The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Hornets ready for big state meet
Saline's hopes for top-10 finish riding on powerful relay squads
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 8, 2007
At the beginning of the 2006-2007 season, Saline head coach Derek Samuelson said that his team's biggest goal was to finish in the top 10 at this weekend's Division 1 state meet.
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With all the qualifying times in the book and all the preparatory meets behind them, Samuelson says there are four teams in the chase for that tenth slot. And the Hornets are one of them.
"It's a four-team race. Right now, we're with (Ann Arbor) Huron, Troy, Grandville, all competing for that 10th spot," Samuelson said. "It's going to come down to who has the best day that day. But we're definitely in the mix."
Samuelson said a top-10 finish would represent a major step forward for the surging Saline program.
"For these guys to achieve this would be huge. It would get us a lot of recognition around the state. It would show that we've become a strong swimming program," he said. "For me personally, I'd say it would be the most memorable accomplishment in my career, as a coach or athlete."
Saline will send a team of six swimmers and up to three divers, depending on the results of diving regionals held late Tuesday evening, to try and get the points necessary. The key races for the Hornets will be the 200-yard medley relay and 200 freestyle relay, featuring the same four swimmers, seniors Noah Whitener and Connor Christie, junior Justin Duong, and sophomore Alex Wu.
That foursome enters the state meet with the fourth-ranked time in the medley and sixth-ranked time in the 200 freestyle.
"Those are our biggest events," Samuelson said. "We have to have top-eight finishes in both, and for the medley, it would be great if could place it in the top four."
Drew Dakin, Nick Schneider, Wu and Duong will swim the 400 freestyle relay. The team will have to move up from a 24th–place qualifying time to 16th to score, but Samuelson says "it's possible."
In individual events, the Hornets will look first to their seniors. Whitener will enter the meet with the sixth seed in the 50 freestyle and fifth in the 100 butterfly, while Christie ranks ninth in the 100 breaststroke and 17th in the 200 individual medley.
"We're hoping Connor can score in the IM and break into the top eight in the breaststroke," Samuelson said. "With Noah, we think he could go as high as second in the 50. He will definitely have a chance to move up."
Another big finish could come from sophomore diver Joel Chambers, who Samuelson feels could finish as high as third.
Duong and Schneider will both swim the 100 backstroke after Schneider qualified at the season-ending Southeastern Conference meet. Duong enters seeded 21st and Schneider 33rd.
"They're ready," Samuelson said of his team. "They're really excited and I think we're going to have a great meet."
The meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Eastern Michigan University.
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