Mahomet-Seymour Girls’ Swim Team Breaks Three More School Records, Finishes Third at Centennial Invitational

By Fred Kroner

Mahomet-Seymour’s girls’ swimming team broke three more school records on Saturday (Sept. 21) – raising their season total to eight broken school marks – and had their best-ever finish in the 15-school Centennial Invitational in Champaign.

The Bulldogs placed third with 326 points, trailing only Champaign Central (401) and Buffalo Grove (352).

Diver Bella Almaroad shattered her own record in the 1-meter event (315.30). Her previous mark was 306.90. Almaroad finished sixth in the event.

Also etching their names in the school record book was an  M-S relay, the 200-yard medley foursome.

The previous standard (1:58.70) had been set four days earlier by a different group of swimmers.

On Saturday, Karsyn Johnson, Lainey Howard, Talynn O’Donnell and Raegan O’Donnell teamed up for a 1:54.87 time, which enabled them to win the race.

Talynn O’Donnell lowered her 2023 school mark in the backstroke by more than a second, clocking a winning mark of 1:01.36. Her previous best time was 1:02.66.

The Bulldogs’ other winning entry at Centennial was the 200-yard freestyle relay unit of Raegan O’Donnell, Johnson, Caroline Mills and Talynn O’Donnell. They were timed in 1:43.56.

Raegan O’Donnell recorded runner-up finishes in two events: 50-yard freestyle (25.13 seconds) and 100-yard freestyle (54.54 seconds).

Johnson also secured a second-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley (season-best 2:20.26).

Three M-S individuals collected four-place finishes: Talynn O’Donnell (200-yard freestyle in a season-best 1:58.47), Howard (50-yard freestyle in 26.61 seconds) and Johnson (100-yard butterfly in 1:04.28).

Additionally, the school’s 400-yard freestyle relay of Mills, Claire Waggoner, Madelyn Logsdon and Howard were timed in 4:01.83.

Mills secured a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.28) and a sixth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (season-best 5:35.23).

Howard was sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke (season-best 1:15.32).

The other M-S top-10 placer was Logsdon in the 100-yard butterfly (season-best 1:09.27).

“The girls did well,” M-S coach Erich O’Donnell said. “This is a great sign of things to come. The team is looking tired, but this is expected.

“We settle into a more stable training phase now that this meet is over, so I’m looking forward to getting some good practice in and really getting time to focus.”

M-S returns to action on Saturday (Sept. 28) at the Bloomington Invitational.