Channel Cats prep for N-O swim season

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 24 November 2017 at 8:08 am

Photo by Mike Wertman – Madigan Lang, Jenna Heiser and Patrick Sheelar are serving as captains for the Roy-Hart swim teams this season.

Despite small numbers the Roy-Hart boys swim team is prepping to defend the Niagara-Orleans League title which the Channel Cats have won the last 11 years in a row.

Senior co-captains Patrick Sheelar and Madigan Lang head the veteran group for the Channel Cats which also includes junior Cameron VanBuren and sophomores Michael Miller and William Rickard. Lang placed second in the 500 Freestyle at last year’s All-League meet.

The Channel cats graduation losses included Tanner Rees (1st in 200 Free, 2nd in 100 Breaststroke), Elliot Spitzer (1st 100 Backstroke) and Nate Mikol (2nd in 50 Free and 100 Free).

The Roy-Hart girls squad, which tied for second place at 7-3 last year, has a large squad of some 25 swimmers led by juniors Jenna Heiser, Holly DiMayo, Alex Fox, Madison Ohol, Emilia Peracciny and Madison Pratt; sophomores Jordryn Bobzein, Shayna Bulmer, Kayla Hagen, Sandy Sparks and eighth graders Amanda Hill and Molly Russell.

Hagen won the 100 Free and placed second in the 100 Back at the All-League meet while DeMayo was third in the Breaststroke and Ohol third in the 200 Free. Hagen and Heiser, who is the team captain, were also members of the winning 200 Medley Relay team.

Under new Coach Dottie Barr, the Channel Cats will begin tuning up for the N-O season by hosting HAC on December 1 and visiting Pembroke on December 8. Roy-Hart will open the league campaign at Akron on December 12.

Schedule
December: 1 – HAC, 4:30 p.m.; 8 – at Pembroke, 5:30 p.m.; 12 – at Akron, 4:30 p.m.; 14 – Barker, 4:30 p.m.; 19 – at Medina, 4:30 p.m.; 21 – at Newfane, 4:30 p.m.
January: 3 – Albion, 4:30 p.m.; 5 – Akron, 4:30 p.m.; 9 – at Barker, 4:30 p.m.; 11 – Medina, 4:30 p.m.; 17 – Newfane, 4:30 p.m.; 19 – at Albion, 4:30 p.m.; 24 – Boys All-League at Akron, 5:30 p.m.; 26 – Girls All-League at Newfane, 5:30 p.m.
February: 2 – N-O vs. G-R Girls Crossover at Gates-Chili, 6 p.m.