Oxford squeaks to second-place FML swim/dive meet finish

By Richard Zowie
Leader Staff Writer

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, then this past weekend’s Flint Metro League Swim and Dive Meet was the place to be.
While Fenton easily outdistanced its six opponents with 598 total points, Oxford prevailed in a photo finish for second place. The Wildcats took the proverbial red ribbon with 284 points, Brandon finished third with 283 and Lapeer swam to fourth with 282.
‘I am so proud of our team and I am already looking forward to next year,? said Head Coach Jackie Boswell, who is also coaching the newly-formed Boys Swim and Dive Team.
Earning First-Team honors for the Flint Metro League was Allison Woonton, who also had two first-place finishes: a 2:24.17 time in the 200-Yard Individual Medley (which earned her the first-team honors) and a 1:06.07 in the 100-Yard Backstroke.
Jenna Mallard and Claire Patrell both earned Second-Team All-FML honors with their efforts. Mallard attained that honor with a second-place finish of 2:12.90 in the 200-Yard Freestyle while Patrell earned the honor with a second-place 1:10.14 in the 100-Yard Butterfly.
In diving, Lindsay Sutherland and Olivia Martin placed fifth and eighth, respectively, and qualified for regionals. They will compete at the Regional Championships Nov. 18 at Lakeland High School with an opportunity to advance to state competition.
Another school record fell as Mallard, Woonton, Patrell and Anna Daves? third-place finish in the 200-Yard Medley Relay set a time of 2:05.99.
While leading off the 400-Yard Freestyle Relay, Mallard set a new school record in the 100-Yard Freestyle in dramatic fashion. Her broke her previous record of 1:01.58 with a time of 1:01.56’edging out the old time by two hundredths of a second.
Three swimmers also had personal-best times. Jennie Sunman swam to a time of 1:16.50 and took ninth place in the 100-Yard Butterfly, Rikki Jarvis placed 15th and swam to 1:06.62 in the 100-Yard Freestyle and in the 500-Yard Freestyle, Kaitlyn Kimmel finished at a personal-best 6:31.34 at 12th.
Other point earners for the Wildcats were:
200-Yard Freestyle: Sarah Skelton in seventh, Kristin Simmers in ninth and Kimmel in 11th.
50-Yard Freestyle: Daves took 15th at 29.50 while Ellen Saville took 16th.
100-Yard Butterfly: Kristin Simmers finished 12th.
100-Yard Freestyle, Daves finished ninth at 1:04.45. Saville finished 13th.
500-Yard Freestyle: Mallard finished fifth at 6:08.41 while Skelton took ninth.
100-Yard Backstroke: Sunman finished seventh and Kara Charles came in 12th.
Emily Gilmore finished 12th in the 100-Yard Breaststroke at 1:27.65.
The 400 Freestyle Relay of Mallard, Daves, Patrell, and Woonton took third.
Molly Bonfiglio took 10th in the diving competition.