevens and Ehrman set the pool record in the 400-yard freestyle (3:15.07). Boland set the pool record in the 100-yard butterfly (50.93) as he won the event by more than three seconds. Ehrman won the 100 backstroke in 53.98 seconds to set a pool record. Sam Blair set a pool record in diving, with a score of 258.90.

The Hornets won all three relays. They won every individual event except the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle.

Whitener won two events. He won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:44.32. Fisher took third in 1:47.07. Whitener also won the 500-yard freestyle in 4:51.10. Matt Sieffert was second in 4:57.85.

Ehrman was also a double winner. He won the backstroke in a pool record time. Tom Walls was second in 56.24. Ehrman also took the 200-yard individual medley in 1:56.43, five seconds faster than Noah Zamler of Groves. Saline’s Stefan Koberl (2:02.35) finished third and Lucas Allen  (2:06.35) was fourth.

Boland was Saline’s other double winner. He won the 100-yard butterfly in 50.93, more than three seconds faster than Groves’ John Hammond. Boland also won the 100-yard breaststroke in 58.92, more than four seconds faster than Groves’ Clark Lindsay. Lucas Allen was third (1:04.49) and Geoffrey Duong was fifth (1:06.87)

In the 50-yard freestyle, Bundas finished second in 22.75 seconds, just behind Groves’ John Hammond, who finished in 22.61.

In the 100-yard freestyle, Fisher was second in 48.27, just behind Rice’s Joe Krause, who finished in 48.27. Bundas was fourth in 49.92.

Brunty knew his big guns like Boland, Whitener, Ehrman and Fisher would be ready. He was happy to see some of the other swimmers step up.

“Guys like Matt Sieffert, Lucas Allen, Michael Bundas, Tom Walls and Stefan Koberl really showed they are ready to compete at the state level,” Brunty said. “The performance of the evening has to be Sam Blair in the diving. The whole team is so proud of the hard work he has put in during the off-season to make himself a solid state level competitor.”

The Hornets now being an intense three-week training period. They compete Dec. 29 at the Zeeland Holiday Invitational.