After a strong undefeated 2023 season, the girls’ swim and dive team had very high expectations going into 2024. Their 2023 season consisted of being Oakland County Championship runners-up, conference regular season and competition champions, and included a relay placing 5th in the state. Being one of Milford and Lakeland’s most successful fall sports teams, Huron Valley United (HVU) thrives in making the community proud under the direction of Coach James Schuler.
During the pre-season, the team has vigorous conditioning and training with the boys team. The girls and boys practiced at least once a day, with a few days a week practicing twice. Many of their conditioning practices build strength in the weight room, where they focus on explosive and intensive workouts to increase their performance and strength when racing. While the team focuses their training in the pool and weight room, they also spend much of their focus on the classroom. Many of the girls on the team are also from IA-West, with a past swimmer currently attending Harvard University.
The girls started the meet season with a strong 112-74 win on Aug.29 against Lake Orion High School. In the first meet of the year, all three of the girls relays secured MHSAA Division 1 State cuts. Team-appointed athlete of the meet, junior Nora Spangler, states: “We showed up and did what we needed to do and proved to everyone that we were not messing around. We knew that this year would be one that no one forgets, whether they are on the team or not.” Spangler is a backstroker and a freestyler, and competed in the Medley relay at MHSAA State Finals.
HVU also had a major presence at invitationals. At the annual Huron Valley Invitational on Sept.14, the girls placed third out of six teams, falling just short of Novi and Berkley. Seniors and team captains Elle Dameworth, Mya Hutchinson, and Brooke Stec won four gold medals at the meet, being undefeated. Dameworth was appointed “swimmer of the meet,” after she set meet records in the 50, 100-freestyle, and 100-butterfly. The girls 200 and 400-freestyle relays also broke meet records, which were both second in the state at that time. Dameworth states: “It was amazing to be the high point award winner and swimmer of the meet in my senior year, an emotional season of lasts.”
The other invitational meet was the Girls Wildcat Diving Invitational, hosted by Oxford on September 21. The divers completely swept the nine other teams at the meet, with notable performances from juniors Lola Beer and Kennedy Foote, both divers being all-conference. “I am very proud of my accomplishments this year,” Beer said. “I am not done yet and will be back at diving with my club where I can work with my 3-meter list for college.” Beer placed 12th in diving at the MHSAA Division 1 Finals, and qualified for All American consideration.
With HVU having an undefeated season, their dual meets swept the conference and more. Dual meets included
137-41 vs Pinckney
123-62 vs Greenhills
138-18 vs Waterford United
123-63 vs Walled Lake Northern
113-72 vs South Lyon
107-79 vs South Lyon East
138-48 vs Walled Lake Central | Western
Their final dual meet was against Lapeer High School, and they won 146–33. This was also the girls senior night. This year was very special with an astounding 10 athletes in the class. It was a very emotional night as the girls said goodbye to one of the best classes in program history, and Coach James Schuler saying goodbye to his second class that he had coached for their entire high school careers.
The biggest meets of the season for swimming are the Oakland County Championships, MISCA meet, Lakes Valley Conference Championship, and MHSAA Division 1 State Finals.
At the Oakland County Championship, the nine girls who qualified had high expectations after previously placing second at the meet. The most notable performances were Dameworth placing second in the 50-freestyle with a personal best of 23.90 seconds, and Mya Hutchinson placing second in the 500-freestyle, with a personal best and State Final cut of five minutes and 13 seconds. The girls finished the meet with a score of 243, 52 points ahead of the third ranked team and short of Mercy Catholic High School.
With the MISCA meet following only a week later, the girls went in fired up from their previous county meet success. In this meet at Eastern Michigan University, the girls had a total of five season bests and three personal bests. They took 12 swimmers to the MISCA meet and almost all of them followed into the state meet.
The conference meet is what the whole team has their eyes on from day one. Nobody had to qualify, and all of the teams in the LVC went head to head for one final showdown. The HVU girls had anticipated this meet for so long and brought all the energy that they could. Senior captain Ashley Raya stated, “It was fun ending my season and my career at the Waterford Kettering pool. It was special because I’ve been swimming there since my first season, and it was amazing to finish where it started with all the people I love.” Raya had been swimming for 8 years and this was her last meet, so she was ready to give it her all. Being undefeated in the regular season dual meets, the girls knew that they could win the championship, and they certainly did. The girls finished with a score of 489 points, 32 points ahead of second place. The day ended with coach James Schuler jumping into the pool with the team in celebration and splashing around, cheering with the athletes.
Finally, the state meet was what the top girls worked for their entire season. The Division-I state meet was at the Holland Aquatic Center, almost 3 hours from Milford High School. It is widely known as one of the nicest pools in the state, a perfect pool for the D-I state meet. The most notable performance came from Dameworth, who placed 4th in the 200 freestyle with an astonishing personal best time of 1.52.86. She also placed 8th in the 100 butterfly, falling just short of her personal best: 56.92.
Other amazing performances came from Hutchinson, placing 14th in the 200 freestyle, and Coral Herbert placing 15th in the 50 freestyle.
The 200 medley relay of Spangler, Thompson, Strickfaden, and Herbert placed 15th.
The 200 freestyle relay of Dameworth, Kalinowski, Stec and Herbert placed 8th.
The most successful relay was the 400 free relay of Dameworth, Kalinowski, Stec and Thompson, placing 5th and breaking the school record, as well as the LVC record.
All of the relays at the meet broke school records and will be added to the school record board in the summer.
Dameworth broke many individual records this season, including HVU records in 50 free (23.90), 100 free (51.49), 200 free (1.52.86), 100 fly (56.92), 200 IM (2.08.85), and 100 back (58.87).
Hutchinson broke the HVU record in the 500 freestyle at the county meet, with a time of 5.13.24.
Thompson broke the HVU 100 breaststroke record, with a time of 1.08.79.
Lola Beer broke the HVU record in the 11 dives with a score of 385.50.
It is clear that the girls are exceeding expectations and much of this is built by James Schuler. All of the hard work and dedication over this last season was paid off and the success was more than well deserved. Congratulations to the girls swim and dive team for their unbelievable season!