O’Donnell and Almaroad break school records in first meet

By Fred Kroner

In their season-opening meet, Mahomet-Seymour athletes Talynn O’Donnell and Bella Almaroad broke school records for the girls’ swimming and diving team in Champaign.

O’Donnell, a sophomore, shattered the 2021 mark in the 100-yard butterfly. She placed second and was clocked in 1:02.09, lowering the standard set by Eden Oelze (1:03.17).

Almaroad, a freshman, broke the all-time record for one-meter diving. Her six-dive tally was 167.05. The previous mark, which had stood since 2019, was 167.01 by Carly Raver. Almaroad also took second in her specialty.

M-S defeated Danville, 106-46 and lost to Central 127-55.

The Bulldogs won two individual events.

O’Donnell was victorious in the 100-yard backstroke (1:03.88). Freshman Caroline Mills was triumphant in the 500-yard freestyle (6:01.92).

Lainey Howard recorded runner-up finishes in two events. She finished second in the 200-yard individual medley (2:14.78) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:17.32).

Mills collected a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle (2:14.78).

Two Bulldog relays also captured runner-up finishes. The 200-yard medley foursome of O’Donnell, Howard, Kayleigh Holt and Claire Waggoner was timed in 2:08.22.

Also ending in the second-place slot was the  400-yard freestyle relay, which featured Mills, Madelyn Logsdon, Howard and O’Donnell in 4:06.94.

The other M-S relay, the 200-yard freestyle grouping of Waggoner, Christina Peng, Mills and Logsdon took third in 2:03.96.

Waggoner also turned in fourth-place performances in both the 50-yard freestyle (29.82 seconds) and the 100-yard freestyle (1:09.51).

Logsdon ended fourth in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:12.16.

On Wednesday (Sept. 6), the Bulldogs won seven of 13 events at Pontiac, but fell short to Bloomington Central Catholic, 94-77, in a metered pool.

For the second day in a row, M-S freshman Almaroad broke the school record for six dives off the 1-meter board. Her score was 186.05.

Other Individual winners for the Bulldogs were O’Donnell (200 individual medley, 2:33.69, and 100 butterfly, 1:10.57) as well as Howard (200 freestyle, 2:28.19).

M-S was victorious in all three relays.

The 200 medley included Reese Harrell, Mills, Holt and Peng. Their combined time was 2:42.26.

The 200 freestyle relay consisted of Howard, Waggoner, Logsdon and O’Donnell. They teamed up for a time of 5:06.80.

Competing on the 400 meter freestyle relay unit were O’Donnell, Mills, Logsdon and Howard. They were clocked in 4:33.01.

Four Bulldogs secured runner-up finishes: Mills (50 freestyle in 31.52), Waggoner (100 freestyle in 1:14.84), Peng (100 backstroke in 1:32.91) and Howard (100 breaststroke in 1:28.94).

Placing third for M-S were Waggoner (50 freestyle in 33.42 seconds), Logsdon (100 freestyle in 1:14.98), Mills (400 freestyle in 5:25.38) and Harrell (100 backstroke in 1:44.61).

Finishing in fourth were Holt (200 freestyle in 3:00.79), Logsdon (200 individual medley in 3:10.29) and Holt (100 butterfly in 1:32.19).

M-S (1-2) returns to action on Saturday (Sept. 16) in the Centennial Invitational, in Champaign.