ROCHESTER, MI., Nov. 17. WHAT a difference a year — and a thousnd miles — makes.<\/p>\n
Last season as a sophomore at Webster High in suburban Webster, NY, sprinter Kara Lynn Joyce had a pretty good year, ranking eighth nationally in the 50 free (23.43) and 19th in the 100 (51.45).<\/p>\n
Not bad for a 10th-grader.<\/p>\n
However, a move to Ann Arbor, Michigan in the off-season and tutelege under the watchful eye of Coach Denny Hill at Pioneer High made all the difference
\nin the world.<\/p>\n
In the finals of the Michigan Class "A" girls' swimming and diving championship Saturday evening at the Oakland University Aquatic Center Pool, Joyce set the water on fire.<\/p>\n
And how.<\/p>\n
Swimming for the Pioneers as a junior, Joyce set a national (public) high school record in the 50 free Friday evening in the prelims, then came back Saturday
\nto win the race — plus the 100 free too and help her team to its second-consecutive state championship.<\/p>\n
Joyce's 50 time in the heats was 22.73, breaking the old national mark of 22.75 by Compbell County High's Kelly Bennett from the Wyoming prep championships two years ago.<\/p>\n
However, Bennett had the advantage of swimming in the nearly mile-high altitude of Gillette.<\/p>\n
Last Thursday, Miami Gulliver Prep junior Christina Swindle broke her own national prep standard in the 50 with a blazing 22.39 clocking during the Florida Class 3A Championships at the International Swimming Hall of Fame Pool in Ft. Lauderdale.<\/p>\n
That time ranks her 19th on the all-time sc yards performers' ranking list.<\/p>\n
So in the space of a couple of days both the girls' national prep and high school 50 free record have come a cropper.<\/p>\n
Joyce also swam anchor on Pioneer's victorious 200 medley relay that clocked 1:46.47, fastest nationally this season and good enough to rank the Pioneers
\nNo. 2 in the U.S. had the time been swum last season.<\/p>\n
To cap her record-breaking evening, Joyce anchored the 400 free relay that won in a state-record 3:28.47 — equal to the No. 4 time last season.<\/p>\n
Pioneer racked up 257 points en route to its second-straight title, most ever. Its margin of victory over runner-up Grand Haven — 118 points — was also the biggest ever.<\/p>\n
"A swim coach is like a football coach," Hill said:
\n"You're always looking for the worst thing that can happen. It never did, though. The kids were focused in and did a great job."<\/p>\n
Aside from Joyce's pair of wins, the only doubler was Grosse Pointe senior Kammy Miller, who won the 200 IM (2:04.25) and 100 breast (1:03.41). She also won this race last season (1:03.68) and that time ranked her eighth nationally, so she may well move into the Top 5-6 this year.<\/p>\n
Without Joyce's strong anchor leg, Pioneer was no match for Grand Haven in the 200 free relay, finishing numero dos (1:37.77) to the champ's 1:35.64.<\/p>\n
Grand Haven's Abby Seskevics, who swam the third leg on the winning 200 free relay, scored a victory in the 200 free (1:52.77). Rockford's Sami Jordan (58.45) was first in the 100 back with teammate Erin Meredith (58.84) second. <\/p>\n
In the 100 fly the win went to Bloomfield Hills Lahser's Amanda Johnson (56.92); in the 500 free the winner was Howell's Jenny Perry (4:59.98); and Hudsonville's Jamie Lee Strating won the one-meter diving (427.15).<\/p>\n
— Bill Bell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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