SWIMMING: Indians start season off strong against Dolphins
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[In the opening swim meet for both teams, the Du Quoin Swimming Indians hosted the Pinckneyville Dolphins on Thursday, June 9 and came away with a 448-247 team victory.
Du Quoin's Caseton Luthy came in first place in all three of his events in the boys 15-18 year-old division, winning the 100m breaststroke, 50m butterfly, and 100m individual medley. Luthy was also part of the 200m freestyle and 200m medley relay teams that were victorious.
Pinckneyville's Zach Hall won the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke for the boys age 15-18.
Jacob Eaton of Du Quoin swept the boys 6-and-under events, then teammates Jacob Harsy and Tyler VanZandt followed up by taking first in all five solo races in the 7-8 year olds.
The Indians continued their success in the 9-10 year-old group, with Paxton Higgerson going three-for-three, dominating his competition for lengthy wins in the 25m freestyle, 25m breaststroke and 100m individual medley. Pinckneyville's Gavin Scronce had a pair of wins in the division, taking home the 50m freestyle and the 25m butterfly.
Indian Chris Zuck also had three firsts in the 11-12 y/o boys (100m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m individual medley), a division in which Du Quoin claimed all eight first place finishes.
Trevor Jones was also a triple-winner, taking first in the boys 13-14 y/o 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 100m individual medley. Jones also swam on the winning 200m medley relay.
In the girls 6-and-under division, Du Quoin's Addi Darnell took home first place in both the 25m freestyle and the 25m backstroke. Maya Russell claimed two firsts in the 7-8 year old individual events, and a third in the 100m relay.
Indians Olivia and Lauren Cravens and Josie Bailey dominated the 9-10 year-old events. The Cravens, along with Bobbiann Hamlin and Avery Shivley, swept the 9-10 y/o girls relays.
The girls' age 11-12 division was controlled by Du Quoin's Haley Kuhnert and Quinn Kirkpatrick. Kuhnert took home three firsts individually (100m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle) and two more in relays. Kirkpatrick won the 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly, and also swam with the winning 200m medley relay.
The Swimming Indians swept all firsts in the girls 13-14 range, with Madeleine Cravens and Courtney Rudloff doing most of the damage. M. Cravens won the 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m individual medley while also competing with both winning relay teams. Rudloff was also on both relays, plus came in first place in the 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke.
The Dolphins made up some ground in the 15-18 y/o girls, with Deanne Brand winning the 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, and 100m individual medley. Teammate Olivia Mathis won the 100m freestyle, and the pair, along with Sarah Loos and Piper Kelly, took home the 200m freestyle relay race.
Taylor Stanhouse (50m freestyle) and Melaina Harsy (100m breaststroke) had victories for the Indians' girls age 15-18.
A full run-down of the results from last Thursday night's meet appear on page 7 of Monday's Du Quoin Evening Call.
The Swimming Indians are back in the pool for their next meet this Saturday at the Herrin Invitational while the Dolphins are at Millstadt on Wednesday before hosting Carlyle on Thursday.
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