Wawasee’s Hayden Neer competes in the individual medley Thursday night at the Northern Lakes Conference Girls Swim Championships at Concord. InkFreeNews photos by Mike Deak

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

DUNLAP and MIDDLEBURY – It was truly unique, and unprecedented. For the first time in the conference’s history, the Northern Lakes Conference Girls Swim Championship preliminary round was held simultaneously in two locations.

Thursday night had four teams – Wawasee, Plymouth, Mishawaka and Concord – run its prelim rounds at the Concord Aquatic Center. The other four NLC programs – Warsaw, NorthWood, Goshen and Northridge – held its events at the exact same time at the Northridge Natatorium. Events were started exactly per predetermined times at both locations, as all 11 swim events were conducted to compile its championship and consolation rounds for Saturday, which will bring everyone together at Concord.

As the events were completed, the times were then plugged into the master computer at Concord and the finals were drawn up accordingly.

NorthWood’s Madie Hawkins swims in the 500 freestyle at the Northern Lakes Conference Girls Swim Championships at Northridge.

While Wawasee didn’t “win” any of the prelim swims, the Warriors have a host of swimmers in championship events. Both Alexis Mishler and Cammy Kryder are in line for title runs in the same events – the 50 free and backstroke. Mishler timed second at 1:00.67 and Kryder third at 1:01.17 in the backstroke with Mishler second (24.87) and Kryder seventh (25.82) in the 50. Teammates Lily Tyler and Hayden Neer are both primed for runs in the finals, Tyler fifth in the 200 free (2:04.39) and fourth in the 500 (5:32.00) and Neer fifth in the individual medley (2:22.00) and fifth in the breaststroke (1:10.88).

Rileigh Atwood also claimed a spot in two finals for the Warriors, going sixth in the breaststroke (1:11.16) and eighth in the 100 free (58.19).

Warsaw doesn’t have a top four seed going into the final, but has several swimmers working double duty in finals.

Rachel Doyle dropped 17 seconds off her seed time in the 500 to make the championship finals, swimming 5:44.35 for seventh, and later dropped three seconds to seed fifth (1:05.02) in the backstroke. Mariana Malagon also dropped three seconds in the back (1:06.23) to slide into eighth, and timed 2:25.29 to take the seventh lane in the IM.

Macelyn Marcuccilli and Marissa Howett are also alive in two finals, Howett at 2:05.11 in the 200 free and 58.15 in the 100 free and Marcuccilli at 1:14.50 in the breast and 25.68 in the 50 free.

Gracie Scholl also earned a finals berth in the 100 free, placing sixth at 57.72.

NorthWood has Elle Roberts alive for championships in both of her events, placing seventh in the 200 free at 2:04.66 and sixth in the 50 free at 25.77.

Wawasee and Warsaw have all three of its relays – the medley, 200 and 400 – active for Saturday. NorthWood did not enter a relay into the preliminary round.

The NLC will conduct its diving championships Friday evening at Concord, a 6 p.m. start with prelims and finals. The swim championships will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, also at Concord.

Warsaw’s Mariana Malagon, right, congratulates teammate Rachel Doyle after the two both set season best times in the backstroke at the Northern Lakes Conference Girls Swim Championships at Northridge.