Cresco Swim Team sets records, shines bright in 2018

CRESCO - The Cresco Swim Team had a great 2018 season led by head coaches Alexis Reicks and T.J. Casper and assistant coach Lawson Brown.

The team had 17 new swimmers join this year, giving it a grand total of 64 swimmers this season.

“We hope to see our returning swimmers and many more new faces next year!” Coach Alexis Reicks said. “Please check out our website at    "http://www.CrescoSwimTeam.Shutterfly.com" www.CrescoSwimTeam.Shutterfly.com.

“We had an amazing season this year. We set a record by winning all of our regular season meets against Monona/Postville, Elkader/Strawberry Point, Sumner, West Union, Calmar, Manchester, and Waukon, and Decorah! Cresco has never beaten Decorah before, so that win was huge! 

“Our Conference meet was held in Sumner this year, and Cresco swam awesome the whole meet, which allowed us to receive several medals and spots on the podium. We finished in second place out of nine teams at the team Conference meet.

“This season was also full of record-breaking times! We had many swimmers breaking their own records over and over throughout the season. Over the season we had a grand total of 29 records broken!” Reicks said.

Record-breaking performances are as follows.

• Relay team of Alex Berg, Timmy Kapler, Trenton Voyna, and Reece Ollendieck broke the boys 9-10 200yd Medley Relay record with a time of 2:41.66 (set by D. Bigalk, B. Voyna, D. Donlan, and D. Shelton in 2016 with 2:44.21). 

• Relay team of Laney Peter, Erica Ollendick, Joey Vobr, and Kyra Butikofer broke the girls 11-12 200yd Medley Relay record with a time of 2:22.23, but was later broken again by Laney Peter, Erica Ollendick, Joey Vobr, and Lily Hubka with time of 2:19.47 (set by V. Bohr, M. Murray, M. Creger, and S. Slifka in 2002 with 2:27.73).  

• Relay team Tristan Simiele, Topher Bigalk, Fletcher Weigert, and Robby Ollendieck broke the boys 13-14 200yd Medley Relay record with a time of 2:16.41 (set T. Trende, L. Schwamman, T. Pecinovsky, and M. Farlinger in 2012 with 2:24.49). Relay team of Brylee Ruppert, Rylee Kapler, Emily Voyna, and Addison Hershberger broke the girls 13-14 200yd Medley Relay with a time of 2:14.39 (set by V. Bohr, M. Murray, M. Creger, and B. Reicks in 2003 with 2:15.41).

• Alex Berg broke the boys 9-10 50yd Freestyle record with a time of 30.74 (set by B. Voyna in 2017 with 30.79), the boys 9-10 50yd Backstroke record with a time of 36.77 (set by B. Voyna in 2017 with 38.07), and the boys 9-10 100yd Freestyle record with time of 1:09.76 (set by B. Voyna in 2017 with 1:14.18). 

• Topher Bigalk broke every record in the boys 13-14 age group including the 50yd Freestyle with time of 26.96 (set by T. Trende in 2013 with 27.13), the 200yd Individual Medley with time of 2:20.38 (set by T. Malven in 2012 with 2:48.06), the 50yd Butterfly with a time of 29.24 (set by T. Malven in 2012 with 30.80), the 50yd Backstroke with a time of 30.25 (set by T. Trende in 2013 with 31.61), the 100yd Freestyle with time of 57.41 (set by T. Trende in 2013 with 1:02.87), and the 50yd Breaststroke with time of 32.81 (set by R. Faldet with 35.50). 

• Jaylee Vobr broke the girls 9-10 100yd Individual Medley record with a time of 1:24.02 (set by L. Peter in 2017 with 1:25.44), the girls 50yd Butterfly record with a time of 35.32 (set by L. Peter in 2017 with 37.43), and the girls 100yd Freestyle record with a time of 1:10.46 (set by L. Peter in 2017 with 1:13.97). 

• Laney Peter broke the girls 11-12 50yd Freestyle record with a time of 28.76 (set by E. Voyna in 2016 with 28.94) and the girls 11-12 50yd Backstroke record with a time of 34.54 (set by V. Bohr in 2002 with 34.56). 

• Joey Vobr broke the girls 11-12 100yd Individual Medley record with a time of 1:15.81 (set by V. Bohr in 2002 with 1:16.22) and the girls 11-12 50yd Butterfly record with a time of 32.99 (set by E. Voyna in 2016 with 33.14). 

