By Staff
NILES – The Mariner's Caitlin Dippo, Buchanan, won all five of her events at the Sturgis Community Pool Sturgis Bank/Oakleaf Financial Pentathlon held on Saturday.
Dippo, 13, was the high-point award winner for the 13-14 year-old age group. She won the 200-yard individual medley, the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events, the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard freestyle.
Tyler Alexander, 15, of Buchanan, Amanda Harlow, 12, of Niles, and Lindsey McCarty, 16, of Buchanan, also won high point awards for their age groups by winning four events.
Harlow had winning performances in the 50-yard butterfly, 50-yard backstroke, and the 50- and 100-meter freestyles.
Alexander had first place efforts in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events, the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley.
McCarty won the 200-yard individual medley, 50- and 100-meter freestyles, as well as the 100-yard backstroke.
In the six and under age group, Lauren Kilgore, the six-year-old swimming sensation from Niles won three of her five events.
Kilgore placed second in the 100-yard individual medley and had a disqualification in the 25-yard breaststroke (she touched the wall with one hand at a time rather than a two-handed simultaneous touch).
Last winter, nine-year-old Parker Saladin dazzled us with his butterfly, racing to place in the top six at the state championships and competing at Ohio State University in the Zone Meet.
He hasn't slowed down a bit. In fact, he is developing into a very strong competitor in the individual medley as well as the backstroke and freestyle events.
Saladin was the high point winner for his age group by winning the 50-yard butterfly, 100-yard individual medley and the 50-yard freestyle.
Trayton Saladin, Parker's twin brother, won the 50-yard backstroke and the 100-yard freestyle in the same age group.
Yet another strong competitor in the 9-10 age boys' age group is James Norris. Norris, 9, is also from Buchanan. He is a very impressive breaststroker and won the 50-yard event at the Pentathlon.
Matthew Norris, 7, is an up and coming breaststroker, who won the eight and under 25-yard event. Also winning in the eight and under group was Andrea Bair, 7, of Buchanan. She also had an outstanding backstroke race with a new personal best.
Charlotte Bizoe, 10, of Niles won the 50-yard butterfly. Jesse Gordon, a senior at Dowagiac, had a great meet.
She won the 15 and over girls' 100-yard breaststroke and had five personal bests.
Matthew Bizoe, 15, who qualified last winter and placed at the state championships in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly, won a pair of events on Saturday.
He won the butterfly with a team that was just eight one-hundredths of a second off the team record. He had his hands full with teammate Alexander, who finished just a half stroke behind him in the next lane.
In the 200-meter individual medley, the finish was reversed as Alexander touched a single stroke ahead of Matthew Bizoe. Four of their five races were exciting and near-record performances.
The Mariners compete on Thursday at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA. The meet begins at 5 p.m.
The Mariners will also host a meet on Saturday at 1 p.m.
In a meet held June 15, Niles defeated LaPorte YMCA and St. Joe YMCA. Niles finished with 445 points, while LaPorte and St. Joe finished second and third with 196 and 32 points respectively.
Winning three events were Alexander, Charlotte Bizoe, Matthew Bizoe, Dippo, Jesse Gordon, Harlow, Patrick Monoghan and Parker Saladin.
Mariners Swim Team
June 15 Tri-Meet Results
Triple winners
Tyler Alexander, 15: 100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke, mixed 500 freestyle
Charlotte Bizoe, 10: 50 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 individual medley
Matthew Bizoe, 15: 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 50 freestyle
Caitlin Dippo, 13: 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 50 freestyle
Jesse Gordon, 17: 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke
Amanda Harlow, 12: 100 freestyle, 50 backstroke, 50 freestyle
Patrick Monoghan, 11: 100 freestyle, 50 backstroke, 50 freestyle
Parker Saladin, 9: 50 butterfly, 50 freestyle, 100 individual medley
Double winners
Levi Burlingham, 6: 25 backstroke, 25 freestyle
Allie Fuller, 12: 50 breaststroke, 100 individual medley
Emily Gordon, 10: 100 freestyle, 50 breaststroke
Lauren Kilgore, 6: 25 backstroke, 25 freestyle
Winners
James Norris, 9: 50 breaststroke
Matthew Norris, 7: 25 breaststroke
Carlee Rankle, 15: 200 individual medley
Jonah Slack, 6: 25 freestyle