Preview: Winning Streaks Challenged
March 8, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A handful or reigning champions have dominated Lower Peninsula boys swimming & diving these last few seasons – but that could end this weekend.
A year ago, Birmingham Brother Rice in Division 1 and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood in Division 3 became two of three teams over the last 20 years to win four straight MHSAA LP boys swimming & diving titles. Dexter, in Division 2, also repeated as a team champion.
But two of those are not considered the favorites entering this weekend’s Finals, and it’s not hard to see a path for three new champions. Read on for a look at how the races stack up in all three divisions, plus some of the individuals who are expected to shine brightest.
Preliminaries are Friday and Finals are Saturday, with action beginning at noon for both. All three Finals also will be streamed live and can be watched with subscription on MHSAA.TV. Click for lineups and seed times for all three meets.
LP Division 1 at Eastern Michigan University
Reigning champion: Birmingham Brother Rice
2017 runner-up: Ann Arbor Skyline
2018 top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Skyline, 2. Holland West Ottawa, 3. Birmingham Brother Rice.
For the first time in a long time, there’s a feeling Brother Rice’s reign might end. The Warriors have won four straight LPD1 team titles and have some stars in the pool this weekend – but only five individual entries joining three relays seeded among the top 16. Skyline finished second last season by 26 points and is seeking its first championship with 12 individual entries and all three relays seeded to score, plus two divers including the reigning champ. West Ottawa was the runner-up in 2015 and is seeking its first team title since 1971. The Panthers have 11 entries and all three relays seeded to score after coming in fifth – but just 48 points back – last season. Saline, ranked No. 4 this week, came in third last year 36 points back and could be in the mix as well.
Matt Lau, Saline senior – After finishing first in the breaststroke and 10th in the 50 last season, enters seeded ninth in the breaststroke (58.27) and also will swim the 50 again.
Derek Maas, Holland West Ottawa senior – Missed what would’ve been his first Finals title by finishing second in the backstroke last season, along with seventh in the individual medley, but enters this weekend seeded first in backstroke (50.94), fourth in IM (1:53.23) and as an option for all three relays but a likely leader of the top-seeded 200 medley (1:33.77).
Michael MacGillivray, Ann Arbor Skyline senior – Placed fourth in both the IM and breaststroke last season, but is seeded first in both the IM (1:49.97) and breaststroke (55.23) this time with a spot on the top-seeded 400 freestyle relay (3:09.67) as well.
Alex Margherio, Birmingham Brother Rice senior – Added a backstroke and relay title last season to another relay win in 2016, and this time is seeded second in the butterfly (50.47) and fourth in the 50 (21.22).
Jacob Newberger, Rockford senior – Won the consolation heats of both the IM and butterfly last season to finish ninth in both, but enters this weekend seeded first in the butterfly (50.34) and second in the backstroke (51.10).
Adam Orringer-Hau, Ann Arbor Pioneer senior – Earned part of a relay championship as a sophomore and finished third in the 200 freestyle and seventh in the butterfly last season; he’s seeded first in the 200 (1:39.08) and third in the 100 freestyle (45.86).
Ben Rojewski, Livonia Stevenson junior – Placed third in the 500 freestyle and 13th in the 200 a year ago and has jumped up to the top seed in the 500 (4:35.89) and 11th in the 200.
Henry Schutte, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central junior – Last season’s 50 and 100 freestyle champion is seeded first in both at 20.28 and 44.92, respectively, and should threaten the meet record of 20.26 in the former.
Henry Schirmer, Ann Arbor Skyline junior – Last season’s champion by more than 53 points won his Regional last week by 50 with the highest score in all of Division 1 at 522.35.
LP Division 2 at Oakland University
Reigning champion: Dexter
2017 runner-up: Ann Arbor Huron
2018 top-ranked: 1. Dexter, 2. Rochester Adams, 3. Birmingham Seaholm.
