Tippecanoe Valley’s medley relay takes off to open the dual Monday night with NorthWood. (Photos by Mike Deak)

AKRON – It’s not February, and that’s OK for a pair of swim programs still looking to get their bearings. Tippecanoe Valley hosted NorthWood Monday night in their annual early-season dual, and with both teams splitting, experience was the biggest winner.

NorthWood would come out the better girls side, taking a 124-55 result, while the Valley boys came through with a 101-60 team total. Both program’s coaches, however, noted the chance to get into the pool against difference faces and race against the clock was the most important thing.

“We have a lot of kids who are willing to work their butts off,” said NorthWood head coach Tim Stutsman. “We don’t have the times that jump off the page, but that’s some of the beauty of early meets like this. It’s a chance to get some work in.”

Added Tippecanoe Valley head coach Matt Craig, “We’ve got a lot of kids who are club swimmers, but haven’t had a lot – or any – high school experience. So for some of the girls, when we swam at Knox, they were like, ‘where is everyone at?’ I told them, this is it, it’s just us and Knox. That was a shock to some of them. So to have a meet like this at home hopefully helped to settle some of those unfamiliar jitters.”

NorthWood’s Kylie Weaver works during the 200 freestyle.

Valley’s boys, in their first action of the season, had Chase Brower take two individual and two relay wins, led by his 100 free (52.36) and backstroke (1:03.92) wins. Five other Vikings had individual wins, with Dakota Prater taking the 200 (2:08.74), Camden Tucker the 50 (27.98), Daniel Alexander the butterfly (1:05.73), Mason Stephens the breaststroke (1:22.49) and Travis Shull diving at 144.65.

All three of the Valley relays were tops, the medley at 2:00.92, the 200 at 2:02.39 and the 400 at 3:58.82.

NorthWood’s Jason McNeil was a double winner in the individual medley (2:24.39) and the 500 (5:43.27).

It was the opposite on the girls side, where NorthWood powered nine of the 12 events, led by its frontline swimmers. Megan Stankovich had a ‘1’ penciled next to her name four times, led by a 6:29.57 in the 500 and 1:18.49 in the backstroke and a pair of relay wins. Kate Jarvis went 27.49 to take the 50 and Laura Schrock had a 176.95 in diving. Ane Azkarate went 2:41.20 to take the 200 and Elle Jansen was the top IM at 2:36.91.

Wood’s medley finished at 2:14.91 in just one of two girls races that were close finishes with Valley, the Vikings at 2:17.84. The Wood 200 was at 2:20.90 and the 400 at 4:38.68.

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do on the girl’s side,” Stutsman said. “Obviously, they have been working a little longer than boys have, and we have some football players that will be joining us. We are a little short on numbers on the boys side, but the work ethic all around has been positive and we expect that all season.”

Olivia Livengood had a decent night for Valley, taking first in the butterfly (1:07.15) and breaststroke (1:22.51) and Mayde Fear claimed the 100 at 1:07.92.

“With a guy like Chase, we have high expectations that he can get to state,” Craig said. “So I’m riding him like a pony at practice that I can’t stand over him and make him work. He has to put in the work. But it’s not limited to just Chase. That’s the expectation I have for all of the kids. I want them to work like they have a chance to state. When you look up at the wall and see some of those records, it’s been 15-20 years since those were put up there. We have the ability to swim at a high level, but they have to want to work at it.”

Both NorthWood and Tippecanoe Valley will swim against Thursday, and both will be on the road. Valley will visit Three Rivers Conference opponent Wabash while NorthWood will visit Northern Lakes Conference pal Warsaw.