Bulldog place second at Northern Illinois Invitational

By Fred Kroner

Mahomet-Seymour’s boys’ swimming team placed second in the three-school Northern Illinois Invitational.

Byron (297 points) was first, M-S (245) was the runner-up and a school the Bulldogs had lost to previously, LaSalle-Peru (195 points) ended in third place.

M-S captured 16 personal bests and Owen Kearns reset two school records.

Kearns  won the 500-yard freestyle race with a time of 5 minutes, 3.33 seconds.

He was the runner-up in the 200-yard freestyle, but broke his own M-S mark with a clocking of 1:54.09.

Matthew Kirby also posted his season-best time in two events. He was fourth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:50.90) and fifth in the 100-yard backstroke (1:14.46).

Emmett Kearns wound up third in the 500-yard freestyle (5:25.84) with his best time of the year.

Kam Bartels was fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:26.31).

The Bulldogs’ other varsity season-best time was posted by Avery Rosa in the 100-yard freestyle (1:07.11). Rosa finished in seventh place.

Other Bulldog event winners were Aron Varga (200-yard individual medley in 2:07.17) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:38.67).

The relay featured Varga, Emmett Kearns, Smith and Owen Kearns.

Teammates finishing second were Smith (50-yard freestyle in 26.62) and Varga (100-yard breaststroke in 1:04. 00).

In junior varsity action, M-S defeated Byron, 222-48.

M-S had personal-best times in nine events, three of which where they had the individual winner.

Bartels was first in the 200-yard individual medley (2:52.42). Wayne Schwaiger won the 100-yard freestyle (1:08.37) and Lukas Holleman was triumphant in the 100-yard backstroke (1:28.23).

Hitting PRs and placing second for M-S were Ethan Whittaker (200-yard freestyle in 2:25.61), Noah Dyson (100-yard freestyle in 1:10.89) and Ty Avery (100-yard backstroke (1:30.96).

Schwaiger was third in the 50-yard freestyle (31.06 seconds). Holleman finished fifth in the 50-yard freestyle (31.30 seconds) and Avery was sixth in the 50-yard freestyle (34.65 seconds). All three registered their best time of the season.

M-S athletes also finished first and second in the 50-yard freestyle. Whittaker was the winner (29.03 seconds), followed by Rosa (30.26 seconds).

M-S returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 18) in the 33-school Urbana Sectional.