Dexter is competing for its third straight LPD2 title after finishing 27.5 points ahead of the field last season (and with runner-up Ann Arbor Huron now in LPD1 instead). The Dreadnaughts have only their three relays and seven individual entries seeded to score, but some depth including a few individuals who could break into the top 16. Rochester Adams is seeking its first title after placing 10th a year ago. All three relays are seeded to score, as are 12 individual entries, and the Highlanders boast a Regional champ diver as well. Seaholm finished third in 2017, 88.5 points back, but won this meet in 2011, 2014 and 2015. The Maples have all three relays and 11 individuals seeded to score, plus a diver, and enough high seeds to make this interesting at the top.
Michael Arpasi, Birmingham Seaholm senior – Last season’s butterfly champion also has three relay titles to his credit, and enters the weekend seeded first in the 50 (21.08), butterfly (50.01) and as part of the 200 medley relay (1:35.26).
Alexander Capizzo, Fraser sophomore – After claiming both the IM and 500 championships as a freshman, Capizzo will attempt to repeat entering as the second seed in the IM (1:55.56) and third in the 500 (4:35.50).
Daniel Frederick, Warren DeLaSalle senior – Finished fourth in the 500 and seventh in the 200 freestyle a year ago, but carries the top seed in the 200 (1:41.76) and second in the 500 (4:35.44) into this weekend.
Eric Hieber, Walled Lake Western sophomore – After finishing 14th in the 500 and not qualifying for the final heats in the 200 in 2017, Hieber has the top seed in the 500 (4:23.71) by nearly three seconds and the sixth seed in the 200 (1:43.41).
Matthew Koueiter, Grosse Pointe South senior – Placed fourth in the breaststroke and 15th in the butterfly as a junior, but is pointing toward a strong finish with the top seed in the breaststroke (58.25) and fourth seed in the butterfly (52.48).
Jason Krzciok, Midland Dow senior – Enters seeded second in the 50 (21.25) and third in the 100 (46.97) and as part of the top-seeded 200 freestyle relay (1:26.48) after finishing ninth in the 50 and fourth in the 100 in 2017.
Zach Milke, Warren DeLaSalle senior – Added a backstroke title last year to his relay championship in 2016, and also took sixth in the 50; he’s seeded first in the 100 freestyle (46.05) by three-quarters of a second, first in the backstroke (50.37) by more than a second and will swim on the top-seeded 400 freestyle relay (3:11.23).
Owen Miller, Portage Central junior – Finished first in the 200 free and third in the 500 a year ago and is seeded second in the 200 (1:42.12) and sixth in the 500 (4:39.99) this time.
Zane Rosely, Walled Lake Northern sophomore – Scored points taking 13th in the IM and 15th in the 500 last season, but is expected to score a lot more with the top seed in the IM (1:53.80) and the fifth in the 500 (4:37.25).
Levi Youmans, Battle Creek Lakeview senior – Won the diving competition last season by more than 30 points and took second at his Regional last week with 443.90 – which ranked second in all of Division 2 as well.
LP Division 3 at Saginaw Valley State University
Reigning champion: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood
2017 runner-up: East Grand Rapids
2018 top-ranked: 1. Holland Christian, 2. East Grand Rapids, 3. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
If rankings are correct, another major streak will end as Cranbrook has won the last four LPD3 titles. Holland Christian came in third last season, just 26.5 points back, and East Grand Rapids was second trailing by 13. Christian enters this weekend with 17 individual entries and three relays seeded to score, including an astounding six top seeds. East Grand Rapids has nine entries and three relays seeded to score, but plenty of depth and two divers including a Regional champ. Cranbrook will work to contend again with all three relays and six individual entries seeded among the top 16.
Christian Bart, East Grand Rapids senior – The reigning champ in the breaststroke and 50 free has three individual and two relay titles total over his career, and enters this weekend seeded first in the 50 (20.68) and second in the breaststroke (58.09). That qualifying time in the 50 is four hundredths of a second off the meet record he swam in 2017.
