The Dexter boys’ swimming and diving team began 2024 with a big splash. The Dreadnaughts opened the new year with an easy 143-40 win over Bedford on Jan. 4 in an SEC dual-meet at Wylie. The Dreadnaughts improved to 5-0 in dual-meets.
On Saturday, Dexter competed in the Spartan Invitational at BC Lakeview and finished in fifth place out of 10 teams. The Dreadnaughts finished with 258.5 points, just behind Battle Creek Lakeview (260) and Northview (268). Birmingham Seaholm took first with 464 points with Byron Center in second (379).
The Dexter team of Anthony Kopinski, Lucas Coy, Matthew Resende and Jude Smith finished fifth in the medley relay with a time of 1:42.79.
Dexter senior Dylan O’Connor was eighth in the 200 free with a time of 1:50.6 followed by teammate Jack Haidl in ninth (1:51.06). Owen Dauw was 11th in 1:53.51.
Dexter junior Liam MacNeil was 11th in the IM in 2:15.11 and Resende, a senior, tied for 11th place in the 50 free in 23.14.
Dexter freshman Felix Davis was 10th in diving with 283.75 points with teammate David Kull in 13th place with 238.65 points.
Resende touched ninth in the butterfly with a time of 55.63. Kopinski was 12th in 56.13.
Smith, a sophomore, was ninth in the 100 free in 50.59 and Ragnes was 13th in 51.95.
The Dreadnaughts had a strong showing in the 500 free with five top-10 finishes. O’Connor took second place with a time of 4:55.21. The senior finished a touch behind winner Carter Nelson of BYC who won in 4:54.16. Haidl was third (4:57.7), Dauw was sixth (5:09.31), MacNeil was seventh (5:12.62) and Dane Lee was 10th (5:19.02). Eric Smaby was 11th in 5:21.56.
The Dexter team of Coy, Smaby, Ragnes and Steven Merz was 10th in the 200 free relay in 1:36.18.
Kopinski took fifth in the backstroke in 55.76 followed by Smith (ninth, 58.52) and Reed Kinney (12th, 1:01.41). In the breaststroke, Coy was 17th in 1:09.66.
Dexter’s team of Resende, Ragnes, Kopinski and Smith took fifth in the 400 free relay in 3:24.62.
The Dreads return to the pool on Thursday with a 6 p.m. dual-meet against visiting Skyline.
