Mercy's Minnich Races Toward Greatness
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
November 15, 2016
FARMINGTON HILLS – Maybe it was fate that brought Katie Minnich and Farmington Hills Mercy swim coach Mike Venos together this season.
Unbeknownst to Minnich, Venos had known Minnich a decade before she became one of the state’s top swimmers.
Minnich, a junior, is an emerging swimming superstar in a state that has produced such nationally renowned athletes as Olympian Allison Schmidt of Canton and, more recently, Waterford’s Maddie Wright, who now competes for the University of Southern California and was a semifinalist at the 2016 Olympic trials.
Minnich’s main event is the 100-yard backstroke. Her best time is 54.67. She placed first in that event at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals her freshman and sophomore seasons. In addition, she was a part of Mercy’s 200 medley relay teams that also took first place the last two years. Last season the relay team set an LP Division 1 Finals record with a time of 1:44.44.
Enter Venos. The longtime successful swim coach at Birmingham Brother Rice (his Warriors have won the last three LP Division 1 titles) took over the Mercy program this season for Shannon Dunworth and has the Marlins in position for a third MHSAA team title in the past six seasons. Mercy, under Dunworth, won LP Division 1 titles in 2011 and 2013 and was runner-up in 2012 and 2014.
This season’s Division 1 Finals will be held Friday and Saturday at Oakland University.
Minnich, encouraged by her mother, Toni Minnich, began swimming at age 3. A year later, Venos met Minnich through a mutual acquaintance.
“Jackie Smith was her babysitter,” Venos said. “Jackie graduated from Mercy (2002) and I knew her through the Village Athletic Club, where she swam.
“And my kids, my youngest two, swam with (Minnich). I have a son who’s a sophomore at Brother Rice and another who’s in the eighth grade at (Birmingham) St. Hugo.
“Swimming is a small community. Everybody smells like chlorine. But it’s a good community.”
Minnich credits her parents for opening the doors for her in the world of athletics. Her father, John Minnich, is a PGA professional and former head club professional at a few country clubs in the area including Indianwood Golf and Country Club in Lake Orion. He’s the current boys golf coach at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
“My parents wanted me to be involved, be a part of a team and learn what that means,” Minnich said. “My mom wanted me to take (swimming) lessons. I was 3 then. She thought it would be a life skill.”
At this same time, Minnich also began playing soccer. She had fun playing both and made friends playing each. Two years later she began swimming competitively with the Birmingham Blue Dolphins. At age 7 she began competing year round.
“I’ve always been focused,” she said. “Skipping swim practice was never an option. I set my goals, for all different things. I set goals for times, (making) cuts for different U.S. meets.
“It’s hard to set goals because when you reach one, you set another. It’s hard to stay in one place.”
That’s the idea. Minnich is continually trying to get better. It’s not something she consciously thinks about. In the pool it’s all about repetition and concentration. Get distracted and the race could be lost. Minnich races against herself, not the swimmer next to her.
“I like to use the phrase, swim in your own lane,” Venos said. “She swims in her own lane. You don’t let anything affect you. You don’t think about the person next to you. The minute you get into trouble is when you’re trying to control those things you can’t control. If you’re in a place where you are in a process, doing the things you need to do, you’re in a good place.”
Venos said swimming is an odd sport. One reason: A swim team practices 16 weeks for one event – the MHSAA Finals. In Michigan there are no Districts or Regionals for which to qualify. Sure, there are invitationals and league meets, but no meets where a qualifying time is required. Venos likes it that way. He said some states use Regionals, much like in track & field, to qualify for the Finals.
Venos also noted the oddity when describing the individual aspect of the sport in relation to that of the team.
“Swimming is unique in that way,” he said. “It’s a stupid sport. You’re out there by yourself but you would not be as successful without being with your team.”
Minnich understands this and said she’s more proud of her relay team’s title in the 200 medley than she is of her backstroke titles. It gets back to why she swims. She has fun.
“What makes a great swimmer is they want to be great,” she said. “And (to reach that level) you have to allow others to help you to reach your goals. That’s why it’s special at Mercy. We’re like sisters.”
Nationally, Minnich, 16, has competed in the U.S. Junior Nationals in Minnesota and this past August she placed seventh in the backstroke at the 18-and-under YMCA Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.
This week all of her concentration is on the MHSAA meet and, hopefully, improving her times.
“I just want to swim as fast as I can,” she said. “You always want to compete against the best. You always want to see what your times are. We’re all just focused on winning.”
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTO: Farmington Hills Mercy's Katie Minnich launches into the backstroke during Friday's Detroit Catholic League championship meet. (Photo courtesy of the Farmington Hills Mercy girls swimming & diving program.)
Preview: Finals Forecast Includes Potential Career Sweeps, 1st-Time Team Opportunities
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 19, 2025
A pair of seniors seeking to complete MHSAA Finals championship sweeps and a favorite pursuing a first team title are among storylines heading into this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals.
