By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
BROWN COUNTY – Hot off its Fox River Classic Conference title last week, the Bay Port boys’ swimming and diving team won the WIAA Division 1 Neenah Sectional Feb. 15.
It was the fourth consecutive season the Pirates won the team event overall.
The state meet is Feb. 21-22 at the UW-Madison Natatorium.
The Pirates scored 382 points to beat runner-up Neenah by 61 points.
“The team swam lights out,” said Bay Port head coach Steve Jeffers. “The number of personal-best time improvements was mind-boggling. Every performance was awesome. We are so proud of this team and especially happy for the seniors and all they have accomplished. Every athlete brought his best and placed in the top eight in his events.”
Locally, Green Bay United (fourth – 256) and Pulaski (seventh – 146) also competed among 12 teams.
Only the top finisher in each event at the six Division 1 sectionals in the state was guaranteed to advance to the state meet.
Overall event winners for the Pirates were the 200-yard medley relay team (Victor Kostov, Griffin Hawley, Keaton Spindler, Kyle Zerbel – 1:36.75), Payton Schilz (200 freestyle – 1:46.58), the 200 freestyle relay team (Hawley, Zerbel, Schilz, Spindler – 1:26.05), and Hawley (100 breaststroke – 59.27).
Jeffers said the 200 medley relay team set a team record, and the 200 freestyle relay team shattered the sectional, pool and team record by 1.25 seconds.
GBU’s Kaiser Neverman was victorious in the 200 individual medley (1:55.23) and the 100 butterfly (49.86).
Based on their second-place times, Bay Port’s Kostov (200 IM – 1:57.54; 100 backstroke – 53.25), Hawley (50 freestyle – 21.58) and Spindler (100 butterfly – 53.18) also advanced to the state meet.
Even though they finished third at sectionals, Spindler (50 freestyle – 21.98) and Zerbel (100 freestyle – 48.54) also advanced to state in their respective events.
Second-place finishers advancing to state for GBU included the 200 medley relay team (Mikhail Neverman, Macoy Socha, K. Neverman, Riley Komp – 1:36.87) and the 400 freestyle relay team (Connor Howe, Zachary Karnz, Komp, K. Neverman – 3:15.01).
“Turner Long dropped 13 seconds in the 500 freestyle, he and Will Nicol improved 5 seconds in the 200 individual medley and Will and Griffin Hawley improved by a jaw-dropping 4 and 3-second personal-bests, respectively, in the 100 breaststroke,” Jeffers said. “Payton Schilz dropped 3 seconds in the 200 freestyle and Asa Sadowski dropped 4 seconds in the 200 freestyle and 7 seconds in the 500 freestyle. Alec Tuttle fought back and posted some good times after battling influenza two weeks ago.”
Plymouth Sectional
Division 2 Ashwaubenon finished fourth among 11 teams with 260 points.
Only the top finisher in each event at the four Division 2 sectionals in the state was guaranteed to advance to the state meet.
The lone event winner for the Jaguars was Jackson Hodek in the 200 freestyle (1:47.11).
Based on time, Hodek (500 freestyle – 4:50.8), Joe Steffel (100 butterfly – 54.82; 100 breaststroke – 1:01.46) and Nick Messamore (100 breaststroke – 1:02.33) also advanced to state individually.
The 200 freestyle relay team (Messamore, Steffel, Peter Steinhoff, Hodek – 1:34.09) and the 200 medley relay team (Cooper Herr, Messamore, Steffel, Steinhoff – 1:43.83) also advanced to state based on time.