Knights, Arrows take TRAC swimming titles

St. Francis de Sales won the boys title, and St. Ursula captured the girls crown in the first Three Rivers Athletic Conference swimming and diving championships which concluded Saturday at St. Francis.

The Knights won 10 of the 12 boys events and rolled up 827 points to easily outdistance runner-up Findlay (451), and third-place St. John's Jesuit (384).

St. Ursula won five events in totaling 577.5 points, with Notre Dame (473) placing second, and Fremont Ross (435) taking third.

St. Francis kicked things off on Friday at Northview, when sophomore Mike Minor won the 1-meter diving title by posting 413.55 points in his 11 dives.

On Saturday, the Knights swept the three relay races -- the 200-yard medley, and the 200 and 400 freestyle -- and added six individual titles.

Doubling up with first-place finishes were Knight seniors Dan DiSalle (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle) and Matt Zimmerman (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle).

Rounding out the St. Francis victories were senior D.J. MacDonald (200 individual medley) and sophomore Jack Barone (100 breaststroke).

Preventing a complete St. Francis sweep were Findlay junior Dietrich Hinesman (100 butterfly) and senior Kyle Hopkins (100 backstroke).

Among the girls, freshmen Emmy Sehmann and Zhada Fields each had a part in three St. Ursula victories.

Sehmann won both the 200 and 500 freestyle races, and Fields took first in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Sehmann and Fields also swam legs on the winning 400 freestyle relay.

Fremont Ross captured the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay, and got individual wins from junior Laura Duncan (100 butterfly) and senior Sammi Miller (100 freestyle).

Duncan and Miller also swam on each of the Little Giants' winning relay teams.

Rounding out the winners were Notre Dame senior Rachael Dzierzak, who won both the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke, and Clay sophomore Megan Siford, who recorded an 11-dive total of 412.50 points to win Friday's competition.

TRAC boys awards for the season went to DiSalle, as swimmer of the year, and Minor, as diver of the year. The Knights' Keith Kennedy was selected boys coach of the year.

Top conference honors for girls went to Dzierzak and Fields, who shared the swimmer-of-the-year award, and Siford, who was named diver of the year. St. Ursula's Rich Szczepinski was chosen girls coach of the year.

-- Steve Junga