It's not all Alma, all the time, but close as we make some preliminary suggestions for the All-Decade boys swimming and diving team.
Remember, we're introducing a potential All-Decade team each Thursday until December, when, based on your comments and my original groupings, we'll come up with our All-Decade teams for each sport. Check out the links at the bottom of this post to contribute to all of the conversations so far.
For swimming, I tried to follow the template MISCA's zone reps have used in picking their teams every season -- roughly 12 swimmers and three divers. I included their college programs when I knew them.
Here's what I've got so far:
SWIMMERS
Jason Fish, DeWitt (2002, Michigan State): Focusing on the breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley, Fish won five Class B-C-D state championships over three seasons and was named LSJ Swimmer of the Year his final two. As a senior he never lost, scoring 302 points.
John Frutiger, Alma (2008, Northwestern): A four-time LSJ Dream Teamer and two-time Swimmer of the Year, he won two state championships in the 500 freestyle and a third in the individual medley. He also was among the area’s best this decade in the 200 freestyle.
Cody Stinnett, St. Johns (2006): Named LSJ Swimmer of the Year as both a senior and junior, he was also a two-time All-American and won a state championship in the 50 freestyle in 21 seconds flat. His times in both sprints were among the area’s best this decade.
Alex Ebner, Okemos (2000, MSU): His senior-year Class A runner-up finishes in the backstroke (51.55) and butterfly (49.87) were far ahead of the rest this decade. He was the LSJ Swimmer of the Year in 2000.
David Rogers-Snodgrass, Holt (2007): As a senior he took third in the 100 breaststroke (58.28) and fifth in the 50 freestyle (21.51) at the Division 1 state meet with times that were among the area’s best in those two events this decade.
Zach Wood, Alma (2003, Minnesota): Dominated distance races in making the LSJ Dream Team all four years, he won six state titles combined in the 500 and 200 freestyles. He was the LSJ Swimmer of the Year in 2003, when he won those races in 4:35.91 and 1:42.07, respectively.
Elliott Beaulieu, Alma (2003, Virginia): Although he never won an individual state title, Beaulieu was one of the area’s top sprinters of the decade with four top-three finishes in the 50 and 100 freestyles combined over his final two seasons. His senior times of 21.18 and 46.28, respectively, were among the area’s best of the decade.
Joey Pierson, Grand Ledge (2001): Tied for the Class A state championship in the breaststroke as a senior with a time of 58.56.
Jason Degnan-Rojeski, East Lansing (2003, Harvard): Posted some of the area’s top times this decade in the individual medley, butterfly and backstroke. He won the IM and butterfly at the CAC meet as a senior in 1:57.34 and 53:06 respectively. He had four top-eight state finishes over his final two seasons.
Aaron Robinson, Holt (2003, Wayne State): Four-year state qualifier and two-time LSJ Dream Team pick finished fifth and sixth at the Division 1 state meet in the backstroke his last two seasons, respectively. He did so as a senior after winning both sprints at the CAC meet. His backstroke times were among the area’s best this decade.
Eric Biebuyck, Alma (2004): Focusing on the individual medley and breaststroke, Biebuyck made the LSJ Dream Team all four years and posted five top-six state finishes. He had some of the best IM times in the area this decade.
William Rogers-Snodgrass, Holt (2004): The 2004 LSJ Swimmer of the Year gets the edge on the final spot so far because of three Dream Team selections and a sixth-place finish in the Division 1 breaststroke as a senior, when he broke 1 minute to post one of the area’s top times this decade. He had three top-nine finishes in that race over his final three seasons and also took 11th in the butterfly as a senior.
DIVERS
Ivan Zalessov, Okemos (2006, MSU): Finished fourth and then second at the Division 2 state meet his final two seasons, with a CAAC-1 winning score of 550.55.
Zach Templin, Holt (2003, Navy): Selected to the LSJ Dream Team his final two seasons and took third at the Division 1 state meet as a senior, when he also won the CAC with a score of 524.8.
