Tecumseh sets school records at state meet

By MICKEY ALVARADO

Three of Tecumseh High School’s records fell at the Division 3 state swim and dive meet at Holland on Saturday, Nov. 20, with the Indians recording their best finish ever as a team under coach Sarah Eubanks (2000).

The Holland Aquatic Center was filled to near capacity with excited fans cheering their favorite team or individual on. Tecumseh’s followers were able to add to the roaring crowd’s cheers having the Indians place in the top 16 in all but one of the events they qualified for.

Tecumseh recorded a seventh place finish overall with 98 points and broke its 200-yard Medley Relay school record twice, on both Friday and Saturday, to finish as the state’s runner-up in the event. The Indians’ team of senior Allie Merritt, sophomore Rachel Waite, freshman Marlene Kelley and junior Danielle Sloan recorded the school’s fastest time ever in the race with 1:51.39.

“We were hoping for a top 10 finish as a team so it worked out pretty well,” said Tecumseh swim coach Eubanks. “It was very exciting.”

Last year, the Indians finished 11th overall as a team with 74 points.
The Indians were ranked third in the 200-yard Medley Relay going into the finals so their goal was to improve and beat the No. 2 ranked team, Detroit Country Day. East Grand Rapids won the race in an amazing 1:48.82.

All of the Indians’ individual times were career bests. Waite followed the opening event with a fourth place finish in the 200-yard IM with a new school record time of 2:11.59. She also placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke in a school record time of 1:06.99. She had already owned both records.

Merritt took fifth place in the 100-yard backstroke with a career best time of 1:00.79 and placed 12th in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:01.50.

Sloan also competed in the 50-yard freestyle and placed 15th in 25.64.

The Indians qualified in all three relays and placed 11th in the 200-yard freestyle with the team of Waite, Kelley, Nicole Greene and Sloan recording a time of 1:42.13.

Tecumseh’s 400-yard freestyle relay (Kelley, Waite, Greene, Merritt) came in just outside of the top 16, finishing as an alternate (17th place) with a time of 3:51.91.

Adrian placed 14th overall (65 points) as a team and was led by freshman Jennifer Wagley with a second place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (58.19). She also finished third in front of Waite in the 200 IM (2:10.99). Wagley works out with the Indians during the summer.

“I coach her a little bit too,” said Eubanks. “It was nice to see Lenawee County represented so well.”

With the amount of youth taken to the state meet this season the Indians are looking to return stronger than ever next year. Merritt was the only senior swimmer at the state meet this season.

“Hopefully we can fill in those spots next year and do just as well,” said Eubanks.