Bay Port senior Calvin Schilz will be heading to the WIAA D1 state meet in Madison Feb. 17 in three events (Rich Palzewic file photo). 

BY RICH PALZEWIC
CORRESPONDENT

NEENAH – For the second year in a row, the Bay Port boys’ swim team took home the WIAA D1 Neenah Sectional.

The Pirates’ 373 points narrowly nipped runner-up Neenah by 10 points to win their third-ever sectional championship Feb. 10. Bay Port also won a sectional title in 2010.

With the title, the Pirates have won an amazing 13 meets in a row leading up the WIAA state meet in Madison Feb. 17 at the UW Natatorium.

“We are very happy to qualify all three relays and take the sectional title,” said Bay Port head coach Steve Jeffers. “Those were our team goals for the season. All of our swims at sectionals were best times and many of our guys dropped significant time – overall an awesome effort. I’m so happy for these seniors to go undefeated this season.”

What makes things even more amazing is the fact that just two individuals – Aaron Donovan and Calvin Schilz – won sectional championships, which shows Bay Port’s incredible depth.

Donovan was victorious in the 500 Freestyle (4:51:13) and Schilz in the 100 Breaststroke (1:00:57), so both will be heading to Madison in those events.

The 200 Medley Relay team (Alec Jeffers, Peter Martin, Schilz, Griffin Hawley) took second (1:39:56), as did Donovan (200 Freestyle – 1:46:53), Schilz (200 IM – 1:55:27), Hawley (50 Freestyle – 21:82), the 200 Freestyle Relay team (Hawley, Wyatt Dvorak, Mitchell Meurer, Donovan – 1:28:79) and Jeffers (100 Backstroke – 53:57). Donovan missed the title by seven-hundredths of a second, while Hawley was runner-up by one-hundredth of a second.

Third-place finishers were Martin (500 Freestyle – 4:59:21) and the 400 Freestyle Relay team (Donovan, Dvorak, Jeffers, Schilz – 3:16:74).

In addition to Donovan and Schilz heading to state individually in their respective events, Schilz will be going in the 200 IM, Hawley in the 50 Freestyle and Jeffers in the 100 Backstroke. The 200 and 400 Freestyle Relay teams, along with the 200 Medley Relay team will also be going.

“We are seeded right in the middle of the pack of state qualifiers on almost all of our state events, both individual and relays,” added Jeffers. “Our goals at state are to go out there and swim best times, and the rest will fall into place. Our top seed at state is Calvin Schilz (4th in the 200 IM). He had some high goals this season so we’re excited to see him compete with the best this weekend and see what he can do.”

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