Eric Horsch, Okemos (2002, Kalamazoo College): Took seventh and 11th at the Class A state meet his final two seasons and made the LSJ Dream Team from 2000-02. He scored 405.6 to win his regional as a senior.
Also in the conversation:
SWIMMERS
Chad Wilson, Holt (2001, MSU): Won four individual league titles over his final two seasons and had one of the decade's best 500 freestyle times (4:42.79) in finishing fifth at the Class A meet in that race as a senior.
Andrew Terry, East Lansing (2001, Ferris State): Finished eighth and then 11th in the 100 freestyle at the Class A meet his final two seasons, posting some of the decade’s top times in that race.
Wickie Gibson, Okemos (2002): Posted three top-11 Class A state finishes over his final two seasons swimming sprints and the backstroke -- after two top-10 finishes as a sophomore at that state meet.
Nick Mrozowski, East Lansing (2002): Posted four top-five Class A state finishes in either the breaststroke or individual medley over his final three seasons and was one of the area’s best this decade in the former.
Mike Boettger, St. Johns (2001, Wayne State): Finished fourth in the 50 freestyle and ninth in the butterfly at the Class A meet as a senior. His 21.78 in the 50 was one of the area’s top times in that event this decade.
Mike Harden, St. Johns (2007, Olivet College): Overshadowed by Stinnett during high school, Harden still posted some of the area’s best times this decade in the sprints, with three top-seven state finishes in those and an 11th-place in the 200 freestyle as a sophomore.
C.J. Holmes, Alma (2005, Amherst): Posted top-nine state finishes in the backstroke, butterfly and 500 freestyle during his final two seasons, and posted some of the area's best times this decade in the first two.
Garrett Greenland, Eaton Rapids/Charlotte (2009, Brigham Young): Moved to Virginia his senior year, but made the LSJ Dream Team all three years here and posted four top-15 Division 1 state meet finishes swimming in that meet because of Eaton Rapids and Charlotte’s combined enrollments. A versatile swimmer, and excelled in multiple strokes and distances both short and long.
Zach Carpenter, DeWitt (2006): Posted six top-14 finishes in the Division 2 state meet over his final three seasons focusing on the breaststroke, butterfly and individual medley. He made the LSJ Dream Team after all three.
Matt Storey, Okemos (2003): Finished ninth in both the butterfly and backstroke at the Division 1 state meet as a senior and also made the LSJ Dream Team as a junior.
Dan Gardner, Alma (2004, Hope College): Made the LSJ Dream Team his final three seasons, and took third in the 500 and seventh in the 200 freestyles in Division 2 as a senior. His times in both were among the area’s best this decade.
Drew Kennedy, Alma (2008): Four-time LSJ Dream Team selection took third in the 200 and fourth in the 100 freestyles in Division 3 as a senior. He also took fifth in the 500 as a junior in Division 2 and had seven state finishes of 14th or better during his career.
John Fitzgerald, Grand Ledge (2009, Wayne State): The reigning LSJ Swimmer of the Year won the 500 and 200 freestyles at each of his final two league meets and was the area’s dominant athlete as a senior.
DIVERS
Brandon Peaney, Eastern (2001, Wayne State): Made the LSJ Dream Team his final two seasons and won the CAC meet with 391.15 points as a junior.
Cody Schwem, Holt (2008): Named MISCA Zone 7 Diver of the Year after each of his final two, he made the Division 1 state meet during both and finished fourth as a senior with a score of 350.7.
And the coaches: Although mid-Michigan has some
outstanding coaches, no area team consistently produces stars like Alma’s Jeff
Huxley. He kicked off his third decade of coaching the Panthers with three
straight state titles from 2001-03. Alma was also Division 3 runner-up in 2008
-- and generally doesn’t have divers. Others in the conversation: Too many good
ones to mention, but Holt’s Brent Pohlonski, Okemos’ Mark Lisenby and St. Johns’
Kim Brewbaker have had the most success. On the diving side, Holt’s Trista Soliz
is generally considered the standard with Okemos’ Mike Wagner right there as well.
Here are the other All-Decade blogs so far
Wrestling
