Trails Places 2nd at NCISC A Conference Champs

The Trails Swim Team celebrated a second place victory at the North Central Illinois Swim Conference A Championship on Saturday July 21, 2018. The event, held at the Kishwaukee Family YMCA in Sycamore, IL was won by the Geneva River Rats and also featured teams from Cary, Geneva, Oswego, DeKalb and Huntley.

Trails conference individual champions included Mary Jost who took first place in the Girls 11-12 50 Yard Butterfly (31.70) and Mason Gaylord in the Boys 9-10 50 Yard Breaststroke (39.61). In addition to the Boys 8&Under 100 Yard Medley Relay, Trails also won the Boys 8&Under 100 Yard Medley Relay and took first in 7 of 10 Free Relays for an exciting finish to the meet.

Several Trails team records also were broken, starting with the Boys 9-10 200 Yard Medley Relay with Antonio Aguirre, Mason Gaylord, Joe Hillyer and Nolan Grugel (2:27.03). In the same event, Aguirre captured the record for the 50 Yard Backstroke with his lead off (34.82). Alec Orndahl also continued his streak of record-breaking with the 15-18 Boys 100 Yard Butterfly (55.10) and Backstroke (55.93).

The championship was a culmination of a summer-long season that saw 10 records fall by the 130-swimmer roster. The 9-10 Boys broke records all season, including the 9-10 200 Meter Medley Relay, which was broken 3 times, the record holding at the end of the season with 2:45.89, featuring Antonio Aguirre, Mason Gaylord, Joe Hillyer and Gabe Niemi. Two of the swimmers also broke records in individual events in a dual meet at home against the Oswego Otters the week prior. Antonio Aguirre in the 50 Meter Backstroke (39.01) and Mason Gaylord in the 50 Meter Breastroke (43.24). Alec Orndahl also broke his own Backstroke record for the 100 Meter distance (1:05.15) and Grace Kozlowski broke a long-standing record for the 100 Yard Backstroke (1:05.34).

Led by head coach Kayleigh Kozlowski, the coaching staff of Francis Ogaban, Kellie Mucha, Leena Masiti and Rachel Jost were key to the team's success this season.

The Trails Swim Team is an Algonquin-based not-for-profit community swim team that provides a fun, social atmosphere within a competitive swim program for swimmers of all abilities aged 5 to 18.

NCISC A Conference Championship Team Results

1 Geneva River Rats 2,520.5
2 Trails Swim Team 1,523.5
3 Cary Barracudas 1,390.5
4 Oswego Otters 1,297
5 Kishwaukee YMCA/DeKalb 947.5
6 Huntley Stingrays 676

Trails NCISC A Individual Champions
Mary Jost, Girls 11-12 50 Yard Fly, 31.70
Mason Gaylord, Boys 9-10 50 Yard Breastroke, 39.61

Trails NCISC A Relay Champions
Boys 8&Under 100 Yard Medley Relay (Logan Droste, David Gatto, Johnny Marzalik, Max Gaylord)
Boys 8&Under 100 Yard Free Relay (Logan Droste, David Gatto, Logan Kranig, Max Gaylord)
Girls 9-10 200 Yard Free Relay (Penny Brereton, Natalie Zimmerman, Bella Fontana, Sarah Hillyer)
Boys 9-10 200 Yard Free Relay (Antonio Aguirre, Joe Hillyer, Jace Kranig, Mason Gaylord)
Girls 11-12 200 Yard Free Relay (Alyssa Molinaro, Morgan Jankowski, Carly Kranig, Mary Jost)
Boys 11-12 200 Yard Free Relay (Charlie Mason, Aaron Abendroth, Noah Brereton, Luke Johnson)
Girls 13/14 200 Yard Free Relay (Grace Kozlowski, Avery Mason, Bella Aguirre, Elizabeth McAuliffe)
Girls 15-18 200 Yard Free Relay (Lauren Bednaroski, Grace Gatto, Elle McKinney, Sara Merkelz)

2018 New Trails Records

Boys 15 Up 100 Meter Backstroke
Alec Orndahl 1:05.15

Girls 13-14 100 Yard Backstroke
Grace Kozlowski 1:05.34

Boys 9-10 50 Meter Breaststroke
Mason Gaylord 43.24

Boys 9-10 50 Meter Backstroke
Antonio Aguirre 39.01

Boys 9-10 200 Meter Medley Relay
Antonio Aguirre, Mason Gaylord, Joe Hillyer and Gabe Niemi) 2:45.89

Boys 9-10 200 Meter Free Relay
Antonio Aguirre, Mason Gaylord, Joe Hillyer and Gabe Niemi) 2:31.59

Boys 9-10 200 Yard Medley Relay
Antonio Aguirre, Mason Gaylord, Joe Hillyer and Nolan Grugel) 2:27.03

Boys 9-10 50 Yard Backstroke
Antonio Aguirre 34.82L

Boys 15-18 100 Yard Butterfly
Alec Orndahl 55.10

Boys 15-18 100 Yard Backstroke
Alec Orndahl 55.93

Trails Team Awards

Spirit Award
Luke Johnson

MVP
Antonio Aguirre
Grace Kozlowski
Sebastian Los
Charlie Mason
Elizabeth McAuliffe
Alec Orndahl

Best Effort
6&Under: Ben Niemi
7-8 Max Gaylord
9-10 Jace Kranig
11-12 Abby Machesky
13-14 Maggie Hillyer
15-18 Ty Kalscheur

Swimmers Choice
6&Under Caroline Reid
7-8 Elizabeth Jost
9-10 Kaitlyn Tomaszewski
11-12 Luke Johnson
13-14 Avery Mason
15-18 Grace Gatto

Most Improved
6&Under Seth Wetzel and Caroline Reid
7-8 Carter Tomaszewski and Esme Grugel
9-10 Rachel Johnson and Nolan Grugel
11-12 Noah Brereton and Lily Balmer
13-14 Aiden Jost and Faith Mudra
15-18 Jim Spurny and Elle McKinney

Coaches Award
Bella Aquirre
Mason Gaylord
Serafina Johnson
John Marzalik

Pic Above: 2018 Trails Swim Team

Pics Below: #1 Some of the Trails 13 and up age group swimmers celebrate with the second place trophy; #2 Coaching team Francis Ogaban, Leena Masiti, Kayleigh Kozlowski, Rachel Jost and Kellie Mucha; #3 the Trails conference individual and relay champions; #4 record breakers Coach Rachel, Kayleigh Kozlowski, Alec Orndahl, Nolan Grugel, Antonio Aguirre, Head Coach Kayleigh Kozlowski, Mason Gaylord, Joe Hillyer, Jace Kranig and Gabe Niemi.