West Bloomfield star Elizabeth Eichbrecht in Division 1 will attempt to finish her career with four championships in both the 200 and 500-yard freestyle races. In Division 3, Dearborn Divine Child standout Ella Dziobak is swimming for a fourth title in the 500 as well.
The team competitions also have familiar favorites, as Ann Arbor Pioneer, Farmington Hills Mercy and East Grand Rapids all are seeking to add to multi-year title streaks – but in Division 2, Grosse Pointe South may have the lineup to outpace Mercy and earn a first championship.
Due to facility repairs beginning Friday evening, the Division 1 Finals at Oakland University will begin Thursday and conclude Friday afternoon, with Division 2 and 3 following the traditional Friday-Saturday schedule.
Competition begins at noon for first-day preliminaries and the following day’s championships at all three sites. Tickets cost $11 both days, and all three Finals will be streamed live on MHSAA.tv. Click for information on purchasing tickets, plus schedules and qualifiers for all three meets.
Lower Peninsula Division 1 at Oakland University
Reigning champion: Ann Arbor Pioneer
2024 runner-up: Jenison
2025 top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2. Northville, 3. Jenison.
Pioneer will be looking to claim a sixth-straight Division 1 title – which would tie it with East Grand Rapids (1981-86) and East Lansing (1973-78) for the third-longest championship streak in MHSAA girls swimming & diving history. The Pioneers’ mix of stars and depth will be tough to catch, with three relays and 22 individual entries seeded to score plus a diver competing. Northville finished third last season and is seeking its first championship to go with a runner-up finish in 2022. All three Mustangs relays and eight individuals are seeded to score, with three divers making that a strength as well. Jenison has finished a Finals runner-up two of the last four years – second in Division 2 in 2022 and then right behind Pioneer last fall. The Wildcats have all three relays and 11 individuals seeded to score, with two divers competing.
Kia Alert, Ann Arbor Pioneer freshman: She’ll make her Finals debut top-seeded in the 50-yard freestyle (23 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.16) and likely to swim on the top-seeded 200 freestyle and second-seeded 200 medley relays.
Dalila Brown, Jenison sophomore: She debuted by swimming on the winning 200 medley relay and finishing sixth in the backstroke last year while also competing in two more events, and this week she’s seeded first in the backstroke (55.37), seventh in the butterfly and likely to swim on the top-seeded medley and second-seeded 400 freestyle relays.
Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield senior: One of the most accomplished swimmers in MHSAA history will look to finish career Finals sweeps in the 200 and 500 freestyles, seeded first in both in 1:45.48 and 4:41.54, respectively – times that would break all-Finals records.
Madison Ensing, Zeeland senior: The reigning champion in the 50 and 100 freestyles is this time seeded first in the 100 (50.75) second in the 50 (23.22) and slated to swim on two top-three seeded relays.
Natalie Mazur, Brighton sophomore: She’s seeded first in the 100 butterfly (56.69), 10th in the 200 individual medley and slated to swim on two top-five seeded relays, after swimming the backstroke and as part of two relays last season.
Cecilia Walusek, Ann Arbor Pioneer junior: She finished sixth in the 500 and seventh in the 200 freestyle last season and also swam on the runner-up 200 medley relay. She returns as the top seed in the IM (2:05.24), third seed in the backstroke (56.86) and slated to swim on the top-seeded 200 free and second-seeded medley relays.
Ann Arbor Pioneer 200 freestyle relay: A potential group of Alert, Walusek, sophomore Yahanna Silva Castro and senior Katelyn Van Ryn could make a run at the LPD1 (1:32.85) and all-Finals (1:32.77) records in this race, entering with a seed time of 1:32.97. Van Ryn was part of last year’s champion.
Kiya Bowman, Kalamazoo Central senior: She finished eighth in diving last season but third among non-seniors and enters this meet having posted the highest Division 1 Regional qualifier score of 408.95 points.
Lower Peninsula Division 2 at Eastern Michigan University
Reigning champion: Farmington Hills Mercy
2024 runner-up: Grosse Pointe South
2025 top-ranked: 1. Grosse Pointe South, 2. Farmington Hills Mercy, 3. Birmingham Seaholm.
South has finished Division 2 runner-up three of the last six seasons and is seeking its first championship, but against familiar rivals. The Blue Devils are seeded first this weekend in all three relays and with 15 individual entries seeded to score – with five top seeds – plus a top diving contender. Mercy has won the last two championships, including last season 120.5 points ahead of South. The Marlins have three relays and 16 individuals seeded to score, and eight divers competing. Seaholm was the Division 2 runner-up in 2023 and third last year, just 11 points behind GPS. The Maples have three relays and eight individuals seeded to score, plus a diver.
