By Fred Kroner
Owen Kearns and Aron Varga – the only seniors on the Mahomet-Seymour boys’ swimming team – each won an individual event and helped three relays to first-place finishes on Thursday (Jan. 18) at Urbana.
Kearns was the champion in the 100-yard butterfly (54.99 seconds) while Varga was triumphant in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.81).
Joining Kearns and Varga on the 200-yard medley relay unit were Jonathan Andrawes and Arya Malapaka. Their combined time was 1:53.13.
The victorious 200-yard freestyle relay consisted of Varga, Kearns, Matthew Kirby and Emmett Kearns. Their cumulative time was 1:36.28.
In the 400-yard freestyle relay, M-S not only had the winning entry, but also the third-place finishing team.
Placing first were Owen Kearns, Emmett Kearns, Malapaka and Varga in 3:37.26.
Finishing in third place was a foursome featuring Lukas Holleman, Andrawes, Evan Powell and Kirby.
In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Bulldogs also produced the third-place unit. The foursome of Malapaka, Holleman, Titus Avery and Powell were timed in 1:54.90.
The Bulldogs also won two other individual events.
Emmett Kearns captured top honors in the 50-yard freestyle (22.50 seconds) and Kirby prevailed in the 500-yard freestyle (5:51.47).
Emmett Kearns recorded a runner-up finish in the 100-yard freestyle (50.93 seconds). Kirby placed second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:06.96). Malapaka was second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:09.62).
Powell secured third-place finishes in two events: 200-yard individual medley (2:46.94) and the 500-yard freestyle (6:22.50).
M-S (5-6) defeated Charleston, 105-33, but lost to Urbana, 88-85.
The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday (Jan. 27) in the fifth-annual Urbana Invitational.
