Bowling Green has built a dynasty in the Greater Northwest Ohio Aquatic Conference.
In the 37-year history of the conference’s championship meet, Bowling Green’s Swim Club has won 33
titles, including 16 in a row. The Gators look for another championship Saturday and Sunday in Napoleon.
The meet has preliminaries and finals each day.
"It’s a lot of pressure to uphold that kind of tradition and, yes, the swimmers want to win,"
said BG head coach Carolyn Strunk.
However, there’s more to the summer swim program than winning league titles. It’s also about building
friendships, learning the camaraderie of being on a team and just basically having fun, something Strunk
has begun to stress even more.
"Last summer, I approached champs a little differently – a lot more relaxed," she said.
"The swimmers appreciated that. I didn’t put that expectation on them that we have to win, because
we had done it for a number of years.
"The swimmers responded very well to that. They liked knowing they could just go out and have fun.
Every race was just a race," Strunk continued. "It’s the same thing I’ve been trying to tell
them this year. A team goal is to try to win, but it’s not the end of the world if we don’t … They
have to have some fun when they go out and try their best and do their best. I’m looking forward to a
fun weekend."
Approximately 85 swimmers will compete for the Gators this weekend, ranging in age from 4 to 18.
"We have every possible spot filled except for two. And we have at least one relay in every age
group but one," Strunk said. "That’s something in past years we always haven’t had … That’s
actually pretty key. Some of the age groups might not have the strongest swimmers, but we have a relay
and that will help balance out some of those points.
"And we’re really not filling in a lot of holes with younger swimmers"
In last season’s victory, the Gators captured 35 individual events and two relays while setting 13 league
records. BG won the meet with 2,582 points, 526 points in front of second-place Napoleon.
The swimmers who combined for the 13 records are all moving up an age group, including Peter Burroughs,
who set five records in the 11-12 age group last season, and Emmy Sehmann who had four record-setting
efforts in the 9-10 girls. Also, five swimmers who combined for 14 individual wins are not on the team,
either due to age or the decision not to compete with the Gators this summer.
Following are BG’s top competitors in each age group:
¥ 8-and-under girls, Kloe Atwood, Annie Glassford and Caitlyn Grubbs;
¥ 8-and-under boys, Jack Burroughs;
¥ 9-10 girls, Kaylee Fair and Jordan Ely;
¥ 9-10 boys, Jacob Sobczak, Issac Ille and Paul Glassford;
¥ 11-12 girls, Sehmann, Mallory Glenn and Alyssa Decker. "This is one of our strongest age groups.
There are eight of them and there is no weak swimmer in the group," Strunk said.
¥11-12 boys, Christian Sobczak and Ilya Fedorchuk;
¥ 13-14 girls. Ileana Ille, Marissa Sehmann, and Emily Myrice;
¥ 13-14 boys, Jacob Burk, Burroughs, Brett Bushong and Devon Keiser;
¥ 15-16 girls, Marisa Martin, Bailey Burk, Victoria Nabors and Sophie Postich. "This is also a
strong age group," Strunk said.
¥ 15-16 boys, Jordan Breitigam and Nathan Decker;
¥ 17-18 girls, Kelly Titus;
¥ 17-18 boys, Michael Cavanaugh, Justin Hatch and Nick Rybak.