The Liquid Lightning (LL) swim team had a hard-earned third-place finish overall at the 13-14 & Open Michigan Swimming State Championship March 16-18 at Zeeland West High School, Zeeland, Mich.
The showing included seven individual State Champion titles, two relay State Champion titles, multiple High Point wins, and many top-16 finishes.
LL’s Open Women’s relay team of Haley Kornburger, Hannah Kopydlowski, Emily Shallman, and Annelise Jongekrijg won the State Championship in the 400 Free Relay.
The Open Women’s relay team of Kopydlowski, Kornburger, Jongekrijg, and Theresa Riviera won the State Championship in the 800 Free Relay.
Leading the way in individual events, Jongekrijg also earned three State Champion titles: 50 Free, 100 Free, and 200 Free in the Open Women’s division. She also placed third in both the 100 Back and 200 Back. Also a State Champion in the Open Women’s division was Kornburger for her 100 Fly.
Devon Nowicki was State Champion in both the 100 Breast and 200 Breast for the 13-14 Men’s division. Daniel Abbott was 50 Free State Champion in the Open Also key to the team’s success were the multiple High Point winners.
In the 13- 14 Men’s division, Nowicki placed eighth. In the Open Women’s division, Jongekrijg placed second; Kornburger was fifth; and Kopydlowski placed 13th. In the Open Men’s division, Abbott was fifth among the High Point winners.
Also in the Open Women’s division, Kornburger, in addition to her 100 Fly State title and relay titles, was sixth in the 50 Free and 200 Free; seventh in the 100 Free; eighth in the 100 Back; and fourth in the 200 Fly. Relay State title holder Shallman was also seventh in the 100 Fly; 12th in the 200 IM; and 15th in the 400 IM.
In the Open Men’s division, Abbott, in addition to his 50 Free State title, was second in the 100 Free; fourth in the 200 Free; seventh in the 500 Free; and 11th in the 100 Fly. Brien Moffitt was third in the 1000 Free and 10th in the 400 IM.
‘Our third-place finish in team points was our best ever and firmly places us among the best teams in Michigan,? said LL Head Coach Tom Arusoo. ‘We had several event winners, most notable being Annie Jongekrijg, who won the Open Women’s 50, 100 and 200 Frees. Congratulations to our other first-place finishers, including Haley Kornburger, Danny Abbott, Devon Nowicki, and the Open Women’s relays, and to all of the 31 participating swimmers. Let’s keep the ball rolling!?
The Liquid Lightning swim team includes more than 200 swimmers from Lake Orion and surrounding areas.