Nolan Briggs, Byron Center senior – The reigning champion in the butterfly is seeded third this time (50.84); he also was fourth in the 50 last season and is seeded second (21.06) behind Bart in that race.
Skyler Cook-Weeks, Holland Christian senior – He’s won the 500 the last two seasons and added a relay title last year as well. Cook-Weeks is seeded first in the 500 (4:35.90) and 200 (1:38.61) and as part of a top-seeded 400 relay (3:07.47) that could make a move on the meet record of 3:06.15.
Kevin Hao, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood senior – Enters seeded third in both the breaststroke (58.73) and IM (1:55.18) after finishing fifth in the breaststroke and second in the IM last season.
Luke Mason, Holland Christian senior – He’ll look to add to last season’s 200 IM and relay titles, entering this weekend as the second seed in the 200 free (1:41.94) and sixth seed in the 500 (4:50.85).
Ian Miskelley, Holland Christian senior – Swimming his first season in high school (he previously attended Holland Black River, which doesn’t have the sport), Miskelley has shown why he’s been known as one of the state’s top talents. He enters the weekend with the top seed in the IM (1:50.63) that is only eight hundredths of a second off the meet record and the top seed in the backstroke (49.88) that is already faster than the meet record in that race. He’ll also swim on the 400 relay noted above.
Cam Peel, Spring Lake junior – Finished sixth in the 50 and third in the 100 last season, but is seeded first in the 100 (46.16), third in the 50 (21.25) and is expected to swim on the top-seeded 200 medley relay (1:35.17).
Cooper Prue, Flint Powers Catholic senior – Placed sixth in the breaststroke and swam the prelim heat in the 200 freestyle last season, but could make a big jump coming in seeded first in the breaststroke (56.53) and fourth in the butterfly (51.13).
Riley VanMeter, Holland Christian junior – Tied for second in the butterfly and finished second in the backstroke in 2017; enters this weekend seeded first in the butterfly (49.84) and second in the backstroke (51.22).
Cayden Petrak, St. Johns junior – Last season’s runner-up to a now-graduated senior, Petrak missed the championship by less than two points. He won his Regional by 155 last week with a score of 496.10, second in Division 2 only to East Grand Rapids’ Nicholas Merritt (499.25).
PHOTOS: Swimmers prepare to launch during last season's Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Dawson Dives Into New Sport, Quickly Rises in Ranks Among State's Best Off Diving Board
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
February 24, 2026
PORTAGE – Little did Von Dawson know that getting in trouble for doing backflips in the hallway as a freshman would lead him down a path he never imagined.
“After he got in trouble a couple of times for that, I said, ‘Hey, do you want to try diving?’” said Portage Central dive coach Madeline Woods.
That was a sport the current junior never considered.
It wasn’t until school principal Eric Alburtus noticed Dawson doing backflips on the field after a football game that diving was mentioned again.
"I remember exactly that night,” Alburtus said. “Von did this beautiful flip, and I hustled to him and said, ‘I don’t know who you are yet, but you’ve got to become a diver.’
“I can’t take credit for the amazing athlete and diver Von is but I’m very, very happy that I played a teeny, tiny piece of him doing amazing work around here. He’s such a great kid.’
Dawson knew nothing about diving.
“In middle school, I really didn’t know that diving was a thing,” he said. “I knew they had a swimming program, but where I was, it wasn’t really posted as much.”
He decided to try it – and saying he took to it like the cliché “duck to water” is an understatement.
“Von had never stepped foot on a diving board before, then made it to the state meet his freshman year,” Woods said. “It was a pretty fun turnaround. He’s an incredibly athletic kid.”
His freshman year Dawson finished 29th at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Swimming & Diving Finals.
“Just being there as a freshman who had never dove before was impressive,” Woods said.
He took another step last winter as a sophomore, finishing eighth at the Finals. This season, his top reported 6-dive score ranks eighth statewide and sixth among Division 2 athletes, and his top 11-dive score is 14th statewide and seventh in his division.
