Boys and girls swimmers both top Avon Lake on Senior Day
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The Avon swimming and diving team ended the regular season in fine fashion Saturday, defeating rival Avon Lake at Oberlin College on Senior Day.
The following 14 seniors were recognized for their contributions to the program: Gavin Bello, Kris Childers, Sean Flanigan, Sam Henry, Alex Lasalla, Tommy Lipowski, and Ryan Moody among the boys, and Molly Flaherty, Amanda Hockings, Sarah Hockings, Sierra Kobak, Leyna Le, Ashley Merical and Michele Smith among the girls.
In the pool, the Eagles were equally dominant, as the girls defeated Avon Lake, 117-69, Elyria, 149-15, and Midview, 144-12, and the boys topped the Shoremen, 103-73. The girls won eight of the 12 events, and the boys won nine.
Kobak led the way for the Avon girls, as she had a hand in four first-place finishes. She won the 100-yard butterfly (1 minute, 0.99 seconds) and the 100 backstroke (1:04.10) and swam on the winning 200 medley relay (1:56.18) and the 400 freestyle relay (4:05.93). She was joined by Emma Molenaar, Leah Slivochka and Clare Blayney on the medley relay and Molenaar, Saralyn Miller and Merical on the 400 relay.
Molenaar also won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:21.75. Slivochka also had a part of three victories, as she won the 100 freestyle in 59.56 and was on the winning 200 freestyle relay with Blayney, Smith and Raelyn Laursen. The other winner for the Eagles was diver Molly Flaherty, who won her event by the narrowest of margins, edging Lyla Grabowski of Avon Lake, 162.97-162.52.
Avon’s boys had six swimmers with multiple victories. Lipowski won the 200 freestyle (1:54.90) and the 100 backstroke (1:01.96) and was joined by Flanigan, Bello, and Ian Cibulskas on the 400 freestyle relay (3:28.88). Luke Lundgard won the 50 freestyle (21.90) and the 100 freestyle (49.36) and was joined by Flanigan, Cibulskas and Elliott Brooks on the 200 freestyle relay (1:34.49).
In addition, Bello won the 100 butterfly (56.12) and the 500 freestyle (5:17.30), and Brooks was the winner in the 200 individual medley (2:16.95).
The Eagles will be in action again on Saturday, when the Southwestern Conference meet will be held at Cleveland State University. Both the boys and the girls are the defending champions, and the girls will be going for their sixth consecutive SWC crown.
