South gaining confidence behind sophomore core

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Grosse Pointe South swim and dive has found consistency at the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 State Finals in the last few years, posting two runner-up finishes since 2019.

After posting another strong performance last year and earning fifth, the 2023 season brought uncertainty as to how South would respond after losing a core group of seniors.

Behind their sophomore core of Mischa Eng, Whitney Handwork and Heidi Bryan, South has jumped right back into the state finals mix, and South coach John Fodell said his sophomores have played a vital role.

“Now they’re a year in and they know what to be expecting or they know what they need to be doing where and when,” Fodell said. “So, you start trying to get people past the points they were already at, and then it’s, ‘OK, how far can we get it?’ We just have to keep pushing them.”

South flexed its muscles at a quad hosted by Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood on Oct. 6, where South took on some of the best teams in the state in Birmingham Seaholm (No. 8 in D2), Bloomfield Hills Marian (No. 3 in D3), and Cranbrook Kingswood (No. 2 in D2).

“You got three good teams you’re racing, and obviously it’s a different point in the season, but you’re in the pool racing them, which is nice,” Fodell said.

Earning seven first-place and six second-place finishes, South took first at the quad with impressive performances from Eng, Handwork, Bryan, junior Hannah DiDio and senior Alayna Okonoski.

Eng placed first in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard backstroke while also earning first in South’s first-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay alongside DiDio, Handwork and senior Keira Collins. Bryan earned first in the 500-yard freestyle and second in the 200-yard freestyle, while Handwork earned first in the 50-yard freestyle. Okonoski took first in 1-meter diving.

DiDio, who earned first in the 100-yard fly, is a swimmer whom South plans to lean on this season.

“We’re going to look for a lot from her just to be kind of the big parts in relays and hopefully score,” Fodell said.

What South has really leaned on this year is its seniors, and like the seniors before them, they’ve shined in the leadership role.

While serving as leaders in the pool, South’s seniors have stepped up in the mentor role for the younger swimmers.

Senior Dailey Jogan said the seniors before her paved the way for her senior class.

“It’s been very nice to be able to have seen those leaders the past three years,” Jogan said. “They were our role models stepping into this job and this role, and it was very nice to be able to take on the leadership position and help people the same way we were helped.”

The Blue Devils veteran swimmers kept traditions alive by taking the team to Blake’s Orchard and going on scavenger hunts.

The seniors aimed to create a comfortable space for every teammate to feel welcomed and motivated to be the best people they can be.

At a South swim meet, the team chemistry isn’t difficult to spot.

“There will be pictures from meets of people right over the lanes screaming and yelling at the person to go,” senior Vivian Rizer said. “It’s been nice to see everybody rally around each other and support each other to get their goals.”

South ended its final regular season meets with a second-place finish against Farmington Hills Mercy (No. 1 in D2) and Farmington (No. 6 in D2) on Oct. 21 at Grosse Pointe South High School.

It was just the tune-up meet South needed as it went against teams it will inevitably see in the state finals, and South held its own.

Eng, Collins, Handwork and DiDio showed why they’re one of the strongest 200-yard medley relay teams in Division 2 with another first-place performance, while Handwork (50 free), Okonoski (1M dive), Eng (200 IM and 100 back) and DiDio (100 fly) all earned first in their respective events.

Senior Charlotte Bedsworth, junior Maryn Smith, sophomore Lorelei Carr and freshman Elizabeth Ropke contributed efficient times as well.

South will look to post another impressive state finals performance when it competes in the MHSAA Division 2 State Finals Nov. 17-18 at the Holland Aquatic Center.