MONROE - Noah Zimmerman couldn't help but smile after the Sugar River Rapids won the 58th annual Dr. Stiles Invitational.
Sugar River outdistanced Platteville 449-405 to win the meet for the first time on Saturday. Monroe finished fifth (126) at the six-team invitational.
"Our coaches when they swam never won it," Zimmerman said. "We have all worked hard for it. We tried to get swimmers in every event so we could get points. It feels awesome. We pulled together as a team and really tried to win it."
Zimmerman won three individual events including the 11-12 year-old backstroke (44.64), the 50 butterfly (42.45) and the 50 breaststroke (51.82). He wasn't the only Sugar River swimmer to turn in an impressive performance.
Connor Siegenthaler, 10, won the 9-10 year-old boys 50 freestyle (43.71), the 50 breaststroke (58.47) and 50 backstroke (58.75). Siegenthaler helped the Rapids sweep the top three spots in the 50 freestyle. Teammates Mason Thompson (48.68) and Logan Ball (50.56) took second and third respectively. Ball added a second-place finish in the 50 backstroke (1:00.63).
The Rapids 9-10 boys also swept the top three spots in the 50 butterfly and 50 breaststroke. Darris Schuett won the butterfly (1:08.53) followed by Thompson in second (1:08.81) and Ball in third (1:11.34). Luke Brecklin finished second in the breaststroke (1:11.26) and Brecklin Faber was third (1:13.76). In the 9-10 boys 200 freestyle relay, Thompson, Faber, Ball and Siegenthaler finished first (3:21.25) and another Rapids team took second.
Christopher George finished first in the boys 11-12 year-old 50 freestyle (36.87). He took third in the 50 backstroke (46.97). George and Zimmerman teamed with Zachery Frick and Cullen Brooks to win the 200 freestyle relay (2:58.90).
Eli Zimmerman finished first in the 8 and younger 25 freestyle (20.02) and took the top spot in the 25 butterfly (26.87). Sugar River's Jack Douma took second in the 25 freestyle (27.43).
The Rapids also won five of the 10 freestyle relays.
"I think our relays really kept us in the running for points," Sugar River coach Kayla Zimmerman said. "Everyone really came in knowing what we could do. We placed well in every event. We had just enough points to win."
Zimmerman credited a pair of 11-year-old girls - Nina Schiro and Willow Lee - for swimming on a 15-18 year-old relay team that took second. Grace Tollefson, 14 and Electa Williams, 15, teamed with Schiro and Lee to take second with a time of 2:56.75.
"That was huge points," Kayla Zimmerman said. "We didn't have enough 11-12 year-old girls so we put them together in a 15-18 relay."
Sugar River's Jacob Piper won the 25 backstroke (35.45), which was just 0.40 seconds ahead of Monroe's Zachary Meighan who took second. Meighan also finished second in the 25 butterfly (30.93). Sugar River's Silas Leuthner took third in the backstroke (38.90).
Sugar River's Mason Yaun won the 25 breaststroke (41.06) and Leuthner was second (41.83). The 8 and younger boys 100 freestyle relay team of Piper, Leuthner, Yaun and Eli Zimmerman finished first with a time of 1:57 and Monroe was second.
Monroe's Anna Meritt, 13, finished first in the girls 13-14 year-old 50 backstroke (45.48) just ahead of Belleville's Grace Przybyl (46.20) and Sugar River's Reagan Andersen who took third (46.22).
Anna Wolf finished first in the girls 13-14 year-old 50 freestyle (36.74) and 50 butterfly (42.47). She edged Meritt to win the butterfly by about one second. Meritt finished the butterfly with a time of 37.89 seconds. Sugar River's Haley Reeson took third in the butterfly (37.91) and in the breaststroke (51.93).
Belleville's Logan Fahey won the breaststroke (50.66) and Przybyl was second (50.88).
Reeson teamed with Briana Donnell, Andersen and Wolf to win the 200 freestyle relay (2:34.69). Monroe's 200 freestyle relay team of Skylar Lassen, Brittany Wilcox, Alyssa Sinkule and Meritt took third (3:02.64).
In the girls 11-12 year-old division, Monroe's Savannah Brandt won the 50 butterfly (44.57), and took third in the 50 freestyle (40.41). Hannah Swenson, 10, Monroe, won the girls 9-10 year-old 50 breaststroke (57.77) and she took third in the 50 freestyle (46.90). Francesca Schiro, 9, took third in the 50 breaststroke (1:02.07).
Brandt teamed with Breanne Wilhite, Kati Symons and Emily Meritt to take second (3:25.10).
"The major thing for the kids was to drop their times," MAST coach Kendell Niffenegger said. "A lot of our younger kids have really improved. That has been great to watch them improve in such a short amount of time. They all improved."
Nina Schiro finished second in the 50 backstroke (49.20).
"My goal was first," Schiro said. "I could have kicked more."
Sugar River's Amanda George won the 25 breaststroke (27.55) and she took second in the 25 butterfly (22.82). Teammate Sammie Schiro took third in the 25 butterfly (28.91).
Ellie Eichelkraut finished second in the 25 backstroke (27.09) and teammate Morgan Erstad was third (28.26). Karley Michels, took third in the 25 freestyle (22.60) and 25 breaststroke (29.59).
Eichelkraut teamed with Erstad, Michels and George to win the 100 freestyle relay (1:33.73).
Belleville's Eli Rule, 15, finished first in the boys 50 freestyle (35.52) and 50 breaststroke (44.34).
