Dunfield Climbing Fenton's Record Board, Rankings of State's Distance Elite
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
October 1, 2025
Breaking the record of a program legend was an emotional moment for Katie Dunfield.
The Fenton junior had long looked up to Gracie Olsen, a six-time MHSAA Finals champion, so knocking her name off the school record board for the 500-yard freestyle was something she did not take for granted.
At the same time, it served as further motivation.
“I guess it just put into perspective that I know I can do it now,” Dunfield said. “Not that I’m going to settle. Now that I see my name on the board, I have to do whatever I can to post faster times so my name can be up there for longer. I’m less than a second off the pool record (in the 200 freestyle), so that’s my next goal – to get up there for that pool record.”
Dunfield has swum some of the fastest times in the state this year in the 200 and 500 as she moves toward becoming the next Fenton swimming superstar.
Her time of 4 minutes, 58.41 seconds at the Genesee County Invitational broke Olsen’s pool and program records. She also swam 1:51.22 in the 200, which broke Olsen’s meet record.
Both of those times are the fastest in Division 2 this year, and only West Bloomfield’s Elizabeth Eichbrecht – who has won Division 1 titles in those events each of the past three years – is ahead of her statewide.
“I completely and utterly surprised myself,” Dunfield said. “I don’t know what happened, actually. We didn’t taper at all. I remember going into that meet, I just wanted to win. When I look at that board and see what I posted, that’s not just me, that’s my team giving me the energy and confidence that I could do it.”
While the quickness with which she hit the marks may have been a surprise, the fact Dunfield is putting herself among the state’s best is not.
She placed eighth in the 200 freestyle at the Division 2 Finals as a freshman, and has won multiple state titles as a club swimmer, including a Michigan Age Group Championships championship when she was 14.
“Having coached Katie and been involved with Katie since she was 8 years old, I’ve always kind of known or suspected what Katie is capable of,” Fenton coach Brad Jones said. “She’s training right now to pretty much surpass all the things we thought were possible. Katie is just, physically, incredibly strong. She has the mentality that we had with Grace, that we had with Tess (Heavner), where Katie doesn’t like to lose. Whether it’s practice, a meet – big meet, little meet, best event, worst event – she’s a competitor. Those are the kids that usually end up setting themselves apart.”
Dunfield came into the season with the goal of swimming 4:58 in the 500 and 1:51 in the 200. She’s adjusted those now, in light of her recent performance, but it’s hard to tell how low to go.
“That’s the scary question,” Jones said. “We are training really hard right now. We didn’t rest for the county meet, so for here to get in on one day rest and hit times like that, we’re very excited. I hate to put limits on anybody, and the way she’s training right now, she definitely can end up near the top of the state in the (200 and 500 freestyle). There’s a really talented junior class right now across the state. It’s going to be fun to watch her at the end of the season when she has to race.”
For now, Dunfield is racing herself in those events, with which she’s OK.
“I’m very good at racing myself,” she said. “I can tell how fast I am based on the strokes I’m taking. I’ve been swimming for 11 years, so it’s kind of something that I’ve adapted to. Me and Jones have really been working this year on stroke counting. He’s started doing a thing where he won’t tell me what my time is, but he asks me what I think it was. I used to be way off, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”
That’s just a piece of the mental training Dunfield is incorporating into her physical training this fall.
“I know that I’m so close to staying at the top, so every single practice when I talk to my coach he explains why I’m doing this to get better, and that it doesn’t matter if it hurts, it doesn’t matter if I fail, because if I fail, I get better,” Dunfield said. “That’s made it easier on me, mentally, because I’m not feeling the pressure that I need to do everything perfect.”
As she works toward those new time goals, Dunfield is also taking her time working through the college recruiting process. She said she’s not in a hurry to make a commitment, but schools have been in contact, and she’s contacted some others.
She’s also preparing for the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals on Nov. 21 and 22 at Eastern Michigan University. While she’s currently the division’s fastest swimmer in the 200 and 500 freestyle, in her way are Ann Arbor Skyline’s Adrienne Schadler and Farmington Hills Mercy’s Ella Hafner, who finished first and second, respectively, in both events last year.
