Illinois Valley YMCA Dolphins win small team Illinois YMCA state title

The Illinois Valley YMCA Dolphins had 31 individual top-10 finishes and five top-10 relays at the Illinois YMCA State Swim Meet on March 8-10 at Lake Central High School in St. John, Ind. to win the Small Team State Championship.

Sam Nauman had a third-place finish in the girls 14-and-under 200-yard freestyle, fourth-place finishes in the 14U 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley and a fifth-place finish in the 21U 200 backstroke.

The 14U 200 freestyle relay of Nauman, Anna Weitl, Emma Short and Emily Lowery placed third, while the same foursome placed seventh in the 14U 200 medley.

James Lowery placed third in the boys 10U 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle, fourth in the 200 IM and fifth in the 100 IM and 50 butterfly.

Nathan Cheney placed sixth for the boys 8U 25 breaststroke.

The boys 12U 200 freestyle relay of James Lowery, Adrian Hermosillo, Sib Buffo and Patrick Short placed 10th.

Morgan Dowacter led the 8U girls with an eighth-place finish in the 25 freestyle. The girls 8U 100 freestyle relay of Dowacter, Ellie Sester, Reese Carney and Brinkley Baker placed 13th.

Gwen Nelson led the 12U girls, finishing third in the 500 freestyle, fourth in the 200 freestyle, sixth in the 50 butterfly and ninth in the 100 butterfly. She also helped the 12U girls place eighth in the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays with Claire Lowery, London Jones and Chloe Short.

Chris Lowery broke the Dolphins 21U boys 200 breaststroke record with a time of 2:12.47 and qualified for YMCA Nationals.