Michigan Women’s Division 1 State High School Championships

By Brian Savard

YPSILANTI, Michigan, December 4. FEW teams dominate a state meet quite like Ann Arbor Pioneer dominates the Michigan Women's Division 1 High School State Championships.

Ann Arbor Pioneer won its sixth championship in as many years with a commanding 340-point domination of the competition. Livonia Stevenson took up the second-place spot with 181 points while South Lyon racked up 151 points and placed third.

Allison Schmitt, a Canton senior and Club Wolverine swimmer, struck it big, winning both of her individual events in state-record times. Schmitt kicked off the meet's first individual event, erasing former Olympian and Ann Arbor Pioneer standout Kara Lynn Joyce's 200 freestyle record with a 1:46.25 swim. Joyce swam the former mark of 1:46.34 back in 2002. Schmitt returned in the 500 freestyle and wowed the crowd by staving off a persistent Kristyne Cole of Ann Arbor Pioneer, taking the event by .20 in a 4:47.46 time. Anne Aristeo of Livonia Stevenson set the former mark of 4:48.67 in 1996.

Schmitt's swim in the 200 freestyle ranks first nationally among high school women this season.

Stevenson's Brynn Marecki also earned two gold medals. She touched first in the 200 IM (2:06.09) before winning the 100 breaststroke in a 1:05.13 time.

Ashley Cohagen of Ann Arbor Pioneer pulled out two wins of her own, taking the 100 butterfly by .02 with a 57.04 time and the 100 backstroke in a 57.34.

Ann Arbor Pioneer snatched up the top of the podium in all three relay events. The 200 medley relay comprised of Ashley Cohagen, Valerie Barthelemy, Cole and Carleigh Schwartz combined stroke talents to post a 1:46.50 time. A 22.68 anchor leg by Cole led the relay of Liz Koselka, Schwartz, Lauren Shanley and Cole to a 1:36.39 win in the 200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle relay quartet of Koselka, Schwartz, Cohagen and Cole turned in a blistering fast time of 3:26.19.

Cheyenne Cousineau of Bedford bested the diving field with a 433.70 score. Marcella Barretta from Henry Ford II took the silver medal (417.90) while Rachel Strom of Northern-Eastern (408.35) got the bronze.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use