In the girls 15-18 year-old division, Belleville's Larissa Aurent won the 50 breaststroke (52.95).
Sugar River outdistanced Platteville 449-405 to win the meet for the first time on Saturday. Monroe finished fifth (126) at the six-team invitational.
"Our coaches when they swam never won it," Zimmerman said. "We have all worked hard for it. We tried to get swimmers in every event so we could get points. It feels awesome. We pulled together as a team and really tried to win it."
Zimmerman won three individual events including the 11-12 year-old backstroke (44.64), the 50 butterfly (42.45) and the 50 breaststroke (51.82). He wasn't the only Sugar River swimmer to turn in an impressive performance.
Connor Siegenthaler, 10, won the 9-10 year-old boys 50 freestyle (43.71), the 50 breaststroke (58.47) and 50 backstroke (58.75). Siegenthaler helped the Rapids sweep the top three spots in the 50 freestyle. Teammates Mason Thompson (48.68) and Logan Ball (50.56) took second and third respectively. Ball added a second-place finish in the 50 backstroke (1:00.63).
The Rapids 9-10 boys also swept the top three spots in the 50 butterfly and 50 breaststroke. Darris Schuett won the butterfly (1:08.53) followed by Thompson in second (1:08.81) and Ball in third (1:11.34). Luke Brecklin finished second in the breaststroke (1:11.26) and Brecklin Faber was third (1:13.76). In the 9-10 boys 200 freestyle relay, Thompson, Faber, Ball and Siegenthaler finished first (3:21.25) and another Rapids team took second.
Christopher George finished first in the boys 11-12 year-old 50 freestyle (36.87). He took third in the 50 backstroke (46.97). George and Zimmerman teamed with Zachery Frick and Cullen Brooks to win the 200 freestyle relay (2:58.90).
Eli Zimmerman finished first in the 8 and younger 25 freestyle (20.02) and took the top spot in the 25 butterfly (26.87). Sugar River's Jack Douma took second in the 25 freestyle (27.43).
The Rapids also won five of the 10 freestyle relays.
"I think our relays really kept us in the running for points," Sugar River coach Kayla Zimmerman said. "Everyone really came in knowing what we could do. We placed well in every event. We had just enough points to win."
Zimmerman credited a pair of 11-year-old girls - Nina Schiro and Willow Lee - for swimming on a 15-18 year-old relay team that took second. Grace Tollefson, 14 and Electa Williams, 15, teamed with Schiro and Lee to take second with a time of 2:56.75.
"That was huge points," Kayla Zimmerman said. "We didn't have enough 11-12 year-old girls so we put them together in a 15-18 relay."
Sugar River's Jacob Piper won the 25 backstroke (35.45), which was just 0.40 seconds ahead of Monroe's Zachary Meighan who took second. Meighan also finished second in the 25 butterfly (30.93). Sugar River's Silas Leuthner took third in the backstroke (38.90).
Sugar River's Mason Yaun won the 25 breaststroke (41.06) and Leuthner was second (41.83). The 8 and younger boys 100 freestyle relay team of Piper, Leuthner, Yaun and Eli Zimmerman finished first with a time of 1:57 and Monroe was second.
Monroe's Anna Meritt, 13, finished first in the girls 13-14 year-old 50 backstroke (45.48) just ahead of Belleville's Grace Przybyl (46.20) and Sugar River's Reagan Andersen who took third (46.22).
Anna Wolf finished first in the girls 13-14 year-old 50 freestyle (36.74) and 50 butterfly (42.47). She edged Meritt to win the butterfly by about one second. Meritt finished the butterfly with a time of 37.89 seconds. Sugar River's Haley Reeson took third in the butterfly (37.91) and in the breaststroke (51.93).
Belleville's Logan Fahey won the breaststroke (50.66) and Przybyl was second (50.88).
Reeson teamed with Briana Donnell, Andersen and Wolf to win the 200 freestyle relay (2:34.69). Monroe's 200 freestyle relay team of Skylar Lassen, Brittany Wilcox, Alyssa Sinkule and Meritt took third (3:02.64).
In the girls 11-12 year-old division, Monroe's Savannah Brandt won the 50 butterfly (44.57), and took third in the 50 freestyle (40.41). Hannah Swenson, 10, Monroe, won the girls 9-10 year-old 50 breaststroke (57.77) and she took third in the 50 freestyle (46.90). Francesca Schiro, 9, took third in the 50 breaststroke (1:02.07).
Brandt teamed with Breanne Wilhite, Kati Symons and Emily Meritt to take second (3:25.10).
"The major thing for the kids was to drop their times," MAST coach Kendell Niffenegger said. "A lot of our younger kids have really improved. That has been great to watch them improve in such a short amount of time. They all improved."
Nina Schiro finished second in the 50 backstroke (49.20).
"My goal was first," Schiro said. "I could have kicked more."
Sugar River's Amanda George won the 25 breaststroke (27.55) and she took second in the 25 butterfly (22.82). Teammate Sammie Schiro took third in the 25 butterfly (28.91).
Ellie Eichelkraut finished second in the 25 backstroke (27.09) and teammate Morgan Erstad was third (28.26). Karley Michels, took third in the 25 freestyle (22.60) and 25 breaststroke (29.59).
Eichelkraut teamed with Erstad, Michels and George to win the 100 freestyle relay (1:33.73).
Belleville's Eli Rule, 15, finished first in the boys 50 freestyle (35.52) and 50 breaststroke (44.34).
In the girls 15-18 year-old division, Belleville's Larissa Aurent won the 50 breaststroke (52.95).
