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OAKLAND, Mich. - Led by sensational sophomore Taylor Garcia, Holland repeated as state champions at the MHSAA Division 2 finals.
Holland scored 311.5 points as a team, with runner-up Ann Arbor Skyline (255.5) the only other school within 120 points of the victorious Dutch.
"Today we just had some kids who swam really well," Holland coach Don Kimble said. "We?ve talked about it all year how the second one is harder than the first one. You got a target on your back, everybody?s looking for you,?
Garcia, a sophomore, scored victories in the 100-yard butterfly (54.72 seconds) and 100 backstroke (53.81). She was also a member of the winning 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay teams. The four victories made her the clear choice for Division 2 Swimmer of the Year.
"It was definitely a great thing for us all to experience, especially after last year," Garcia said. "To come back and prove that we still have a lot of talent in our program, I think it says a lot about how far we?ve come.?
"It?s a very humbling thing, I?m glad that I had my team here to help me accomplish it.?
It was an impressive performance considering she has been swimming with a broken thumb for the past three weeks.
"It?s not a huge problem, I think it affected my butterfly turns a little bit," Garcia said. "I was also a little tentative on my finishes because I?m a little scared, but it?s not a huge deal."
Strong performances in the first half of the competition boosted Holland to an early lead. The Dutch won the 200 medley relay to open the meet and they extended their advantage when Holly Morren and Melissa Vandermeulen finished in second and third place, respectively, in the 50 freestyle sprint.
As a team, Holland won seven of the 12 events held on Saturday.
East Grand Rapids (124 points) placed ninth to conclude its first season in Division 2. The Pioneers won Division 3 state titles in 2009 and 2010 and finished second last year before making the jump to face larger schools.
"Division 2 has deeper meets than what we were used to, but the high standards made us swim faster all year," East Grand Rapids coach Butch Briggs said. "Our goal coming into the year was to get in the top 10 in the state."
East Grand Rapids junior Anna Stephens finished 11th in both the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. Fellow junior Emily Lundquist got 10th in the 100 freestyle and freshman Emily Converse was eighth in the 200 freestyle, the Pioneers' best result in an individual swimming event.
However, East Grand Rapids was buoyed by top 10 finishes in all three relays, highlighted by a fifth-place time in the 200 freestyle, which was less than three seconds behind first-place Holland. Lundquist, Stevens and Converse all participated in that effort, along with junior Hailey Hubbard.
Lundquist and Hubbard swam in all three successful relays, with Stevens, Converse and sophomore Morgan Roberts lending their skills in two.
"We knew today that the only place we were really going to be able to score was in the relays," Briggs said. "We were a little bit 'deer in the headlights' at (Friday's) prelims, but we came back and had a good all-around meet."
The East Grand Rapids divers also did well under the guidance of multiple-time Michigan diving coach of the year Anne Williamson. Sophomore Vanessa Merritt came in seventh in the 1-meter competition, followed by senior Emily Levitt in 16th.
"There have been ups and downs, but it really came together at the end and we finished up strong," Williamson said. "I always push them to their limits, and they kept chugging away and working hard. It all pays off in the end."
Williamson also expressed excitement about incoming freshmen divers for next season. The Pioneers figure to be a contender for the Division 2 crown in 2013, as 11 of their 13 competitors will return.
Forest Hills Central (52 points) rode strong efforts from junior Alex Hoiles and sophomore Katlynn Emaus to a 12th-place team result.
Hoiles swam the 100 backstroke in 57.53 seconds, good for fifth. Emaus also recorded a fifth-place time, completing the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.60. In addition, the Rangers' foursome of Hoiles, Emaus, freshman Maddy Wilson and Meghan Ringler placed eighth in the 200 freestyle relay.
Jenison (40 points) was 17th of 31 teams at Oakland University. Wildcats senior Tiffany Ray got eighth in the 200 individual medley and 13th in the 100 backstroke.
Ray also swam in Jenison's only relay team that qualified, as the Wildcats finished 13th in the 200 medley relay. Sophomore Morgan VanderSchaaf pulled off a 10th-place time in the 500 freestyle.
AnnArbor.com's Matt Durr reported on Holland for this piece.
Source: http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/article/-6264227373612530974
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