Earlier this season, the Oakland Press ranked the boys varsity swimming and diving team second in the county only behind cross-town rival Groves. Thursday’s OAA Division 1 League Meet helped the Maples prove that they are the best.
With an impressive finish to an equally impressive season, the team won the league championship meet, beating Groves by 45 points. Seaholm finished with a score of 494.5, and is looking strong heading into the state meet.
“For top performers, I would have to say Andrew Provost, Spencer Rogers, and Nick Wylie,” said senior Sean Neuenfeldt.
But the boys insist, this is not the where the success will end.
“The younger swimmers really stepped up,” senior DJ Lydy said. “Everybody had a role in the win.”
The success of the younger swimmers is promising for the future of the swimming program at Seaholm.
The 50 yd free was a successful event for Seaholm, earning 66 points for the team with five swimmers placing in the top 16.
Sophomore Spencer Rogers finished first with an impressive score of 22.29, and senior DJ Lydy finished third with a score of 22.49, just .04 seconds away from a second place finish.
Sophomore Nick Wylie won the 500 yd free event with a time of 4:50.20, securing another 20 points for the team.
The 200 yd freestyle relay, consisting of Lydy, Rogers, Wylie, and freshman Daniel Hernandez, finished first, earning 40 points for Seaholm with a time of 1:28.63 40.
“Basically, we owned,” Gallinger said. “It boosts our confidence.”
Prior to the start of the season, many didn’t give the team much of a chance to win the league meet. With the departures of Morgan Priestly and Andrew Skandalaris, two of Seaholm’s best swimmers last season, their prospects weren’t looking all that great in the eyes of the astute experts.
“We weren’t even supposed to come close,” Spencer Rogers said.
“Seaholm swimming is the Cinderella story for 2009,” Lydy said.
Lydy, however, maintains that he never had any doubt this year’s swimming and diving team would be able to produce tremendous results.
“We knew that we could be good,” Lydy said. “And yesterday, we finally reached our potential.”
Seaholm has surpassed every expectation by winning the OAA Division 1 League Meet. But those on the team are not fully satisfied. They are hungry for more.
“We have a legitimate chance at states,” Matt Gallinger said
Next for Seaholm’s swimming and diving team is the OAA Super Meet on Saturday, February 28. The meet is the second part of the league meets and isn’t based by division. Every single OAA team will compete, vying for the chance to stake their claim as the best in Oakland County.
