Warsaw Cleans Up In Opener

The Warsaw boys and girls swim teams started the season on the right foot with wins over Northern Lakes Conference opponent NorthWood Thursday night.

The girls squad defeated NorthWood 130-46, while the Tiger boys got a 126-56 win over the Panthers.

On the girls' side of the meet, Warsaw placed first in 11 of 12 events to get the win.

The Tigers jumped out to an early lead after the 200 medley relay. Warsaw's team of Sarah Cook, Nikki Albertson, Becky Cook and Laura Noggle placed first, and two other Warsaw teams placed third and fourth to give the Tigers a 10-4 lead.

After the 100 butterfly, Warsaw held a 64-25 lead. In the 100 freestyle, Warsaw's Amber Michelini and Aislinn Ummel and NorthWood's Veloris Hess were neck and neck after the first turn, but Ummel pulled ahead in the final lap. Ummel turned on the jets and finished six seconds ahead of the pack to get a first-place finish.

NorthWood's lone first-place finish came in the 100 breaststroke. Hess and Warsaw's Jennifer Finch were within an arm's length through the majority of the race, but Hess increased her lead to a full body length at the last turn. Hess' time of 1:21.28 topped Finch's time of 1:25.83 by just over four seconds.

In the final event of the girls meet, Warsaw's 400 relay team of Ummel, Claire Beckett, Hillary Barlow and Jaci Thallemer finished 15 seconds ahead of its nearest competitor.

When all was said and done, Warsaw earned a 130-46 win over the Panthers.

"The team swam very well tonight," said Warsaw girls coach Terry Aukeman. "We tried some girls in different events, and overall, the times were great.

"We had 11 of 12 first-place finishes, and all the first place times were near personal-best times."

The boys meet started much like the girls with Warsaw's team of Cory Gackenheimer, Brandon Moore, Kiel Beehler and Mike Thallemer placing first and two other Warsaw teams placing third and fourth.

After five events, the Tigers held a 53-24 lead, but NorthWood's Andrew Whitehead placed first in the 100 butterfly to chip into Warsaw's lead. Whitehead's time of 57.83 bested Warsaw's Brandon Moore by nearly five seconds and made the score 62-30 in Warsaw's favor.

Then Michael Jenks won the 100 freestyle to increase the Warsaw lead. Jenks and Nick Abel battled for first place until the first turn. Jenks pulled ahead and finshed the race in 51.95 seconds. Abel placed second with a time of 55.40.

Whitehead got NorthWood's second first-place finish of the night in the 100 backstroke. His time of 57.39 topped Brandon Moore's 1:00.65.

"Andrew Whitehead swam really well tonight," said NorthWood coach Mary Robertson.

Going into the last event of the evening, Warsaw held a 116-52 advantage. The Warsaw 400 freesyle relay team of Brett Moore, Joe Clevenger, Josh Stork and Kiel Beehler coasted to an eight second win over NorthWood's Whitehead, Nick Abel, C.J. Cunningham and Nick Larsen to give Warsaw the 126-56 win.

"I think we did a really good job as a team tonight," said Warsaw boys coach Chris LaLonde. "Kiel Beehler in the 200 IM and Brett Moore in the 100 and 200 freestyle did very well for us tonight."

"Warsaw has a nice team," said Robertson. "They should do very well by the end of the season."

Warsaw's boys, 1-0, host Elkhart Central Saturday morning, while the girls, also 1-0, host Huntington North Wednesday. NorthWood's boys are 1-1, while the girls fall to 0-2. The Panthers will host Plymouth Tuesday in Nappanee.

BOYS: WARSAW 126, NORTHWOOD 56

200 Medley Relay -Ê1. Warsaw (Gackenheimer, Ba. Moore, Beehler, Thallemer) 1:48.53; 2. NorthWood (Whitaker, Abel, Larsen, Holsopple); 3. Warsaw (Munsch, Nichol, Owens, Stork); 4. Warsaw (MIchelini, Olivera, Haas, Cavinder)

