What to watch for at 2023 MHSAA girls swim and dive finals
When the Oakland County trio of Farmington Hills Mercy, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Birmingham Marian finished 1-2-3 at the Catholic League Championships in Waterford a week ago, it may have been foreshadowing for this weekend’s competition. The Marlins of Mercy, who regained their county title this fall after last year’s blip, are the top-ranked team headed into the Division 2 finals at Holland Aquatic Center, looking to win their 12th title overall, and first since 2019.
Last year, the Marlins tied for fourth at the D1 meet.
“The big thing is state meet — our focus is always at the end of the year. And this is this is a nice gauge,” Mercy coach Mike Venos at the county meet.
The other two are ranked second (Cranbrook) and third (Marian) headed into the Division 3 meet at Oakland University. The Mustangs are the defending D3 champs after winning last year’s title in Holland, but the two Oakland County powerhouses — Marian’s won four titles, as has Cranbrook — are ranked behind threetime reigning D2 champion East Grand Rapids, which dropped down a division this fall.
Here’s a look at who to look out for in this weekend’s finals, as well as a link to the full list of the Oakland
County qualifiers: Division 1
(At Eastern Michigan)
Bloomfield Hills was ranked No. 8 in the final MISCA team rankings at the start of October, while Rochester Adams was 10th, and Novi, Lake Orion and Huron Valley United were honorable mentions.
Among county teams, Huron Valley United has the top-seeded relay teams in 200 freestyle relay (5th seed) and 400 freestyle relay (11th seed), and is second to Bloomfield Hills (13th seed) among local squads in the 200 medley relay (16th seed).
Oakland County athletes to keep an eye on:
• Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield — The sophomore is the defending individual state champion in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, and holds the top seed in both coming into the finals.
• Ellie Seiter, Oxford — The senior is the top seed in the 1-meter diving event, one slot ahead of junior teammate Tristan Krajcarski, and leads a field of 13 county divers that qualified for the D1 meet. Seiter was fourth last year, competing for Grand Blanc.
• Lorelai Maisano, Novi — Last year’s D1 state runner-up, the senior is seeded fourth headed into this year’s finals.
• Julia Walser, Stoney Creek — The senior is seeded fifth in the 100 butterfly and sixth in the 200 IM. She finished fourth in the butterfly and sixth in the IM at last year’s D2 meet.
• Ella Dameworth, Huron
Valley United — The junior is seeded sixth in both the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. She finished 12th in the 100 freestyle a year ago.
Division 2
(At Holland Aquatic Center)
The Marlins seemingly have a handful of swimmers qualified in every event, as well as a few top seeds, including all three relays. Senior Amylia Higgins is tied for the top seed in the 50 freestyle and sixth in the 100 freestyle, and is on the thirdseeded 200 medley relay squad, and top-seeded 400 freestyle relay with a trio of freshmen. Those three freshmen — Avery Tack, Campbell Shore and Leah Greaves — teamed up with junior Mackenzie Conway to earn the top seed in the 200 freestyle relay, as well.
Four other Oakland County squads earned spots in the final MISCA D2 top 10, with Farmington at No. 6, Birmingham Seaholm at No. 9 and Berkley at No. 10. North Farmington, South Lyon East and South Lyon were all honorable mentions.
Oakland County athletes to keep an eye on:
• Emma Klotz, South Lyon — The Lakes Valley Conference and Oakland County champ in both events, the sophomore is the top seed in the 50 and 100 freestyle events. She finished in the top 10 in the 100 freestyle (ninth) as a freshman.
• Bryce Scully, Berkley — A George Washington University commit, the senior is the No. 1 seed in the 100 breaststroke — she won the OAA
White title in the event — and the No. 4 seed in the 100 butterfly. She finished fifth in the butterfly and eighth in the breaststroke at last yea’s state meet.
• Kelley Hassett, Birmingham Seaholm — The senior Oakland University commit is the No. 2 seed in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events, winning both events at the OAA Red meet. She’s the defending D2 champion in the 500, and took fifth in the 200 freestyle at last year’s state meet.
• Joy Lyons, North Farmington — The freshman is the No. 2 seed in the 200 individual medley and the No. 5 seed in the 100 freestyle.
• Sophia Lickman, South Lyon East — The junior is the No. 2 seed in the 100 butterfly and the No. 4 seed in the 100 backstroke, individually, and is on the No. 2-seeded East relay team in the 200 IM. She won an Oakland County in the backstroke, and LVC crowns in the butterfly and 200 IM. She was the state runner-up in the fly at last year’s state meet, and finished fourth in the backstroke.
• Mackenzie Bushey, Farmington — The Toledo-committed senior is the No. 2 seed in the 100 breaststroke and the No. 4 seed in the 200 individual medley. She was the state runner-up in the breaststroke at last year’s D2 meet and finished seventh in the 200 IM.
Division 3
(At Oakland University)
Cranbrook comes in with the top-seeded unit in the 200 medley relay, third in the 400 freestyle relay, and sixth in the 200 freestyle relay. Marian is the fourth seed in the two freestyle relays, and sixth in the 200 medley relay.
Outside of Marian and Cranbrook, the only Oakland County squad to earn a spot in the final MISCA D3 rankings was Pontiac Notre Dame Prep among the honorable mentions.
The Cranes last won the state title in 2020.
Oakland County athletes to keep an eye on:
• Emma Ciesla, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep — Seeded second in the 200 IM and third in the 100 butterfly. She won a SMISL title in the 200 IM (and the breaststroke), and was third at the county meet in the IM, after placing fifth at the state meet a year ago in the event. She was third in the butterfly at last year’s state meet, as well.
• Julijana Jelic, Cranbrook — The Boston University-committed senior is seeded third in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the 200 IM. She’s the defending D3 champ in the backstroke, and was fourth in last year’s 200 IM.
• Lily Low, Marian — The senior is seeded fourth in the 100 butterfly and 13th in the 50 freestyle. She finished fourth in the backstroke last season, and seventh in the 50 freestyle.
• Meghan Bluethmann, Marian — The freshman is seeded fifth in the 100 freestyle and sixth in the 100 backstroke.
• Elizabeth Kurz, Cranbrook — The freshman is seeded third in the 100 breaststroke and 18th in the 200 IM.