Starting from scratch
Dawson was full of confidence from the first day of practice.
“The first week I got a list of dives, and I learned fairly quickly,” he said. “(Woods) explained a dive to me and I was like. ‘I can do that. I want to try it.’ She’d either let me or I’d bother her enough until she let me do it.”
Woods said Dawson is always trying to push the limits.
“With Von, we hit the ground running.” she said. “The first two seasons was me telling him ‘No’ a lot.
“Can I try this? No, not yet, Can I try that? No, not yet. Then he would wear me down and he’d do the (dive) and it would usually be one excellent one and he’d bomb the next one.”
Dawson said he was even more fearless back then but when it came to Regionals, the nerves started to show.
“Regionals are so much more stressful than state meet because you have to qualify,” he said. "States is you’re already there, you’re ready. It’s two days you’re with your friends on the swim team, you’re hanging out at a hotel. It’s pretty awesome.”
During his sophomore season, Dawson honed his skills and earned all-state status.
“From freshman year to sophomore year, I did a really good job on my kickouts especially,” he said. “I think that’s what got me to eighth. I was a little more polished.”
This season, Woods said she banished the word “No.”
“We’re going to do all the big dives, anything you want to try, we’re up for it,” she said. “Now he has the base, now he has the skills, we’re going to do it and it’s been really, really fun.”
Dawson has done some of the biggest dives Woods has ever coached: “He has the highest degree of difficulty of any diver I’ve ever coached and he’s only a junior, which is pretty awesome.”
Continuing to climb
Besides being an elite athlete, Woods said Dawson is an incredibly personable person.
“Other coaches will come up to me to say how much they enjoy chatting with him,” she said. “At some of the bigger meets, there are divers who remember him from previous years. He’s really, really, friendly, a great sport and highly competitive.”
But to get where he is today, Dawson overcame some obstacles early in life.
“I was in foster care for eight years of my life,” he said. “I kinda hopped around different places. Group homes, this place, that place.”
He was adopted at age 13.
“They had two of my siblings and I went to live with them for two years before they adopted me,” he said. “They come to watch me all the time. I have about eight foster siblings and they’re my biggest fans, always cheering for me.”
Dawson has expanded his water skills by playing water polo in the fall.
“I make the joke that he collects fall sports like Pokémon cards,” Woods said. “He did cross country his first year, football his second year and water polo this year. I’ve been the lucky one that he’s kept, diving all three years. He also does track.”
Dawson has already reached one goal this season – topping his coach’s personal-best record. Woods was a four-year all-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association diver at Kalamazoo College and competed in the NCAA Division III Championships her senior year.
Woods said she challenged him this year.
“His highest score going into junior year was something in the 260s,” she said. “My personal best from my college years on 3-meter, which is easier to get a higher score on, was 282.
"So I challenged him in the first couple meets to beat my PR (personal record). I think he did it in our third meet. Our next goal was to break 300 and two weeks he got 299.9 and last week he got 306.9, a point less than the pool record at Loy Norrix.”
Using scores from his school meets, Dawson already has qualified for the AAU Nationals next summer.
His immediate goal is to qualify for the MHSAA LPD2 Finals to be competed March 13-14 at Eastern Michigan University along with fellow Mustang divers, junior Ryley Berns and sophomores Greyden Trevino and Drew Chenery.
“Diving is a hard sport and not for everyone,” Woods said of Dawson, “but when you find someone who is willing to do some crazy things and throw his body through the air and spin and flip and twist for fun, that’s usually a pretty special person.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Portage Central’s Von Dawson begins a dive at his home pool. (Middle) From left: Dawson, Portage Central diving coach Madeline Woods and Portage Central principal Eric Alburtus. (Below) Dawson descends into the water during a dive. (Diving photos courtesy of Madeline Woods. Dawson and Woods headshots by Pam Shebest. Alburtus headshot courtesy of Portage Central High School.)