CLEVELAND – Six days after an impressive showing at the Mansfield Sectional swim meet, nine Madison swimmers advanced to Friday’s Division II District Swim Meet at Cleveland State University.
Brooklyn Maurer, Josephine Bundgaard, Audrey Shoup, and Haley Wiley kicked off the meet with a 3.5 second drop in the girls 200 medley relay. Seeded 16th going into the meet, the relay finished 10th on Friday night thanks to lifetime best splits from Bundgaard (31.25), Shoup (31.04), and Wiley (28.48). The quartet is now the 8th fastest medley relay in school history.
“For Audrey and Haley, this was a perfect finish to two wonderful swim careers,” said fourth-year head coach Mathew Wade. “Those kids have worked incredibly hard for what it took to get to districts. They both need to be incredibly proud of what they’ve done. Not just to end their careers here, but to do it the way they did, swimming lifetime best splits, was really incredible”
Bundgaard recorded a 13th place finish in the 200 Individual Medley and a 10th place finish in the 100 meter breaststroke. The Danish exchange student ends the season as the 6th fastest IM swimmer (2:24.11) and the 4th fastest breaststroke (1:11.93) in school history.
“Josephine has had a tremendous impact on our team and our program,” said Wade. “Having an opportunity to coach her and get to know her has been incredibly rewarding. Her work ethic, determination, and personality, both in and out of the water, are all things we will miss from her.”
Maurer finished 24th in the 200 meter freestyle (2:09.07) and 11th in the 100 backstroke (1:03.57). Maurer’s backstroke swim now makes her the 2nd fastest backstroke swimmer in school history. The only person ahead of her is 6-time state champion Melisa Stone-Watters, who swam a 58.48 back in 1993.
Senior Nick Barcroft, the 2nd fastest breastroke swimmer in school history, bettered his time from the sectional meet by finishing 26th on Friday with a 1:10.84.
Coach Wade added, “Nick is one of the four I had from my first year coaching. He has come a very long way from his freshman year. I joked with him about being DQed in the 100 breast at sectionals his freshman year and laugh looking at where he is now. He came a very long way. To taper to a 1:11 at sectionals this year, then to better that time on Friday says a lot. That’s remarkable.”
The only breaststroke swimmer ahead of Barcroft is current teammate Colby Titus. Titus finished 29th in the 50 meter free with a 24.05. Later in the meet, he bettered his school record with a 1:04.48 and finishing in 9th place in the 100 meter breaststroke.
The boys 400 meter free relay team of Ryan Boyer, Jarod Lykins, Cody Piddock, and Colby Titus ended the meet in exciting fashion. After swimming the third leg of the relay at sectionals, Wade let Ryan Boyer lead off the relay in hopes of recording a top 12 time in the 100 meter freestyle. Boyer made the most of his opportunity. His leadoff time of 55.35 is now 8th fastest in school history. After Lykins (57.47), Piddock (55.54), and Titus (53.55) closed out the relay, the clock read 3:41.91. That relay ends the season as being the 2nd fastest 400 free relay in school history.
“When I talked to Ryan on Monday at practice, I told him I would let him lead off the (400 meter) relay in hopes of getting a top 12 time in the 100 free,” said Wade. “He swam lights out for us from Christmas break on this year and ended his career the right way.”
For more details about the Madison High School Swim Team, check out http://www.madisonswimming.weebly.com.
