Still perfect

A newly formed team was no match for a longtime summer swimming powerhouse.

The Jay County Summer Swim Team won 56 of Thursday’s 62 events for a 916-174 victory over Blackford.

It was the first meet at Portland Water Park for Jay County, which improved to 5-0. The team had competed indoors at Jay County High School for its previous home meets because of cool weather.

Jay County swept both the 8-and-younger and 9-10-year-old races for both the boys and girls.

Maria Laux took the top spot in the long freestyle and breaststroke for the 8-and-younger girls, with Jordyn Champ winning the backstroke and short freestyle. Kali Wendel topped the field in the butterfly, and Avery Snow was first in the individual medley.

Ben Fisher’s three victories — long freestyle, individual medley and breaststroke — led the 8-and-younger boys. Other wins in the division came from Tony Beiswanger (butterfly), Karsen Kuhn (backstroke) and Jake Arnold (short freestyle).

Three triple winners led Jay County in the 9-10-year-old division, with Kaitlyn Fisher (long freestyle, backstroke and short freestyle) and Lani Muhlenkamp (butterfly, individual medley, breaststroke) combining for the girls sweep while Raif Beiswanger was first in the boys long freestyle, butterfly and backstroke. Adding victories for the boys were Sam Wiggins (individual medley and short freestyle) and Jaxson DeHoff (breaststroke).

Eliza Bader also won three events, taking first in the 15-and-older girls long freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke.

Double winners were Jacob Monroe (11-12-year-old boys long freestyle and butterfly), Creed Beiswanger (11-12-year-old boys backstroke and breaststroke), Emma LeMaster (11-12-year-old girls butterfly and individual medley), Josh Monroe (13-14-year-old boys long freestyle and open 200 freestyle), Ralph Link (13-14-year-old boys individual medley and breaststroke), Rieley Brewster (15-and-older girls butterfly and individual medley), Nico Minnich (15-and-older boys butterfly and breaststroke) and Chase McFarland (15-and-older boys backstroke and individual medley).

Taking first place in single events were Kamdyn Carter, Matthew Fisher, Erica Hathaway, Morgan DeHoff, Maddy Snow, Lauren Fisher, Hannah Laux, Emily Dues, Carly Jordan, Mara Bader, Wyatt Kunkler, Cohen Henry and Vivienne Kunkler.