Monroe girls swimming team ends long trophy drought

DUNDEE – Monroe’s girls swimming team finally gets to celebrate.

The Trojans brought home their first championship trophy in recent memory by winning the Southeastern Michigan Independent Swimming League Relays Saturday.

“This is the most fun I’ve had at a swim meet in a long time,” Monroe coach Erin Dowen said. “I actually cried. We’ve been underestimated for so long.”

Swimming Previews: Top swimming stars graduate, but all nine region coaches return

The meet was razor tight.

Monroe finished with 342 points to 336 for runner-up Dundee.

“If one of our girls had not showed up, even the slowest girl, we would not have won this meet,” Dowen said.

The title sent Dowen scrambling to find out the last time the Trojans won this meet or any other invitational. She found out the SMISL drought goes back to at least 2004.

“I don’t even know,” Dowen said. “This is my third year with the girls. Certainly not any time I can remember.”

Monroe won three relays – the 200 medley (Delani Wiley, Kate Rolinksi, Sophia Smith, Abigail Dieckmann), 200 backstroke (Dieckmann, Wiley, Emerson Gruber, Nicole Rykse) and the 200 butterfly (Rolinski, Smith, Wiley, Dieckmann).

They also were second in the individual medley, 500 freestyle and breaststroke relays.

Monroe finished sixth in the same meet last season.

“I’m the absolute proudest coach in the world today,” Dowen said.

Dundee won the breaststroke (Alexis Colby, Brook Hester, Lily Homrich, Kaylee Imo), 600 freestyle (Lilllian Ratliff, Colby, Katherine Hess) and over-under (Imo, Kaylee Desbrough, Ratliff, Hester) relays.

Erie Mason-Ida took sixth place with 158 points, St. Mary Catholic Central seventh with 140 and New Boston Huron-Taylor eighth with 105.

Madelyn Scharf, Brianna Lynch, Catherine Ambs, Braelyn Runyon, Kyree Hinkle, Autumn Carnagey, Peggy Jo Gessner, Sunny Duran, Brigeta Yakoo, Katelyn Rutkowski, Elizabeth Wright, Natalie Loughran and Sophia Jacobson recorded personal-best times for SMCC.

PREP VOLLEYALL

Ida wears crown

PERRY – Ida did not drop a set in going 6-0 to win the Perry Tournament Saturday.

The Blue Streaks beat Howell Cheryl Stockwell, Leslie, Bath, Owosso, Perry and Portland.

Cast your vote: Who is the Monroe County Region's top volleyball player

Volleyball Previews: New Gibraltar Carlson coach hires her mother as an assistant

“Today truly was a group effort. It was so smooth and controlled the entire day,” Ida coach Ashley Begeman said. “I was happy to see this team really find their rhythm and come together as one cohesive unit.”

Mia Karl had a huge day, hitting .429 with 27 kills and 15 blocks. Addyson Wilt and Ellie Jones each contributed 16 kills, and Jess Schrader added 15 kills. Brandie Gobrecht and Kelsey Stein led the defense.

Perfect day for Monroe

WYANDOTTE – Monroe won six straight matches to capture the championship of the Wyandotte Roosevelt Tournament Saturday.

The Trojans beat Dearborn Heights Crestwood, Dearborn Fordson and Detroit Renaissance in pool play, then topped Crestwood in the quarterfinals 25-17, 25-13, Garden City in the semis 29-31, 25-15, 15-9 and the host school 25-13, 25-16 in the finals.

“Today’s success is the result of the commitment of every player,” Monroe coach Angela Tedora said. “They worked together as a unit, and it was their combined effort that led to this undefeated day.

“I’m proud of how they supported each other, had fun, and met multiple goals we have set for ourselves.”

Among the stars for Monroe were Josslyn Jones (40 assists, 27 digs), Sophia Bussell (38 assists, 25 digs), Ally Younglove (27 kills, 10 blocks, 42 digs), Addy Simmons (21 kills), Trinity Sieb (8 aces, 60 service points, 63 digs) and Eloisa Reyes (14 kills).

Airport goes 3-1

LIVONIA – Airport went 3-1 Saturday in the Livonia Stevenson Tournament with wins over Dearborn Edsel Ford, Rochester and Whiteford and a loss to Livonia Stevenson.

Renee Shrewsbury was nominated for the All-Tournament team after recording 28 kills and 22 digs. Joelle Shrewsbury (104 assists, 23 digs, 7 kills), Kamryn Palmer (22 kills), Peyton Zajac (38 digs, 18 kills) and Madi Boehm (25 digs) also played well for the 10-4-1 Jets.

PREP TENNIS

Bedford rules tourney

SOUTHGATE – The No. 1 doubles team of Carter Ryan and Taylor Burgmeister did not lose a game in three matches to lead Bedford to the championship of the Southgate Invitational Saturday.

Jaxon Nejedlik also was the champion at No. 1 singles without losing a set.

CROSS COUNTRY

Bovair runs to title

MILFORD – Airport’s Courtney Bovair won the girls Silver Division championship with a time of 19:11.7 in Saturday’s Averill Invitational at Kensington Metropark.

Airport was second in the team standings and New Boston Huron fourth.

Avery Turk (fourth), Falyn Doss (eighth) and Kayla Christesen (ninth) cracked the top 10 for Huron and Ella Baker, Jaelynn Greene and Brenna Baker ran 10-12-17 for Airport.

New Boston Huron’s boys qualified for the Silver Division but asked to be moved up to the large-school Gold Division to face better competition.

The Chiefs held their own with a sixth-place finish led by a seventh-place showing by Lucas Kuhn and a 23rd by Luke Dulecki.

Monroe placed ninth, with Myles Bray 33rd.

Airport’s boys were sixth in the Silver Division as Hunter Rodak and William Dobbertin ran 12-17.

Stanislawski seventh

NEW BOSTON – Jacob Stanislawski took seventh place, and teammate Nathan Vargo was 18th Saturday in the Rambling Rock Invitational at Willow Metropark.

That helped Flat Rock take 11th place as a team.

Dundee was 18th, led by a 25th-place finish by Isaak Rubley.

The top Monroe County Region finisher in the girls meet was Kaylee Hovey of Dundee in 32nd.

Sulier leads Mason

GIBRALTAR – Austin Sulier placed 17th, Parker Campbell 25th and Joseph Colaluca 32nd as Erie Mason’s boys placed fourth at the Woodhaven Warrior Classic Friday.

The girls were led by Elizabeth Lambert in 31st and Kate Otting in 35th.

PREP SOCCER

Petrick scores six

NEW BOSTON – Ian Petrick scored six goals and assisted on two others as New Boston Huron blanked Ypsilanti 8-0 Saturday.

Johann Vasquez and Marton Krajcz scored the other goals. Shayne Diegel was credited with three assists, Roman Pritt two and Matthew Hussey one.

Ian Ankenbauer recorded the shutout with Jayden Choryan, Mason Thomas, Ryan Biller, Ryan Marvaso and Michael Masciovecchio leading the defense.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Beaudrie throws for 282

FERRUM, Va. – Erie Mason graduate Noah Beaudrie threw for 282 yards and ran for a game-high 77 to help Mount Union open the season with a 55-6 rout of Ferrum College.

He ran for three touchdowns and threw for two.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe girls swimming team ends long trophy drought