The Calvin/Northpointe girls swim and dive team competed at their Conference meet in Hastings on November 3 and 4. This was the last meet where the entire team would be together, and the girls had a great time racing and cheering each other on. Six girls qualified for the State meet: Meghan Penninga, Amanda Keen, Olivia Thomasma, Hannah Vincent, Olivia Helms, and Ava Maring. Qualifying in the 200 freestyle relay was Meghan Penninga, Olivia Helms, Amanda Keen and Hannah Vincent. In the 400 freestyle relay, Hannah Vincent, Ava Maring, Olivia Thomasma, and Meghan Penninga qualified. Meghan Penninga also qualified in the 200 IM. The team came in 5th place overall, and many of the girls had lifetime bests in their events. On Tuesday, November 7, the team went to the Second Shave meet, which is the last chance meet for earning State times, to see if they could qualify more events. Meghan Penninga qualified in her 100 breaststroke, and Hannah Vincent qualified in her 500 freestyle, adding up to a total of five events qualified by the team.
Moving on to the State meet, the swim team swam well at prelims on November 17! Unfortunately, they did not make top 16 in any event, which is what is required to swim in finals on Saturday, but they dropped time in both of their relays and moved up three places altogether from what they were seeded at! Meghan Penninga placed 30th in her 200 IM and 38th in her 100 breaststroke, and Hannah Vincent placed 36th in her 500 freestyle. The 200 freestyle relay (Meghan Penninga, Olivia Helms, Amanda Keen, and Hannah Vincent) placed 24th, moving up two places, and the 400 freestyle relay placed 18th, moving up one place. Overall, this was a successful swim season for the Calvin/Northpointe team and a great way for the seven graduating seniors—Amanda Keen, Gabbie Eisma, Meghan Penninga, Mykaela Rietberg, Olivia Thomasma, Elaine Vasquez, and Hannah Vincent—to end their swim career.
PC: CCHS Yearbook
Article written by Hannah Vincent
