2021 MHSAA Division 2 Girls Swimming and Diving Champions: Birmingham Seaholm
Head coach: Karl Hodgson l Assistant coaches: Dan Yohn, Kristen Ruud l Diving coach: Ginny Naegeli
Swimmers: Seniors: Katherine Stanley, Lauren Louwers, Isabella Vaughan, Eliza Dixon, Abigail Blakely, Carly Burry, Anika Puttaiah, Karen Austin, Lauren Terlep; Juniors: Samantha Clifford, Meghan Murray, Chloe Gifford, Katherine Ballard, Hailey Crowe; Sophomores: Kelley Hassett; Freshmen: Abigail Stanley, Avery Anderson
The Maples earned the three-peat.
Birmingham Seaholm used its incredible depth to fight off Grosse Pointe South to win its third-straight Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 Girls Swimming and Diving Championship on Saturday, Nov. 20, at Oakland University in Auburn Hills.
It was the Maples’ fourth championship in the past six years and seventh overall (Division 2: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2016; Class A: 1997, 1996, and 1995).
Seaholm won all three relays, had an individual champion, and scored points in every race but the butterfly to win the 2021 championship going away. Seaholm amassed 314.5 points, well ahead of Grosse Pointe South (241), Grand Rapids Northview (191) and Fenton (154).
Seaholm gained attention for winning its 2020 state championship without having any individual event winners, but Samantha Clifford won the 100-yard freestyle this year. Clifford was second in the 200-yard freestyle. Senior Karen Austin was second in the 500-yard freestyle.
The Maples' 200-yard medley relay team of Isabella Vaughan, Lauren Louwers, Katherine Stanley and Eliza Dixon finished first in 1:45.33,
followed by the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Carly Burry, Kelley Hassett, Samantha Clifford and Dixon winning in 1:35.99 and the 400-yard freestyle relay squad of Burry, Stanley, Louwers and Clifford placing first with a time of 3:32.13.
Burry also placed third in the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.98. Stanley placed second in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:04.38.
“This (winning a third-straight championship) was our goal when starting the season. Earlier in the year we placed third in the county meet and then won the league meet just two weeks ago. Today, our girls didn’t disappoint,” Seaholm head coach Karl Hodgson told reporters.
“I felt really good about our chances after the first two events. Grosse Pointe was in second at that point but would have been ahead of us with the prelims in consideration. The one event that was unheard of for us was the 100 freestyle where we had three girls finish in the top six,” Hodgson added.
“We’re a heavy senior team,” Hodgson concluded. “They’re the ones who put these three (state titles) in a row. To keep this group together for four years, not get distracted over the years, especially with the covid and all that stuff, it’s quite remarkable. … It’s been great, that’s why I do it. It’s a great group of girls to work with and to have that success means a lot.”
