Landfair, Vormohr qualify (02/01/08)

Jay County fans will have something to cheer for as the sectional swim finals return to their pool. The Patriots, who last hosted the tournament in 2003, earned spots in six championship races during Thursday's preliminary round.

Top among the qualifiers for Jay County is Cori Vormohr, who picked up the top seed in both of her individual events. Michelle Landfair also qualified in two events.

South Adams had four athletes qualify for six championship races.

The sectional action will begin Saturday with diving preliminaries at 9 a.m. Swimming and diving finals will start at 1 p.m. The top individual in each event earns a state berth, and the top four divers will advance to regional competition.

While Norwell is a huge favorite after having qualified first in seven out of 11 events, Vormohr is set up to be a star Saturday as well. She has a chance to walk away as a double sectional champion after dominating the pool Thursday.

The junior won the 100-yard breaststroke by more than two seconds, breaking her own school record with a time of 1-minute, 10.1 seconds. Her previous mark, set this season at the Olympic Athletic Conference championships, was 1:10.32.

Vormohr won the 100 butterfly by nearly 1.5 seconds in 1:01.12.

Landfair was the only other JCHS individual to reach the finals. She earned the No. 5 seed in both the 50 freestyle with a career-best time of 26.92 and the 100 freestyle in 59.2.

Vormohr and Landfair also teamed with Briann Saxman and Aly Miller on both relay teams that qualified for the finals. They took the No. 3 seed in the 400 freestyle relay at 4:03.59 and the No. 4 in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:51.19.

Reaching the consolation finals for the Patriots were: Miller (seventh, 500 freestyle; eighth - 200 freestyle); Saxman (eighth - 10 butterfly; 11th - 200 individual medley); Ivy Simons (10th - 100 backstroke); Maddie Fennig (11th - 100 butterfly); and Elaine Hemmelgarn (11th - 100 breaststroke).

Saxman and Miller both turned in career-best times in their preliminary races.

Fennig, Hemmelgarn, Simons and Caitlin Ruchgy teamed for seventh place in the 200 medley relay.

Freshman Erika Waugh had the biggest night for South Adams, earning the No. 2 seed in the 100 backstroke. She finished the race in 1:05.49, just over two seconds behind sectional favorite Logan Brink of Norwell.

Waugh also was the No. 4 qualifier in the 500 freestyle at 5:46.8.

Jessica Sharp, a junior, reached the finals in two events for the Starfires as well.

She placed fourth in the 200 freestyle in 2:08.47, and was right behind Waugh in the 500 freestyle at 5:50.59.

Jansen Yoder and Allison Beitler followed Landfair as No. 6 seeds in the 50 and 100 freestyle respectively, posting times of 27.16 and 59.52.

All three South Adams relays reached the finals as No. 4 seeds. Waugh, Sharp, Beitler and Lauren Rich posted a time of 4:04.65 in the 400 freestyle, Waugh, Yoder, Rich and Shannon Muselman finished the 200 medley relay in 2:06.81 and Sharp, Yoder, Beitler and Rich teamed for a time of 1:49.52 in the 200 freestyle relay.

Beitler was the No. 9 qualifier in the 50 freestyle at 27.56, and Yoder finished 12th in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:23.88. Other qualifiers for the Starfires were: Rich (ninth - 100 freestyle); Jalisa Balsiger (eighth - 200 individual medley; ninth - 100 butterfly); Alexia Fox (eighth - 100 butterfly; 12th - 200 individual medley); Bethany Maven (ninth - 500 freestyle; 12th - 200 freestyle); Sherri All (10th - 200 individual medley; 12th - 100 backstroke); and Deserae Kirchhofer (10th - 100 breaststroke).[[In-content Ad]]