WATERFORD — It was more than talent that figured in the University of Detroit Jesuit winning the Catholic High School League boys swimming championship last Saturday afternoon at Kettering High School.
“It’s the culture, 100 percent,” coach Drew Edson responded to an inquiry about the Cubs’ success in bringing home a CHSL trophy for the third time in the last four years. You’d have to clear the cobwebs off the record book for an era of similar success in U of D Jesuit’s history, five swim titles in six seasons, between 1966 and 1971.
“It’s the way they treat each other,” Edson explained. “The way they love each other. They support each other. The fast swimming comes after that. That’s our No. 1 priority: being a family, doing things together as a group.”
The Cubs outdistanced the defending champion, Novi Detroit Catholic Central, by 121 points, 536 to 415, followed by Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 334, Ann Abor Greenhills 285, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 235, Warren De La Salle 136, Allen Park Cabrini 81 and Dearborn Divine Child 49.
Pressed to cite individual performances, Edson deferred. “That’s a really tough question, who’s outstanding. I could give you a list of 30 names of every kid on the roster. But that would be a doing a disservice to everybody. They all work hard.”
Some 16 swimmers finished in the top eight places in the championship rounds of the dozen events.
Foremost was senior Evan Tack, who led off two winning relays (the 200 medley and 400 freestyle) and won a pair of individual races, the 200 free and 100 backstroke. He is committed to Boston College.
Sophomore Charlie McCuiston covered the 100 freestyle in 45.72 seconds, breaking the record of 45.85 a year ago by Colin Zexter of Cranbrook. McCuiston also won the 200 meter IM and swam a leg of the winning 400 freestyle relay.
Senior Hank Biebuyck, sophomore Wyatt Ramseyer and senior Aiden Franklin were 1-2-3 in the diving event.
Senior Matt Garza swam in the winning 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.
Sophomore Pat Mackillop swam the second leg and sophomore Brady Hendzell the fourth leg in the 200 medley relay.
Freshman Jack McCuiston swam the third lap in the 400 freestyle relay.
The other Cub swimmers who finished among the top 8 places were seniors Dominic Maceroni and Hans Boelstler; junior Sean Kanary; sophomores Charlie Michael and Adam Smigielski; and freshmen Lucas Hixon and Michael Bailey.
Other event winners:
Camren Turowski, of Catholic Central, did the 50-yard freestyle in 20.69 seconds, a tenth of a second faster than the Shamrocks’ Mario McDonald’s 20.70 five years ago.
Catholic Central’s Adyn Stoddard, Jack Szuba, James Meiselbach and Turowski combined to win the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Ann Abor Greenhills had a pair of winners: Jeremiah Green in the 100 butterfly and Chris Gregg in the 500-yard freestyle.
Junior Al Farner of Cranbrook Kingswood won the 100-yard breaststroke.
State finals are scheduled for the upcoming weekend, March 14-15: Division 1 at the Holland Aquatic Center, Division 2 at Oakland University and Division 3 at Eastern Michigan University.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