“I want to get top three,” Dunfield said. “I want to be more successful than I was freshman year. I got eighth, which is good for a freshman, but I want to be able to get higher. I want either second or third in the 500 or 200. First place would be amazing, but I like to be realistic with myself. I know I can finish in the top three.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Fenton’s Katie Dunfield takes a photo with her addition to her school’s swim record board. (Middle) Dunfield holds up her medal after being announced as winner of the 200 freestyle at the Genesee County Invitational. (Photos courtesy of Katie Dunfield.)
Mercy Adds to Championship Streak with Must-Win Victory in Final Relay
By
Brad Emons
Special for MHSAA.com
November 22, 2025
YPSILANTI – It takes a really good angler to reel in those Farmington Hills Mercy Marlins.
Grosse Pointe South had them on the hook for most of Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Division 2 girls swimming & diving championship meet at Eastern Michigan University’s Jones Natatorium. South led 301-297 entering the final event – the 400-yard freestyle relay – and needed to win it to clinch the program’s first Finals championship.
But the Marlins were able to hit the wall first as Avery Tack, Campbell Shore, Lyla Collins and Ella Hafner clocked a 3:26.05 to earn Mercy its third-straight Division 2 title and 14th championship overall, by a slim margin of 337-335.
South’s 400 relay quartet of Whitney Handwork, Quinn Ryan, Mischa Eng and Caroline Bryan made a valiant effort, settling for second place in 3:27.68.
“I not only think we were physically ready, but also mentally, we had our momentum going and we were ready to swim fast because we knew who we are and we were able to finish strong because we were in a good spot,” said Hafner, who swam Mercy’s anchor leg. “We had done it before, and we knew we could do it again”
Rounding out the top five team finishers were Birmingham Seaholm (260.5), Birmingham Groves (155.5) and Ann Arbor Skyline (155).
“It was fun,” said Mercy coach Michael Venos, who notched his sixth Finals title. “This is my 42nd year coaching, and these are still my favorite meets. Win or lose they left it all in the pool, and as a coach that’s all you could ever ask for.”
With a two-point differential in the final standings between the top two teams, every point scored was pivotal.
“Quite honestly, I hoped we’d tie,” Venos said. “I don’t think anybody deserved to lose this meet today. I was really hoping for a tie, and I thought that would be really cool because those South girls swam lights out all year. And you don’t want to get to a meet like this and go home disappointed.
“It was one of those team efforts again. I don’t know if we could have done it without the whole team. I just felt the girls pulled each other up and kept scratching and clawing.”
Meanwhile, for the Blue Devils it was their fourth runner-up finish over the last seven years.
“It was as close as it could possibly get, the whole way,” Grosse Pointe South coach John Fodell said. “I couldn’t be more proud of them. We were down on psych sheet at one time by 20 points and we just kept battling back, battling back the whole meet. We pulled off some upsets. It goes back and forth. Just battle the whole time, and that’s all you can ask of the girls. It was the whole team. Everyone was trying to move up one spot.”
The teams battled back and forth throughout the day, with South taking a 294-285 lead after piling up a 49-4 advantage in the 100 backstroke thanks to a first from Ryan (56.08), a third by Eng and a sixth from Corinne Stencel.
In the final individual event of the day, Birmingham Groves’ Vivian Chase and Birmingham Seaholm’s Payton Garn tied for first in the 100 breaststroke with times of 1:02.76. Mercy got a seventh (12 points) from Clare Hafner while Nicole McEnroe earned a second in the consolation heat (seven points).
Coming out of Friday’s prelims slightly faster, South’s foursome of Eng, Nicole McEnroe, Stencel and sophomore Ryan Quinn opened Saturday with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay (1:45.22) with Seaholm placing second (1:46.96).
Skyline junior Adrienne Schadler then defended her title in the 200 freestyle and broke her own Division 2 Finals record in the process with a time of 1:46.85.
In one of the premier matchups of the meet, Mercy junior Avery Tack defended her title in the 200 individual medley (2:04.64) by holding off Bryan (2:05.59).
