By Fred Kroner
Talynn O’Donnell won two individual events and Lainey Howard was the runner-up in one on Saturday (Oct. 14) in a 10-school girls’ swimming meet at the UI ARC pool.
O’Donnell was victorious in the 100-yard freestyle (55.01 seconds) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:03.46). Howard placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:15.27).
Two Bulldog relays also captured second-place finishes.
The 200-yard freestyle relay foursome of Howard, Claire Waggoner, Caroline Mills and O’Donnell ended second in 1:49.69.
The 400-yard freestyle unit of O’Donnell, Maddie Logsdon, Mills and Howard finished second in 4:00.61.
In seven other individual events, M-S had a top-five placer, including two apiece by Logsdon and Mills.
Logsdon finished fourth in both the 200-yard individual medley (2:41.34) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:13.21).
Mills’ top performances came in the 500-yard freestyle (third in 5:51.97) and in the 200-yard freestyle (fourth in 2:07.69).
Other team leaders included Howard (third in the 200-yard freestyle in 2:05.36), Bella Almaroad (third in the 1-meter diving, with a six-dive score of 169.30) and Kayleigh Holt (fifth in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:17.44).
Additionally, M-S’ 200-yard medley relay took fifth in 2:21.00. Swimming the event were Christina Peng, Logsdon, Holt and Waggoner.
M-S concluded its regular season with the fourth-place finish in the Uni High Invitational.
Meet champion Peoria Richwoods had 656 points. Runner-up Normal U-High had 604 points and was followed by Uni High (382 ½) and M-S (3-4).
“Now we get to really focus on training and the end of the season,” M-S coach Erich O’Donnell said.
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On Thursday (Oct. 12), M-S swimmers and divers won 11 of 12 events at Urbana and set one school record in the process.
For the third time this season, freshman Almaroad raised the standard in one-meter diving, for six dives. Her winning point total was 197.35.
Teammates Howard, Mills and O’Donnell were each triumphant in two individual events.
Mills established career bests in both of her races, clocking 2:06.50 in the 200-yard freestyle and 5:44.62 in the 500-yard freestyle.
Howard achieved a lifetime best in the 50-yard freestyle (26.16 seconds) and also captured first in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:16.50).
O’Donnell’s wins were in the 200-yard individual medley (2:20.22) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:02.52).
Also winning an individual event was Peng, who swam a personal-best 1:18.38 in the 100-yard backstroke.
M-S swept the three relay races.
Teaming up for a winning time of 2:19.05 in the 200-yard medley were Holt, Logsdon, Howard and Peng.
The 200-yard freestyle relay consisted of Claire Waggoner, Logsdon, Mills and O’Donnell. They stopped the clock in 1:52.67.
Helping the 400-yard freestyle relay to victory were O’Donnell, Mills, Waggoner and Howard. Their composite time was 4:02.21.
Waggoner nabbed a runner-up finish in the 200-yard freestyle (2:28.19) as well as in the 100-yard backstroke (1:21.15). Both times were the best of her career.
Holt and Logsdon both had top-four performances in two races.
Holt took third in the 200-yard individual medley (2:50.67) and ended fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (career-best 6:58.41).
Logsdon was fourth in both the 50-yard freestyle (season-best 29.94 seconds) and the 100-yard freestyle (1:07.35).
\With just eight team members, the Bulldogs didn’t have the depth to pull off a team win at Urbana.
The host Tigers took home team honors with 354 points. Runner-up Urbana Uni High had 326 points and third-place M-S scored 302 points. The other school in the meet, St. Thomas More, finished with 93 points.
“I am extremely pleased with how we look as a team and it’s been exciting to see this season unfold,” O’Donnell said.
M-S (17-16), which has no seniors on its roster, returns to action on Saturday (Nov. 4) in the sectional meet at Centennial High School.
