High School State Swimming Championships: Michigan Boys Division 2

ROCHESTER, Michigan, March 11. THINGS got interesting this season when Ann Arbor Pioneer moved into Division 2 from Division 1. Birmingham Seaholm was ranked No. 1 before the championships, held March 8-9 at Oakland University, with Holland and Pioneer tied for second. All three schools had multiple top-16 qualifiers.

Holland ended up on top with 323 points, followed by Pioneer (280) and Seaholm (223.5). Dexter wound up in fourth, followed by Dow (169).

Holland's 200 medley relay set a Division 2 standard with their 1:34.81 with the all-senior quartet of Connor Bos, Kyle Doss, Gage Mitchell and Jonathon Maat. They finished just 2-hundredths ahead of Pioneer's squad of junior Matthew Erickson, senior Chris Klein, sophomore Kai Williams and junior Thad Stalmack (1:34.83). Both times cleared Zeeland's 1:35.32 from 2008.

Thomas Rathbun, a Holland junior, earned titles in both the 200 free (1:39.50) and the 500 free (4:30.95). Last year Rathbun competed in Iowa and made the most of his move to Michigan. Rathbun also anchored the Dutchs' winning 200 free relay of seniors Jeremiah Morren, Maat and Derek Bosko (1:25.18), and swam a leg on the 400 free relay with Morren, Bosko and Doss that emerged victorious in 3:05.80.

Pioneer senior Chris Klein bettered the only individual Division 2 standard with his 55.47 in the prelims of the 100 breast. He won the finals in 55.53. He came within 22-hundredths of a second D2 mark in the 200 IM (1:48.79). Also claiming double victories was Jackson Goethe, a Dow senior, who defended his title in the 50 free (21.08) and improved on last year's runner-up finish in the 100 free (45.76).

Lakeview sophomore John Vann posted a 50.83 in the 100 fly, and Okemos senior Adam Marsh edged out Holland's Doss for first in the 100 back (50.33-50.44). Brennan LaBar, runner-up last year, finished his career at St. John's with a winning 484.15 points in the diving competition.

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