The 50 freestyle final proved to be a thriller as well as South senior Whitney Handiwork (23.24) defended her title by a razor thin margin over South Lyon’s Emma Klotz (23.26).
The 1-meter diving final saw Rochester Adams junior Morgan Rea score 431.75 points to defeat out Grand Rapids Northview’s Katelyn Allen (400.65), Skyline’s Teagan McCallion (383.05) and defending champion Aubrey Yarger of Hastings (379.75).
“My freshman year I actually failed to dive, and I got last,” Rea said. “And then last year I had a back injury, so this is my first year back. I had trust in my training, definitely, through all my good coaches.”
Rea came through with three clutch three dives.
“Probably after my back one-and-a-half half I had a pretty good feeling, definitely,” Rea said. “I had pretty good confidence in my abilities to dive.”
Reigning champion Bryan and Stencel went 1-2 in the 100 butterfly for the Blue Devils with times of 54.59 and 56.44, respectively, to close the gap on Mercy, 179-170.
After finishing runner-up in the 50 freestyle, Klotz then came through with a victory in the 100 freestyle (50.70) to edge Handwork (50.92) and Tack (52.01). Klotz, headed to Bowling Green State University, brought home her first individual Finals title after finishing runner-up three times.
“I swam a best time (in the 50), which was great, and Whitney (Handwork) had a great swim again, so it was a really fun race,” Klotz said. “It fueled me for the 100 more. The past few years it’s been hard to come back being second in the 50, but I thought my mindset was a lot better.”
The tide then turned back in favor of the Marlins as they outscored South, 37-1, in the 500 freestyle as Skyline’s Schadler completed her individual repeat double with a D2 Finals record time of 4:48.50. Mercy’s Hafner was runner-up (4:49.90), but the Marlins also got a big fourth place from Collins (5:06.69).
In the 200 freestyle relay, South (1:34.61) edged Mercy (1:34.92) for first. The Blue Devils’ foursome included Handwork, Stencel, McEnroe and Bryan.
All of it built toward the dramatic finish in the final race.
“She was amazing,” said Mercy senior Clare Hafner, referring to her sister’s anchor leg on the 400 freestyle relay. I think she had a lot of challenges to overcome today. It was insane how she pushed through it. I’m so proud of her.
“We slipped up a little bit on the second relay (200 freestyle), but everybody knew we needed to win that last one to win the meet and pulled it together. All of those girls did amazing. I’m so proud of them. Even Gabriell (Mannino) in her 100 back (13th with four points), she moved up a spot, which really helped.”
For Mercy’s Violet Schwartz, who swam the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays, along with the 100 butterfly (sixth), it was quite a send-off.
“As a senior in high school, what a better way to go out in a high school career with winning,” she said. “It’s really an honor. Just being with these girls is just the most amazing experience ever. They are so empowering. They all have the drive – that last relay was just amazing.”
Mercy senior 1-meter diver Sophia D’Orazio scored 11 points with an eighth-place.
“It was a little stressful, but having the whole team behind me really, really helped out, and I came out and finished my last dive to stick it and it was one of the best I’ve done,” she said. “It was really exhilarating today. This was my last diving meet today, and it was a great way to go out.”
And on the other side, it was bittersweet moment afterward for Handwork. Last year, Mercy scored 375.5 points, while South had 255, but this time the Blue Devils were right there.
“I think it’s just hard because of how hard we worked and how much we wanted it, but we are really still proud of ourselves,” Handwork said. “I mean, we closed a 120-point gap from last year, so there’s a lot to be proud of. I’m a senior, so I’ll come back and cheer them on. But yeah, I’m hoping they come back and swim even better.”
PHOTOS (Top) Farmington Hills Mercy’s Avery Tack swims to a championship in the 200 individual medley Saturday. (Middle) Caroline Bryan swims to first place in the 100 butterfly for Grosse Pointe South. (Below) Ann Arbor Skyline’s Adrienne Schadler races to a repeat and meet record in the 500 freestyle. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)