The Lemont Park District Board and staff are offering congratulations to the Dolphins Swim Team for its second-place finish in the South Suburban Swim Conference Blue Division.

On Saturday, the Lemont Dolphins, a USA Swimming affiliated club that currently participates in the South Suburban Swim Conference Blue Division, hosted the 2012-13 Conference Championship at The Lemont Park District CORE Fitness & Aquatics Complex.

Six teams with more than 300 swimmers ages 6 to18, plus hundreds of spectators flocked to The CORE for the event. Other teams in the division are Bradley Bourbonnais Dolphins, Lockport-Homer Lightning, Palos Area Swim Sharks, Great Illinois Swimmers and Homewood Flossmoor Hammerheads.

“We went into this meet as an underdog, having moved up from the lower division the previous season,” said Dolphins’ head coach Erik Enslen. “Our initial goal was to be somewhere in the middle of the pack so that we would stay in this division. Prior to the meet, the coaches scored out the entries to realize that they had a great shot of not only finishing in the top 3, but actually winning the meet.”

Final scores were as follows: Lockport, 1,261; Lemont Dolphins, 1,180; Homewood Flossmoor, 1,168.50; Great Illinois Swimmers, 1,123; Palos Area, 983 and Bradley Bourbonnais, 926.

Individual winners, their ages and events are: Owen Ganzer, 12, 50 Free and 50 Butterfly; James Ioannou, 12, 50 Back; Sylvia Kobylak, 11, 50 Butterfly; Brandon Johnson, 8, 50 Free; and Mila Perczynski, 8, 50 Free.

“We are very excited with the second-place finish,” said Dolphins’ assistant coach Matt Kubowitsch. “This team has come a long way in just 2-1/2 years. I am very proud of everything our swimmers have accomplished through all of their hard work.”

The next championship for the Lemont Dolphins are the Illinois Swimming Regionals Feb. 22-24 in Homewood. The Dolphins currently have 12 swimmers qualified for the regional championships in 38 events.

Swimmers who have qualified for the meet are: Mary Kate Arundel,10; Michael Diorio, 15; Victoria Freitakas, 11; Owen Ganzer, 12; Molly Grubisic, 12; Cayley Hensley, 12; Julia Hryc,  11;  James Ioannou, 12;  Brandon Johnson, 8; Rachael Josepher, 12; Sylvia Kobylak, 11; and Teddy Kwasigroch, 12. Swimmers will also compete to qualify for the Age Group Championships at UIC in March.

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