Sam was chosen as athlete of the meet as much for his presence on-deck as for his performance in the water. Sam's contributions to the team are unquestioned. He consistently wins the dive competition and is establishing himself as one of the best divers in the state. But what really separates Sam from others is his ability to elevate his teammates and make them better. Tonight provided yet another example. Sam spent significant time reviewing video from the competition to help his teammates improve their dives. His willingness to put others before himself is the sign a true leader.
Michael had a very strong meet tonight. He provided a solid lead-off leg for the medley relay. Then he followed that up with a region-qualifying time in the 100 freestyle in his first entry in that event this season. During the 200 freestyle relay he literally gave all he could, posting an impressive split despite cramping up mid-way through his race. Michael has been an important part of our success over the past four years, and he continues to be so this year.
Maggie continues to have a strong freshman season, winning the 100 butterfly this evening and finishing second in the 200 IM. She works hard every week and is a solid performer in some of the most demanding events. She continues to push her teammates in practice and in meets, which only makes our team stronger. She has a positive attitude that encourages those around her. Her career at Madison looks very bright indeed and we look forward to seeing what she can accomplish this year and for years to come!
There were several other athletes who had noteworthy performances this week:
- Hannah Carmen -- Hannah had another strong meet this week. In the 200 freestyle she went out hard and stuck with two state-level swimmers for most of the race. And her anchor leg in the 400 freestyle relay helped hold off a spirited challenge by Westfield for third.
- Elsa Marsden -- Elsa had a strong meet tonight, making the region cut once again. She also works hard every week to grow her list and improve on the dives she's already mastered. She learned a new dive this week and will help provide a significant advantage for our team in dive when we enter championship season.
- Elizabeth Kuhlkin -- Elizabeth had a very successful debut tonight. After being injured to start the season Elizabeth returned to win the 100 freestyle and finished second in the 50 free. While the coaching staff appreciates all the work she did to help on-deck we are thankful to have Elizabeth back in the water!
- Cole Dyson -- Cole made the region cut in his 500 freestyle tonight for the first time this season by essentially negative-splitting his race. He did the same thing in the 200 as well. Cole also continues to be an essential part of our success in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The team's ability to compete at the district, region and state level is due, in part, to Cole's long-distance swimming abilities.
- Aidan McInerney -- Aidan earned recognition for his exciting finish in the 500 freestyle. It is not often that a 20-lap race ends with a close finish, but it certainly did with Aidan tonight. Despite being behind with 50 yards to go, Aidan found another gear and passed his opponent from Westfield in the final yards of the race!
- Ben Shroeder -- Ben Shroeder continued his stand-out season with strong performances in both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Ben is a leader on the team who works hard and encourages his teammates during practices.
- Liam Ryan -- Liam's performance tonight was made all the more impressive by the fact that he successfully completed TWO new dives. Due to an oversight with his dive sheet, not only were the dives new to Liam, but he had never even attempted them until tonight! While it's not the ideal way to learn new dives, Liam handled the situation with grace and good humor.
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