YMCA swimming: Rend Lake Otters make big splash in DeKalb
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[In only their second year of existence the Rend Lake Otters swim team, under the direction of coach Laura Johnston, stormed into the Missouri/Illinois YMCA State Swim Meet in DeKalb, Illinois this past weekend.
Led by Katie Cully's record-breaking performance in the 9-10 Girls 50-yard Butterfly, with a time of 29.35, the Otters continued their superb performances after an outstanding swim in the district meet two weeks earlier.
Along with her first place finish in the 50-yard Butterfly, Cully also won the 100-yard Freestyle and led an impressive group of 9-10 year-old Girls to victory in the 200-yard Free Relay.
The 9-10 Girls 200 Free Relay repeated its District Championship with a State Championship Swim. The relay team consists of Cully, Talia Carello, Du Quoin's Olivia Cravens, and Isabel Heitmeyer. The 9-10 Girls placed second in the overall team division from a group of 51 teams.
Andrew Roberts and Aaron Holt both recorded State Championships in the 9-10 Boys individual Medley and the 15-21 Boys 100-yard Butterfly, respectively. Roberts was a two-time District Champion while Holt continues on to the National Swim Meet held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida April 7-10. Mikaela Montgomery, Blake Chapman, and Aaron Holt will represent the RLAY Otters at the YMCA National Swim Meet.
Other amazing performances included:
Isabel Heitmeyer with a second place finish in the 9-10 Girls 100-yd Individual Medley and a seventh place finish in the 50-yd Breaststroke following her District Championship in the 100-yd Individual Medley.
Cheyenna Rhine recorded two third place finishes in the 11-12 Girls 200-yd Individual Medley and the 50-yd Backstroke to compliment her District Championship in the 50-yd Backstroke.
9-10 Girls - Talia Carello - 50-yd Freestyle, 4th place; 50-yd Butterfly, 13th place.
Katie Cully, Grace Foltz, Olivia Cravens, Isabel Heitmeyer - 200-yd Medley Relay, 4th place.
13-14 Girls - Mikaela Montgomery - 50-yd Freestyle, 4th place; 100-yd Freestyle 9th place. Taylor Roberts - 100-yd Butterfly 15th place; 100-yd Backstroke, 28th place.
Mikaela Motgomery, Rebekah Holt, Taylor Roberts and Cheyenna Rhine - 200-yd Freestyle Relay, 8th place.
15-21 Girls - Chelsea Braun - 50-yd Freestyle 16th place; 100-yd Backstroke 11th place. Samatha Schneider - 50-yd Freestyle, 25th place.
Chelsea Braun, Kasey King, Samatha Schneider, Mikaela Montgomery - 200-yd Medley Relay, 6th place.
9-10 Boys - Reis Rubin - 50-yd Freestyle 10th place; 50-yd Butterfly 16th place. Andrew Roberts - 100-yd Freestyle, 5th place; 50-yd Backstroke, 2nd place. Alec Holmes, Reis Rubin, Andrew Roberts, Chris Zuck - 200-yd Medley Relay.
13-14 Boys - David Bunting - 50-yd Freestyle, 25th place; 100-yd Backstroke, 15th place; 100-yd Butterfly 18th place. David Bunting, Quinn Laws, Jacob McKinley, Jordan Love - 200-yd Freestyle Relay, 20th place.
15-21 Boys - Aaron Holt - 50-yd Freestyle, 5th place; 100-yd Backstroke, 6th place. Blake Chapman - 100-yd Breaststroke, 8th place; 200-yd Individual Medley, 12th place; 500-yd Freestyle, 16th place.
Tyler Dobbs - 50-yd Freestyle, 24th place; 200-yd Freestyle, 20th place; 100-yd Backstroke, 13th place. Aaron Holt, Blake Chapman, Tyler Dobbs, Justin Zuck - 200-yd Medley Relay, 3rd place.