Starfires victorious in home meet
The South Adams Starfires claimed a pair of victories in the pool in Berne Thursday, knocking off the Celina (OH) Bulldogs. The Starfires won the girls competition, 109-51. The boys event went to South Adams, 60-43.
The domination exhibited by the girls team started in the first event of the night.
In the 200 yard medley relay, Hannah Scott gave the Starfires a lead of 4.2 seconds in the first leg, but the Bulldogs chipped away in the ensuing three portions of the race. It was not enough, though, as Nia Litwiller touched the wall a tenth of a second before Madie Ekern of Celina. Julia Arnold and Stella McIntire swam the middle legs for the Starfires.
Litwiller picked up an individual victory in the following event. She was impressive in the 200 freestyle, finishing 14.28 seconds ahead of Ekern. Elaina Miller of South Adams placed third.
The Starfires took the top two spots in the 200 IM. Julia Arnold posted a time of 2:43.44 to win comfortably. She was followed by Calah Hill in second.
South Adams also went 1-2 in the 50 yard freestyle. Ava Kinsey dashed down the pool in 27.58 seconds for the win. GenaMarie Summersett was about a second behind in the runner-up position.
The only two swimmers in the 100 butterfly came from South Adams. Litwiller claimed her third win of the evening with a time of 1:19.57. McIntire was second in the event.
Kinsey and Summersett finished first and second in the 100 freestyle as well. Kinsey opened up a 2.67-second advantage during her first trip down the pool. She widened the gap on her way back.
Summersett beat Autumn Klosterman for second by more than two seconds.
The 500 free saw only a trio of Starfire swimmers compete. Calah Hill turned in an impressive performance, winning the race by 41 seconds. Miller placed second, and Reagan Bollenbacher reached the wall third.
The Starfires were victorious in the 200 free relay, as well. McIntire, Arnold, Summersett and Kinsey led at the end of each leg. They finished the relay with a time of 1:57.86.
The Bulldogs picked up their only victory of the evening when Claire Kuehne won the 100 yard backstroke. Kira Bange on Celina finished second.
Scott claimed third for
South Adams.
A time of 1:22.07 put Arnold six seconds ahead of the pack in the 100 yard breaststroke.
South Adams finished perfect in the relay events when Litwiller, Scott, Summersett and Kinsey won the 400 free relay by 27 seconds.
In the boys competition, South Adams started off the night with a relay victory, as well.
Braylon Schoch gave South Adams the early lead in the 200 medley relay before teammates Brayden Hough, Ian Neuenschwander and Haden Meyer pulled away for the victory.
2:38.18 was the time for Meyer who was the only competitor in the 200 freestyle.
Celina performed better in the boys races.
They picked up a win in the 200 IM when Aaron Doseck edged out Hough.
Neuenschwander got South Adams back in the win column when he beat three Bulldogs in the 50 yard freestyle. Neuenschwander posted a time of 26.84 seconds to win the race by 2.75 seconds.
Neuenschwander was the only swimmer to compete in the 100 butterfly, posting a mark of 1:17.25.
Schoch won the 100 free in 59.63 seconds. He defeated Phoenix Schmidt and Caleb Lehman of the Bulldogs.
Meyer swam by himself in the 500 freestyle. His time was 7:21.17.
Celina had the only entry in the 200 yard freestyle relay.
Schoch clocked a time of 1:25.68 in the 100 backstroke, an event that he contested alone.
Doseck picked up his second victory of the night when he topped Hough of South Adams in the 100 breaststroke.
The South Adams team of Neuenschwander, Meyer, Schoch and Hough swam unchallenged in the 400 freestyle relay. They accumulated a time of 4:31.54.
The final combined score favored the Starfires, 169-94.
South Adams will host Muncie Burris on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.