Caroline Bryan, Grosse Pointe South sophomore: The reigning champion in the butterfly and as part of the medley relay is seeded first in both the butterfly (54.15) and IM (2:05.19) and could swim on any of the team’s three top-seeded relays. Her butterfly seed time is only 19 hundredths of a second off the Division 2 meet record.
Mischa Eng, Grosse Pointe South sophomore: She placed fifth in the butterfly and third in the backstroke and swam on the winning medley relay as well last year. She’s seeded first in the backstroke (56.89) and second in the butterfly (57.11) this weekend.
Whitney Handwork, Grosse Pointe South senior: She’s seeded first in the 50 (23.48) and 100 (51.19) freestyles and also is a candidate for all three relay favorites after winning the 50, finishing fifth in the 100 and swimming on the runner-up 200 free relay in 2024.
Amelia Malarz, Midland Dow sophomore: The reigning champion in the breaststroke and fourth-place finisher in the IM is seeded first in the breaststroke (1:02.64), third in the IM (2:06.67) and likely to swim two relays.
Adrienne Schadler, Ann Arbor Skyline junior: She’s won the 200 freestyle the last two seasons and added the 500 freestyle title a year ago, and is seeded first in both races in 1:47.10 and 4:51.08, respectively, while also likely to swim on two relays.
Campbell Shore, Farmington Hills Mercy junior: She’s been part of freestyle relay championships her first two seasons and won the 100 and finished sixth in the 50 last year as well. She’ll swim both individual races and potentially two relays this weekend.
Morgan Rea, Rochester Adams junior: She outpaced the entire Division 2 field with a Regional score of 433.20 and will be making her second Finals appearance after also competing as a freshman.
Aubrey Yarger, Hastings sophomore: She clinched last season’s diving championship as a freshman by 1.9 points and will return after winning her Regional by more than 27 with a score of 398.85.
Lower Peninsula Division 3 at Holland Aquatic Center
Reigning champion: East Grand Rapids
2024 runner-up: Bloomfield Hills Marian
2025 top-ranked: 1. East Grand Rapids, 2. Bloomfield Hills Marian, 3. Hudsonville Unity Christian
East Grand Rapids has won four straight Finals championships – including the last two in Division 3 – and can reach five consecutive for the fifth time in program history. That’s likely the expectation as the Pioneers have all three relays and 21 individual entries seeded to score, plus three divers in contention. Marian finished second a year ago and in 2021 and won the championship in 2022 when EGR competed in Division 2. The Mustangs have all three relays and 14 individuals seeded to score, and four divers. Unity Christian is a new addition to the contenders after finishing sixth a year ago. The Crusaders are seeking their first top-two Finals finish and bringing three relays and 10 individuals seeded to score.
Ellery Chandler, East Grand Rapids senior: She heads into her last Finals with three individual titles and four relay championships, with wins in the breaststroke, butterfly and as part of two relays a year ago. She’s seeded first in the butterfly (56.40) and breaststroke (1:04.54) and likely will swim on the top-seeded 200 free and second-seeded medley relays.
Ella Dziobak, Dearborn Divine Child senior: She’s pursuing a career Finals sweep in the 500 and is seeded fourth (5:22.70) in that race and fourth as well in the 200 free (1:59.50) – in which she placed third in 2024.
Addie Hein, East Grand Rapids junior: The reigning champion in the IM also finished third in the breaststroke and swam on the winning medley relay a year ago. She’s seeded third in the IM (2:10.87), fourth in the breaststroke (1:08.89) and could swim on two top-two seeded relays.
Quinn Norlander, Detroit Country Day junior: She’s looking to add to third-place finishes in both the IM and backstroke from last season, seeded first in the 100 freestyle (52.34), second in the backstroke (55.11) and also swimming on two relays.
Sophia Pierangeli, St. Joseph junior: The top seed in the IM (2:06.64) and third seed in the backstroke (57.33) finished fifth in the IM, sixth in the backstroke and swam on two runner-up relays last season. Two of her potential relays this weekend are top-seeded.
Camryn Siegers, Holland Christian junior: She’s won three Finals titles so far – two in the backstroke and also the 50 last year – and she’s seeded first this weekend in the 50 (23.01) and backstroke (54.46) with the latter only three hundredths of a second off the meet record. She’ll also likely swim on two third-seeded relays.
Alyssa Volkers, Hamilton junior: She could make significant jumps from sixth in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 500 last year, seeded first in both races in 1:54.60 and 5:11.29, respectively.
Anna McAllister, Chelsea junior: She won last season’s diving championship by nearly 43 points and her Regional last week by 40 with a score of 384.25.
Josi Popma, Hamilton junior: She posted the highest Division 3 Regional score of 397.25, winning her site by 42 points after placing third at last year’s Final.
PHOTO West Bloomfield's Elizabeth Eichbrecht swims the 500 freestyle at last season's Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)