200 Freestyle -Ê1. Bt. Moore (W) 1:59.22; 2. Clevenger (W); 3. Holsopple (N); 4. Emerick (N); 5. Lester (W)

200 Individual Medley -Ê1. Beehler (W) 2:09.43; 2. Jenks (W); 3. Larsen (N); 4. Cavinder (W)

50 Freestyle -Ê1. Thallemer (W) 23.93; 2. Abel (N); 3. Cunningham (N); 4. Munsch (W); 5. Ring (W); 6. Myers (N)

Diving -Ê1. Anglin (W) 184.90; 2. Myers (N); 3. Kretsch (W); 4. Keirn (W); 5. Stouder (N)

100 Butterfly -Ê1. Whitehead (N) 57.83; 2. Ba. Moore (W); 3. Thallemer (W); 4. Gackenheimer (W)

100 Freestyle -Ê1. Jenks (W) 51.95; 2. Abel (N); 3. Cunningham (N); 4. Munsch (W); 5. Cavinder (W)

500 Freestyle -Ê1. Bt. Moore (W) 5:31.35; 2. Stork (W); 3. Clevenger (W); 4. Larsen (N)

200 Freestyle Relay - 1. Warsaw (Bt. Moore, Beehler, Munsch, Jenks) 1:39.89; 2. Warsaw (Cavinder, Ring, Nicol, Gackenheimer); 3. NorthWood (Cunningham, Emerick, Holsopple, Andrews); 4. Warsaw (Haas, Moore, Hand, Michelini)

100 Backstroke -Ê1. Whitehead (N) 57.39; 2. Ba. Moore (W); 3. Nicol (W); 4. Lester (W)

100 Breaststroke -Ê1. Gackenheimer (W) 1:13.06; 2. Holsopple (N); 3. Owens (W); 4. Oliveira (W); 5. Emerick (N)

400 Freestyle Relay -Ê1. Warsaw (Bt. Moore, Clevenger, Stork, Beehler) 3:39.03; 2. NorthWood (Abel, WHitehead, Cunningham, Larsen); 3. Warsaw (Ba. Moore, Haas, Jenks, Thallemer); 4. Oliveira, Lester, Hand, Michelini)

GIRLS: WARSAW 130, NORTHWOOD 46

200 Medley Relay -Ê1. Warsaw (S. Cook, Albertson, B. Cook, Noggle) 2:10.21; 2. NorthWood (Persing, Hess, Byrket, Miller); 3. Warsaw (Helfrich, Finch, Jones, Lester); 4. Warsaw (Michelini, Eherenman, Buck, DeSanto)

200 Freestyle -Ê1. Thallemer (W) 2:11.12; 2. Grimm (W); 3. Jenks (W); 4. Hochstetler (N)

200 Individual Medley -Ê1. B. Cook (W) 2:31.36; 2. Miller (N); 3. Albertson (W); 4. Jones (W); 5. Davidhizar (N)

50 Freestyle -Ê1. Beckett (W) 27.08; 2. Byrket (N); 3. Slone (W); 4. Petro (W)

Diving -Ê1. Bause (W) 134.90; 2. Persing (N); 3. Zeibartt (W)

100 Butterfly -Ê1. Barlow (W) 1:09.00; 2. Byrket (N); 3. Helfrich (W); 4. Davidhizar (N); 5. Buck (W)

100 Freestyle -Ê1. Ummel (W) 1:00.86; 2. Hess (N); 3. Michelini (W); 4. Grimm (W); 5. Persing (N)

500 Freestyle -Ê1. Noggle (W) 6:03.34; 2. Miller (N); 3. Jenks (W); 4. Eherenman (W)

200 Freestyle Relay -Ê1. Warsaw (Ummel, Beckett, Barlow, Thallemer) 1:50.54; 2. Warsaw (Huff, Bowers, Grimm, Heyde); 3. Warsaw (Albert, Fussle, Kennedy, Nelson)

100 Backstroke -Ê1. S. Cook (W) 1:11.87; 2. Hochstetler (N); 3. Lester (W); 4. Blasche (W)

100 Breaststroke -Ê1. Hess (N) 1:21.28; 2. Finch (W); 3. Dick (W); 4. Bowers (W)

400 Freestyle Relay -Ê1. Warsaw (Ummel, Beckett, Barlow, Thallemer) 4:04.42; 2. Warsaw (Heyde, S. Cook, B. Cook, Noggle); 3. NorthWood (Miller, Hess, Davidhizar, Byrkett); 4. Warsaw (Wallen, Petro, Sand, Blasche)