La Grange Swimming Makes A Splash at the Regional Meet
The La Grange High School Swim team competed in the 2023 Region IV-4A Swim Meet on January 27 & 28. This championship meet is a two day meet with prelims swimming on Friday with the times determining placement in the A final or B final for the Saturday swim. The first and second place swimmer(s) in each event becomes an automatic qualifier for state and the next fastest eight times in the state get a call-up. Region IV on average had six out of the eight call-ups in each event. This makes Region IV a very competitive region full of exceptional swimming talent. For the first time ever the LHS swim team has a swimmer who will compete in the 4A State Meet in San Antonio February 9 & 10.
Benjamin Swisher qualified to swim at the state meet in the 100 Fly. In prelims he swam a 1:01.50 securing a spot in the A final. On Saturday in the final he swam his personal best, set a new school record while securing a spot in call-ups for state. Ben placed 6th overall in the meet swimming 59.56.
Also swimming in the A finals was Campbell Youens swimming the 100 fly. Her prelims time was a 1:09.11 and her finals time was a 1:11.66 placing her 8th in the meet.
The Girls 200 Medley Relay competed in the A finals. Celeine Fabre, Bailey Swisher, CampbellYouens, and Eleanor Carey swam a 2:14.87 in the prelims and a 2:14.58 in the finals placing 8th in the meet.
Swimmers swimming in the B Finals from La Grange were: William Bundick, Hunter Sabo, Benjamin Swisher, and Clayton Knapik in the boys 200 Medley Relay swam a 2:00.72 in the prelims and a 2:03.91 in the finals placing 14th in the meet.
Madeline Willrich in the Girls 200 Freestyle swam a 2:43.57 in prelims and a 2:41.80 in finals placing 15th in the meet.
Celeine Fabre in the Girls 200 IM swam a 2:53.24 in the prelims and a 2:53.68 in the finals placing 15th in the meet. Hope Michalke in the Girls 100 Fly swam a 1:26.56 in prelims and a 1:25.19 in the finals placing 15th in the meet.
Laney Herdler in the 500 Freestyle swam a 7:51 .05 in the prelims and a 7:45.95 in the finals placing 15th in the meet.
Celeine Fabre, Eleanor Carey, Bailey Swisher, and Campbell Youens in the 200 Freestyle Relay swam a 1:59.28 in the prelims and a 2:00.58 in the finals placing 10th in the meet.
Clayton Knapik, Hunter Sabo, William Bundick, and Benjamin Swisher in the Boys 200 Freestyle Relay swam a 1:44.23 in the prelims and a 1:43.11 in the finals. The four young men set a new school record with their finals time and placed 10th in the meet.
Collin Landis in the 100 Backstroke swam a 1:14.27 in the prelims and a 1:15.12 in the finals placing 15th in the meet.
Clayton Knapik, Gavin Cook, William Bundick, and Benjamin Swisher in the 400 Free Relay swam a 4:03.88 in the prelims and a 4:03.95 in the finals placing 11th in the meet.