The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Saline picks up three wins over weekend
Hornets down Tecumseh, South Lyon and Country Day
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 24, 2008
Last week, the Saline boys' swim team came back from a dual meet at Tecumseh and a four-team meet at Northville with three wins and some of their best times of the season.
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But head coach Todd Brunty is currently more concerned with what the Hornets are going to do this week, and not just in the pool.
"The big focus this week is on finals," he said. "We're just training once a day, trying to get everyone healthy and put our focus on our academics."
While members of the team might not be looking past their exams, Brunty said that their success last week is a good sign that the Hornets will be ready once the semester is finished and the can charge full-speed toward their end-of-season meets.
"As a team, we're learning how to get through the different parts of the season," Brunty said. "We took on some pretty good competition and we've got a real positive outlook. We're going to get through this week, get healthy and get after it."
Saline traveled to Tecumseh Friday and downed the Indians, the third-ranked team in Division 3, 110-76. The Hornets dominated the freestyle events as Jake Engelmeier won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:51.54, Alex Wu took the 50 freestyle in 23.33, and Justin Duong finished first in the 100 freestyle in 50.81.
In the freestyle relays, Wu, Engelmeier, Mike Hughes and Daniel Kung won the 200 in 1:34.02, and Engelmeier, Duong, Kung and Sam Wittig the 400 in 3:31.85.
Wittig also took first in the 200 individual medley in 2:07.95, while Duong won the 100 backstroke in 56.55.
Saline squared off Saturday with South Lyon, Detroit Country Day and hosts Northville in a four-way meet. Saline fell to the Mustangs 118-68, but defeated South Lyon 127-59 and Detroit Country Day 153-32.
"We weren't 100 percent physically, and Northville is just a better team than we are right now," Brunty said, "but Tecumseh and South Lyon are local teams, so it was good to pick up those wins. All in all, we swam pretty darned good."
Saline kicked off the quad meet with its best time of the season in the 200 medley relay as Duong, Wittig, Engelmeier and Wu took first in 1:42.52. Other winners in the pool included Wu (23.29) in the 50 freestyle, Duong (55.79) in the 100 backstroke, and Mike Fisher (1:03.99) in the 100 breaststroke. Fisher was the only freshman to win an event at the meet, relays included.
As usual, Saline also shone on the diving board. Joel Chambers and Hank Remenapp finished 1-2 at both meets, with Chambers scoring a 227.45 in Tecumseh and a 206.25 in Northville, and Remenapp a 208.25 and 201.60 in the two meets.
The Hornets will be challenged again this week as they travel to take on No. 1 Ann Arbor Pioneer Friday, followed by the annual Dexter Freshman-Sophomore meet Saturday.
"We're going to go and try to compete as best we can," Brunty said of the Pioneer meet. "We want to keep stacking ourselves up against the best programs in the state. At Dexter, we're hoping we can break a few meet records that have been there for a while.
"It's a good week of competition and the boys are excited."
Saline's top non-winning performances from each event from the Tecumseh included Wu, Matt Defauw, Duong and Wittig (second, 1:46.17) in the 200 medley relay; Mike Hughes (third, 1:54.75) in the 200 freestyle; Fisher (third, 2:13.64) in the 200 IM; Seth Waits (third, 24.79); Mike Hughes (third, 59.43) in the 100 butterfly; Wu (fourth, 51.72) in the 100 freestyle; Brad Frost (second, 5:17.77, a lifetime best) in the 500 freestyle; Waits, Andrew Krieber, Devin Slagle, and Dan Hughes (third, 1:42.32) in the 200 freestyle relay; Adam Pummell (third, 1:02.10) in the 100 backstroke; Fisher (second, 1:05.30) in the 100 breaststroke; and Mike Hughes, Waits, Travis Littlejohn, and Pummell (second, 3:37.86) in the 400 freestyle relay.
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