Staff Reports
When their wake finally settled Monday evening, two swimmers stood out atop approximately 100 participants at the 63rd annual Tonawanda City Schools Elementary Swim meet.
Kyle Niemiec, a sixth-grader at Tonawanda Middle School, captured the boys 75-yard individual medley in 1 minute, 16.7 seconds, while TMS’ Elyssabeth Roetzer won the sixth-grade girls 75 IM in 1:10.7.
As a result, Niemiec and Roetzer received the Ed Leibinger Award as the meet’s most outstanding swimmers. Niemiec also won the 25 breaststroke (21.4), and Roetzer won the 25 freestyle (16.5).
Monday’s event was coordinated and run by the Tonawanda physical education staff, and was the culmination of a 30-week swim program that’s part of the phys ed curriculum.
Meet winners received trophies, and all finishers received a ribbon.
Other top swims were turned in by Tonawanda Middle School’s John Gerace, who raced to victory in the sixth-grade boys 25 freestyle in a blistering 15.8 seconds, the best time recorded in that event during Monday’s meet.
Fletcher’s Emily Haentges earned bragging rights, beating Adam Haentges in the 25 free by just two-tenths of a second.
63rd Annual TCS Elementary Swim Meet
BOYS
Sixth-grade: 25 free — John Gerace (Ton. Middle School) 15.8; Zachary Riveria, Jarrett Robert; 25 breast — Kyle Niemiec (TMS) 21.4, Charles Richards, Austin Henderson; 25 back — Peter Sparacino (TMS) 19.3, Tristan Boling, Alex Ostrowski; 50 free — Andrew Ball (TMS) 36.1, Riveria, Jon Tabor; 100 relay — 1st-TMS (Riveria, Sparacino, Jordan Deuel, Ball) 1:07.7, 2nd- Tabor, Gerace, Konstantine Lazaevic, Boling; 75 IM — Niemiec (TMS) 1:16.7, Boling, Samual Armenia.
Fifth-grade: 25 free — Ryan Barnard (H) 16.6, Blake Kolmar (R), Zach Krzeminski (M); 25 breast — Colt Long (H) 25.0, Bret Kelly (R), Tommy Draves (F); 25 back — Sam Sparacino (H) 28.2, Bryce Pieszala (M), Jake Mandel (R); 50 free — Tyler Stapf (R) 44.5, Tyler Gomez (M), Tyler Stranahan (H); 100 relay — Riverview (Kelly, Kolmar, Stapf, Quinten Blackman) 1:25.5, Highland (Phillip Rowley, Nick Devereau, Cody Diaz, Tyler Adamo), Mullen (Zach Krzeminski, Bryce Pieszala, Nick Carson, Tyler Gomez);
Fourth-grade: 25 free — Adam Haentges (F) 18.4, Charlie Moore (M), Jacob Crocker (H); 25 back — Haentges (F) 23.1, Kyle Laplante (M), Collin Smith (H); 25 KB — Brian Piccolo (H) 25.3, Travis Fess (M), Eddie Niemann (R); 100 relay — Riverview (Ryan Gardner, Aaron Simonds, Krischan Brosius, Landon MacDonald) 1:31, Mullen (Travis Fess, Charlie Moore, Justin Kirisits, Richie Jones), Highland (Cameron Harszlak, Zack Sajdak, Conner Shubert, Richard Seibert).
GIRLS
Sixth-grade: 25 free — Elyssabeth Roetzer (TMS) 16.5, Rachel Allen, Bailey Marcotte; 25 breast — Heather Farnham (TMS) 22.9, Kara Wilcox, Jamiee Harmon; 25 back — Melissa Holler (TMS) 19.1, Roetzer , Paige Hill; 50 free — Chezney Belcher (TMS) 38.6, Rachel Warthling, Stephanie Falsone; 75 IM — Roetzer (TMS) 1:10.7.
Fifth-grade: 25 free — Katie Lyons (R) 18.2, Briana Baker (M), Joan Davide (H); 25 breast — Dakota Finiki (H) 28.0, Elizabeth Kanalley (M), Amy Farnham (F); 25 back — Jocelyn Shepler (R) 21.2, Anna Hildebrant (H), Lauren Roth (F); 50 free — Julia Ruch (R) 41.1, McKaelyn Gross (M), Dahnea Harrison (F); 100 relay — Riverview (Toni Clough, Ruch, Shepler, Lyons) 1:20.3, Mullen ( Baker, Michaela Walsh, Kanalley, Gross), Fletcher (Belcher, Harrison, Ahsley Wozniak, Farnham).
Fourth-grade: 25 free — Emily Haentges (F) 18.4, Alyssa McConnel (R), Kimberly Durnell (H); 25 back — Hannah Strassburg (R) 22.3, Syndey Taylor (M), Nicole Harman (H); 25 KB — Victoria Debottis (F) 24.0, Ashley Adams (H), Samantha Perry (R); 100 relay — Mullen (Kori Kammerdeiner, Samantha Kurdzeil, Amanda Leach, Sydney Kowsky) 1:36, Fletcher (Vanessa Valazquez, Katie Scranton, Debottis, Haentges), Highland (Dayna Daugherty, Maria Armenia, Haley Miller, Haley Schoelerman).