• Emily Voyna broke the girls 13-14 200yd Individual Medley record with a time of 2:34.67 (set by herself in 2017 with 2:34.97), the girls 13-14 50yd Backstroke record with a time of 32.60 (set by Taylor Martinek in 2011 with 33.50), and the girls 13-14 100yd Freestyle record with a time of 59.28 (set by herself in 2017 with 1:00.03). 

• Relay team of Zander Mehmert, Carver Butikofer, Aurick Casper, and Garrett Vobr broke the boys 8 & Under 100yd Freestyle Relay record with a time of 1:24.80 (set by B. Isaacson, T. Kapler, R. Ollendieck, and T. Voyna in 2016 with 1:27.53). Relay team of Timmy Kapler, Trenton Voyna, Reece Ollendieck, and Alex Berg broke the boys 9-10 200yd Freestyle Relay record with a time of 2:18.64 (set by D. Bigalk, D. Shelton, D. Donlan, and B. Voyna in 2016 with 2:31.86). 

• Relay team of Joey Vobr, Erica Ollendick, Kyra Butikofer, and Laney Peter broke the girls 11-12 200yd Freestyle Relay record with a time of 2:06.80 (set by D. Kitchen, R. Kapler, A. Hershberger, E. Voyna in 2016 with 2:10.88). 

• Relay team of Tristan Simiele, Robby Ollendieck, Fletcher Weigert, and Topher Bigalk broke the boys 13-14 200yd Freestyle relay with time of 2:01.24 (set by R. Fortney, D. Meinecke, N. Bigalk, and L. Brown in 2016 with 2:09.11). 

• Relay team of Rylee Kapler, Brylee Ruppert, Addison Hershberger, and Emily Voyna broke the girls 13-14 200yd Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:59.40 (set by M. Murray, K. Anderson, M. Creger, and V. Bohr in 2004 with 2:04.36). 

“We also had many athletes come very close to records this season during exciting races including: Zander Mehmert, Garrett Vobr, Jaylee Vobr, Dash Donlan, Brock Voyna, Rylee Kapler, Emily Voyna, Josie Johnson, Trenton Voyna, Joey Vobr, Dominic Bigalk, Erica Ollendick, and Jonathon Millage,” Reicks said. “At our conference meet we had many high placing relay events.  We also had many high placing individual events.”

The high placings are as follows.

• Zander Mehmert (3rd in boys 8 & under 25yd freestyle).

• Garrett Vobr (1st in boys 8 & under 25yd backstroke).

• Alex Berg (1st in boys 9-10 50yd freestyle, 1st in 50yd backstroke, 1st in 100yd freestyle).

• Trenton Voyna (2nd in boys 9-10 50yd fly).

• Mackenzie Gallagher (1st in girls 9-10 50yd freestyle, 2nd in 50yd backstroke, 3rd in 50yd breaststroke).

•  Jaylee Vobr (1st in girls 9-10 100yd individual medley, 1st in 50yd butterfly, 1st in 100yd freestyle).

• Brock Voyna (2nd in boys 11-12 50yd freestyle, 1st in 50yd backstroke, 2nd in 50yd breaststroke).

• Dominic Bigalk (2nd in boys 11-12 100yd individual medley, 1st in 50yd butterfly, 2nd in 100yd freestyle).

• Joey Vobr (3rd in girls 11-12 100yd individual medley, 1st in 50yd butterfly, 3rd in 100yd freestyle).

• Laney Peter (1st in girls 11-12 50yd freestyle, 1st in 50yd backstroke).

• Tristan Simiele (3rd in boys 13-14 50yd freestyle, 1st in 50yd backstroke).

• Topher Bigalk (1st in boys 13-14 200yd individual medley, 1st in 100yd freestyle, 1st in 50yd breaststroke).

• Fletcher Weigert (2nd in boys 13-14 50yd butterfly).

• Emily Voyna (2nd in girls 13-14 200yd individual medley, 1st in 50yd butterfly, 2nd in 100yd freestyle).

• Rylee Kapler (2nd in girls 15-18 100yd freestyle).

• Lawson Brown (3rd in boys 15-18 50yd butterfly, 3rd in 50yd backstroke).

• Jonathon Millage (3rd in boys 15-18 100yd freestyle).

 “We would like to thank all the parents who supported their swimmers throughout the season and volunteered at the meets, but most of all, the swimmers who spent endless hours at the pool dedicating their time to improving! We are so proud of you guys!” Reicks said.