The Alpena High School girls’ varsity swim team opened its season with a pair of victories Tuesday, defeating Caro 104-70 and Gaylord 96-74 in a double-dual meet in Caro. The win over Gaylord marked the first time the Alpena program has defeated the Blue Devils, according to The Alpena News.
Alpena’s lineup produced points throughout the meet, with the Wildcats combining depth, multiple personal records and several event wins. The opening 200-meter medley relay set the tone as Elizabeth Rabbideau, Penelope Conboy, Tryst Bukowiecki and Haley Stenz finished first.
A second Alpena relay team—Olivia Sherwood, Gabriella Tolan, Eva Trainer and Emma Darga—placed third in the same event, with all four swimmers recording personal records.
Wildcats collect individual and relay wins
Conboy won the 200 individual medley in a personal-record time, while Bukowiecki captured the 50 freestyle with a personal record. Stenz finished second and Emma Winfield third in that race.
Rabbideau placed second in the 400 freestyle and set a personal record. Tolan finished sixth and Darga eighth, with both also recording personal records. In the 200 freestyle, Nunez took third, Jacquelyn Frantz fourth and Madelyn Farley sixth, with Farley earning a personal record.
Alpena also won the 200 freestyle relay with Conboy, Arabella Nunez, Stenz and Bukowiecki. The Wildcats’ second team of Ellie Quick, Winfield, Frantz and Trainer placed third in a personal-record time. A third Alpena quartet—Lucy Duthler, Farley, Jazmyne Westfall and Tolan—finished fifth, also in a personal-record time.
Depth shows across the remaining events
The Wildcats added several top-six finishes in the remaining individual races. In the 100 butterfly, Bukowiecki placed third, Nunez fourth and Trainer fifth. Winfield finished fourth, Stenz fifth and Quick sixth in the 100 freestyle.
Rabbideau was second, Sherwood fourth and Duthler seventh in the 100 backstroke. Conboy placed third, Frantz fourth and Trainer seventh in the 100 breaststroke.
The 400 freestyle relay closed the meet with Sherwood, Darga, Nunez and Rabbideau finishing third. Quick, Winfield, Duthler and Frantz placed fourth in a personal-record time, while Bauer, Nandi Bancroft, Westfall and Farley finished sixth in another personal-record time.
Coach Jennifer Johnson said, “The team swam well and looked great.” Alpena returns to action at 5 p.m. Sept. 15 in Alma.