PERRYSBURG — The Perrysburg boys swimming team finished the season undefeated after 15 weeks of “training and competition,” said coach Alana Sigg.
Plus, the team is going to another level with some of their training.
“Next season’s captains spent this last week with a visit to (Ann Arbor) Pioneer High School to shadow (National Federation of High Schools) Coach of the Year Stef Kerska picking up tips and direction for our remaining weeks of training and planning for next year,” Sigg said.
Kerska has been the head coach at Pioneer since 2015 and has led the two programs to three Michigan High School Athletic Association state championships, including back-to-back girls’ titles in 2020 and 2021.
That was only one of two retreats that has helped this team get prepared for the upcoming sectionals.
“The entire team spent a weekend at a team retreat in southern Ohio recalibrating and focusing our minds and training ready to take on the postseason with aims in mind to move into the sectional meet in Fremont with energy and enthusiasm,” Sigg said.
Even scarier for opponents is that the Yellow Jackets’ times just seem to get lower and lower as the season progresses.
In its final matches, Perrysburg defeated Toledo Whitmer and Tipp City Tippecanoe. The Perrysburg boys defeated Tippecanoe, 104-42, at the Miami County YMCA in Troy, Ohio.
Dropping off times in their individual events were Perrysburg swimmers Nathan Poland, by -.96 seconds in the 200 freestyle, Steven Green by 1.04 seconds in the 100 butterfly, Braden Poland by .78 seconds in the 100 freestyle, Andrew Seiverth by .72 seconds in the 500 freestyle and by 1.37 seconds in the 100 breaststroke and Fynn Sattig by 0.95 seconds in another event.
Jack Hulbert, Nik Neceski, Sattig, and Seth Merriman each took home a first-place individual event finish for one event and Ewan Fisher and Green finished out with wins in both of their individual events.
In Perrysburg’s last home meet and the final dual meet of the season, the Yellow Jackets won easily over Whitmer at the Fort Meigs YMCA.
Perrysburg swimmers Fernando Garcia, Andrew Seiverth, John Majerus, Jack Hulbert, and Joshua Danforth all completed the evening with a first place individual finish and Fisher and Green both were able to take first in both of their individual events.
Poland took 2.67 seconds off his 200 freestyle time, Seiverth took .16 seconds off his 50 freestyle time, Merriman took .15 seconds off his 100 butterfly time, Garcia took 2.2 seconds off his 100 breaststroke time and Hulbert took 2.39 seconds off his 100 breaststroke time.
The Perrysburg girls lost to Tippecanoe, 100-69. Sigg said the Jackets “pushed hard and gave it their all but fell just short to the Red Devils.”
Perrysburg swimmer Ali Cherry swam her best times in both of her individual events for the day, dropping a half seconds in the 100 freestyle and 2.28 seconds in the 100 backstroke.
Sigg said “Natalie Sanders and Haley Gano also put in the work,” taking first place finishes in both of their individual events to round out the day.
Against Whitmer, the Perrysburg girls finished the season with how they began the year — with a win. Sanders, Gano, Sylvia Freeman, and Abigail Bowden finished with wins in both of their individual events.
Ali Cherry took 9.9 seconds off her 200 freestyle team, Nareesa Hussain took 1.93 seconds off her 50 freestyle time and Katie Avery took 1.32 seconds off her 100 freestyle time.
Both teams will compete in the Fremont sectional on Feb. 11.
