The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Hornets pick up pair of wins
Saline also wraps up SEC slate with solid win over Lincoln
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 7, 2008
After a recent rash of illnesses, the Saline swim team is healthy again. And with two tricky road dual meets on the slate last week and the end of the season fast approaching, head coach Todd Brunty said Monday the return to health couldn't have arrived too soon.
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"This is the first time in five weeks we've had everyone in the pool," Brunty said at Monday's practice. "I definitely think we've made it through the worst of it. The guys are excited. We've worked all year to get to where we are today."
That work has the Hornets coming off of a pair of dual meet victories. The first was Jan. 29 at Milan, 114-69, and the second was a hard-fought, 101-85 victory at Dexter last Friday.
With several key Hornets still battling illness, Saline trailed the Dreadnaughts midway through their meet before Sam Wittig, Travis Littlejohn and R.J Fisher finished first, third and fourth (in times of 5:17.46, 5:22.80 and 5:25.49, respectively) to outscore Dexter 11-5 in the 500-yard freestyle and turn momentum back to the Hornets.
"That's what got the ball rolling," Brunty said. "We came through in the end and pulled out a win. We had some guys who were still under the weather and showed some real guts. They gave their all for the team."
As an example of how exhausted some of Saline's swimmers were by the end of the meet, the team's 400 freestyle relay "B" team of Mike Hughes, Seth Waits, Adam Pummell and Littlejohn outswam (3:40.58 to 3:43.54, second place to third) the Saline "A" team of Alex Wu, Daniel Kung, Wittig and Justin Duong.
But by that point, Saline already had wrapped up the win. Although Dexter claimed the win in both freestyle relays, Duong, Matt DeFauw, Jake Engelmeier and Wu took the 200 medley relay in 1:43.94. Wittig won the 200 individual medley in 2:07.91, Duong the 100 backstroke in 57.28 and Fisher the 100 breaststroke in 1:05.21.
Saline also got its usual big boost from their divers as Joel Chambers and Hank Remenapp finished 1-2 with scores of 237.75 and 211.50, respectively. Nathan Furey (124.35) also grabbed fifth for an 11-5 Saline edge on the diving board.
At Milan, Kung, Mike Fisher, Englmeier and Wu won the 200 medley relay in 1:49.56, and the Hornets never looked back.
Other winners included Duong (1:51.26) in the 200 freestyle; Mike Hughes (2:12.16) in the 200 individual medley; Chambers (232.05) in diving; Andrew Krieber (58.79) in the 100 butterfly; Duong, Engelmeier, Kung and Wu (1:32.36) in the 200 freestyle relay; Fraser Christie (1:03.16) in the 100 backstroke; Adam Pummell (1:10.22) in the 100 breaststroke; and Duong, Kung, Wu and Engelmeier (3:27.84) in the 400 freestyle relay.
Only four meets remain in Saline's season, starting with Friday's dual meet at No. 2 Ann Arbor Huron.
"We think this is going to be a pretty good meet for us," Brunty said. "I think because of the work we've done, we're going to be able to finish (the season) strong."
Other results from Dexter are as follows: 200 medley relay — 3, Christie, Daniel Furey, Krieber, Seth Waits, 1:51.63; 6, Brad Frost, Matt Sisken, R.J. Fisher, Devin Slagle, 2:00.94; 200 freestyle — 3, Mike Hughes, 1:56.43; 4, Kung, 1:58.96; 6, Pummell, 2:04.44; 200 IM — 3, Mike Fisher, 2:10.48; 4, Littlejohn, 2:17.51; 50 freestyle — 2, Wu, 23.45; 4, Waits, 24.78; 4, Engelmeier, 24.78; 8, Brian Raeker, 26.61; 9, Zeke Ayers, 27.53; 100 butterfly — 2, Krieber, 59.07; 3, Christie, 1:01.81; 6, Frost, 1:06.97; 100 freestyle — 2, Duong, 50.94; 4, Mike Hughes, 52.87; 6, Kung, 53.30; 7, Dan Hughes, 55.26; 8, Steven Hurbis, 56.26; 9, Connor Corcoran, 57.36; 13, Brian Thompson, 1:07.33; 18, Billy Kung, 2:07.07; 200 freestyle relay — 2, Waits, Kung, Mike Hughes, Engelmeier, 1:36.07; 3, Daniel Furey, Slagle, Dan Hughes, Mike Fisher, 1:41.55; 4, Frost, Ayers, Jeff Moore, Connor Corcoran, 1:44.88; 100 backstroke — 3, Wu, 59.76; 4, Christie, 1:02.15; 100 breaststroke — 2, DeFauw, 1:05.38; 6, Sisken, 1:12.76; 400 freestyle relay — 5, Hurbis, Raeker, Thompson, Alex Smith, 3:53.19.
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