The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Swim splits a pair
Big week for Bordine as Milan falls at Saline, defeats Dundee
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 8, 2007
Ties like the exciting 93-all draw between Milan and Chelsea Jan. 23 are few and far between for the Milan boys' swim team. More often, the Big Reds either outclass a lesser opponent or fall to a larger, deeper favorite.
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So it was back to normal for Milan in the week following the Chelsea thriller, as the Big Reds fell to Saline 108-78 Jan. 30. but went on to thump Dundee by an almost mirror-image score of 107-79 last Thursday.
Head coach Dan Heikka said both meets, however, presented challenges for his swimmers — Saline because of their talent and Dundee because it was looking to defend its pool on the Vikings' Senior Night.
In the end, Heikka was happy with how his team responded to both challenges.
"It was good. It's always good to race Saline," he said, noting that it was the school where he began his coaching career and that the Hornets are one of the Big Reds' old Southeastern Conference rivals. "Against Dundee, we came out knowing that they would be really ready to go because of Senior Night, and we responded."
The biggest highlight for Milan was again the swimming of senior Ryan Bordine. Bordine, who has the sixth-fastest time in the 50-yard freestyle in the state this season, swam 22.17 in the 50 freestyle against Saline for first place.
Bordine would go on to win the 100 freestyle in 50 flat; swim the opening leg of Milan's first-place 200 freestyle relay (in front of Kray Cornelison, Ian Pendelton, and Jason Schroder, finishing in a state qualifying time of 1:34.03); and join Pendleton, Schroeder and Tim Hochradel in winning the 400 freestyle relay in 3:32.61.
Against Dundee, Bordine made a rare appearance in the 200 freestyle to try and pace Pendleton, a junior, to a state cut time in the event. Bordine ended up finishing in a lifetime best time of 1:49.60 in winning the event. Pendleton just missed his cut –– his 1:52.77 less than a second off the necessary 1:51.99.
"I don't think he's swam the 200 since he was a freshman," Heikka said of Bordine," but I wasn't surprised. He's just a talented kid."
But Milan's highlights extended well beyond Bordine. The Big Reds dominated the 500 freestyle in both meets, with Hochradel (5:21.85), Zach Olsen (5:31.47) and Justin Beaudrie (5:38.60, a lifetime best) taking first, third and fourth at Saline, and Olson (5:25.51) and Beaudrie (5:39.39) going 1-2 against Dundee.
Other first-place swims in the Saline meet included Pendleton in the 200 freestyle (1:52.66) and Hochradel in the 200 individual medley (2:12.95). Against Dundee, Hochradel again in the 200 individual medley (2:12.69), Bordine in the 50 freestyle (22.88), Pendeleton in the 100 freestyle (51.80), and Hochradel in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.57) all claimed first places.
Milan also grabbed a number of lifetime bests against Dundee, including Kyle Hodges and David Schwartz in the 500 freestyle, Kyle Cornelison's 1:01.94 in the 100 butterfly, Matt Smith's 59.86 leg for the first-place 400 freestyle relay ("the first time he's been under 60 seconds," Heikka said), and Francisco Contreras's 26.86 and 1:02.13 in the 50 and 100 freestyles.
The team now turns its attention to this week's Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association meet at Eastern Michigan University. Bordine will have the chance to test himself against some of the state's top sprinters.
But, more importantly, it will give Pendleton and Hochradel a chance to swim for state cuts in a very fast pool — if their times to this point are good enough to qualify them. An announcement was expected sometime Wednesday.
"They're so close, I'd be very confident they'd make them," Heikka said, "but first you have to get in. We'll see."
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