Dexter Girls’ Swim and Dive Sending 13 to D2 State Finals

Hopefully 13 is a lucky number for the Dexter girls’ swim and dive team as the Dreadnaughts will have 13 athletes competing in the Division 2 state finals at Oakland University Friday and Saturday.

The Dreadnaughts will once again be led by their powerful diving team.

Two-time defending D2 state champion Lily Witte will be going for her third straight title. She is seeded second by the MHSAA psych sheet for the finals. Okemos junior Caroline Li holds the top spot heading into the finals and will be the top challenger for Witte.

Lily Witte will be shooting for her third straight D2 diving state title. Photo by Melanie Reyes

Vivian Kinnard will be shooting for her third straight trip to the podium and is seeded fourth heading to the Finals.

Senior Elysa Grossman will be trying to make it to the podium for her fourth straight time at the finals. She finished 11th
as a freshman, eighth as a sophomore and fifth as a junior and will be seeded 13th going into the weekend.

Senior Elysa Grossman is trying to make it to the podium for the fourth straight time in diving. Photo by Melanie Reyes

Junior Sefina Patterson also qualified for the diving team and is seeded 26th for the Dreads.

Freshman Jill Kinnard is seeded in two events. She is seeded eighth in the 500 free and 14th in the 200 free and looks for big points in her first state finals.

Freshman Jill Kinnard is seeded eighth in the 500 free and 14th in the 200 free. Photo by Melanie Reyes

Delaney Parker is seeded 13th in the 100 breast as a sophomore and junior Laura Walton is seeded 16th in the 500 free.

The 200-medley relay team is also seeded 12th
with a chance to start the Dreads off with some key points in the opening event.

Maddy Matos will be competing in the 200 IM and 100 back, while Natalie Koenn qualified in the 200 IM and 100 breast.

Maddy Matos will be competing in the 200 IM and 100 back for Dexter. Photo by Melanie Reyes

Marea Balcom and Witte will sein in the 50 free for Dexter, Harper Brown the 100 breast, and Isabel Reyes will be part of the 400 free relay.

Dexter relay teams also qualified in the 200 and 400 free relays.

The dive team will earn a lot of points for the Dreadnaughts, but it will take a big day for the swimmers to push the Dreadnaughts into a top 10 finish at this years finals.