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MARQUETTE – Twin brothers Colin and Carson VanderSchaaf led the 23-member Marquette YMCA Killer Whales swim team at the Wisconsin/Upper Peninsula State Championships in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, March 18-20.
All participating athletes swam qualifying times during the course of the regular competition season from October to early March.
Colin, 10, captured three individual age group state championships. He touched the wall first in the 50 breast (35.33), 100 breast (1:20.25) and 200 freestyle (2:13.81) – all team records.
He also placed second in the 200 individual medley (2:30.55), resulting in 77 total points toward the team total of 687.5, the second-best result in Killer Whales history.
The point total was good for 13th place overall and tops among the U.P. teams competing.
Carson, 10, posted 68 team points with second-place finishes in all four of his events. He trailed his brother in the 50 breast (36.91) and set team records in his other events: the 100 free (1:02.94), 100 fly (1:12.83) and 100 IM (1:13.18).
The VanderSchaaf brothers also led a pair of successful relays, combining with Liam McFarren, 10, and Quinn Kerekes, 10 to claim third in the 200 medley relay (2:18.03).
The brothers also swam with McFarren and Andrew King, 10, for a third place finish in the 200 free relay (2:04.51).
Carson VanderSchaaf led off the 200 free relay with a 29.53-second 50 free, earning him another spot in the team record books.
The Killer Whales’ Sam Williams, 17, turned in a 62-point performance in his final YMCA state meet.
He placed fourth in the 100 fly (51.95), fourth in the 200 breast (2:07.50), third in the 100 breast (58.70) and third in the 200 IM (1:56.59).
All four results are YMCA National meet qualifying times.
In addition, Williams’ 58.70 in the 100 breast was more than a half-second faster than the previous state meet record time, but only gave him a third in an extremely strong field.
The 100 fly and 200 breast times are new Killer Whale records.
Joining Williams as a national qualifier was teammate Andrew Kilpela, 17, who turned in a 53.33 time in the 100 backstroke while finishing third. Kilpela added a fifth place finish in the 200 back (2:00.87) and a 14th in the 50 free (22.84), finishing with a total of 32.5 points. Both backstroke results are team records.
Williams and Kilpela will compete at the YMCA National Championships April 4-8 in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Williams and Kilpela joined Ben Luke, 17, and Ryan Glover, 15, on four point-scoring relays: seventh place 200 medley (1:42.17), seventh place 800 free relay (7:42.91), ninth place 200 free relay (1:32.62) and a 10th place 400 medley relay (3:53.45).
Williams’ led off his leg in the 800 free relay with a team record of 1:46.65.
Leading the way on the girls’ side was Erin VanderSchaaf, 12, with 62 team points. She set team records in four events, with a second in the 500 free (5:32.20), third in the 200 IM (2:24.69), fourth in the 200 free (2:06.67) and fifth in the 400 IM (4:57.26).
A trio of Killer Whales rang up 27 team points: Taryn Aho, 13; Paige Davis, 8; and Sevi Voigt, 8.
Aho notched ninth place finishes in the 1,650 free (team record 19:10.45), 1,000 free (11:34.96) and 500 free (5:43.27).
Davis medaled in the 50 back with a sixth place finish (43.50) and the 25 back with an eighth in 20.22. She added a 13th in the 25 free (17.55).
Voigt, 8, swam the 50 back in 42.96 to claim fourth place. He added a seventh in the 25 back (19.92) and a 17th in the 25 breast (23.34).
Delaney Marchiol, 11, earned 25 points by medaling in the 500 free (fifth place 5:49.29), combined with a 10th in the 200 free (2:12.77) and a 13th in the 100 free (1.01.91).
Liam McFarren, 10, chipped in 19 points for the team by going ninth in the 200 free (2:38.19), 11th in the 50 back and 13th in the 50 free (32.91).
Paige Whaley, 13, turned in a seventh place in the 500 free (5:38.13), 10th in the 1,000 free (11:37.44) and 17thin the 100 free (58.54) for 19 team points.
Grace Sobczak, 9, recorded 16 team points with a 10th in the 200 IM (2:53.13), a 12th in the 200 free (2:37.10) and a 13th in the 100 IM (1:22.12).
Kevin Beaghan, 14, scored his age with 14 team points and 10th place finishes in the 100 back (1:05.59) and 200 breast (2:40.32). He also placed 13th in the 100 breast (1:12.35).
Joshua Nykanen, 14, rang up 13 team points with his ninth place finish in the 50 free (24.83), 12th in the 100 breast (1:11.69) and 13th in the 100 free (56.69). Nykanen’s 50 free time is a team record.
Poppy Carothers, 8, tallied 9.5 points with a 12th in the 25 breast (24.13), a 13th in the 50 free (44.71) and a 16th in the 25 back (21.55).
Jayme Winn, 13, scored eight points with a 10th in the 500 free (5:43.81) and a 16th in the 200 free (2:07.45).
In addition to his participation in four point-scoring relays, Glover netted six individual points for the team with an 11th in the 200 back (2:09.16).
Hannah Bleckiner, 10, scored five team points with a 14th in the 200 free (2.40.35), a 15th in the 200 IM (2:58.11) and an 18th in the 50 fly (37.20).
Jasmine Xu scored four points with a 13th in the 50 breast (40.68) and a 17th in the 50 back (37.09).
Luke scored three points with his 14th place finish in the 200 fly (58.77).
Lyndsey Welch, 16, placed 15th in the 200 breast (2:35.20), 20th in the 100 breast (1:11.73) and 23rd in the 200 IM (2:22.98) to chip in two team points.
Welch’s 200 IM time set a Killer Whales team record.
Kerekes also placed 18th in the 50 free and 100 back and 21st in the 50 back.
Information compiled by Senior Sports Writer Craig Remsburg. He can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251, or via email at cremsburg@miningjournal.net.