Northern Lights YMCA swimmer Ava McLaughlin, 8, competes in the Deer Camp Open on Saturday. (Courtesy photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Northern Lights YMCA swim team delivered an outstanding performance at the Deer Camp Open, held at the Northern Lights YMCA Dickinson Center pool on Saturday.

From the youngest athletes to seasoned competitors, NLY swimmers collected top finishes and personal bests throughout the meet. The team’s showing included numerous first-place results, significant time drops, and quality efforts in distance events.

Head Coach Aimee Tatangelo praised the team’s energy and progress. “Our swimmers continue to grow in confidence and skill,” she said. “I’m especially proud of our first-year swimmers who stepped into competition with enthusiasm and grit.”

Upper-level athletes delivered several standout performances. Allison Deuter claimed the title in the 50 freestyle. Bryce Johnson swept multiple events, including victories in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly. Ella Murphy dominated the 11-12 girls division, securing first place in all five of her events–including the 100 freestyle and 100 IM — demonstrating exceptional versatility.

In the 13-14 age group, Dominic Tatangelo led the boys with multiple wins in the 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly, and 200 IM while continuing to lower his times. On the girls side, Cira Windell earned multiple first-place finishes and notable time improvements in the sprint freestyle and breaststroke events.

In the 9-10 girls division, Catherine Majors won all four of her events: the 100 butterfly, 50 butterfly, 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke. Her consistency across strokes and distances was a highlight of the meet.

The day also brought several major milestones for the program. Ella Murphy, Jack Krznarich, and Greyson Williams qualified for the Wisconsin-Upper Peninsula State Championship meet. Additionally, Sierra Tatangelo set a new team record in the 1,000-yard freestyle, powering to first place with a time of 14:41.42.

Jack Krznarich’s performance was especially notable. Competing in the 8-and-under division, he put together one of the most dominant outings of the meet. Krznarich captured first place in all five of his events — including the 100 freestyle, 25 freestyle, 25 backstroke, 25 breaststroke, and 25 butterfly. He also played a crucial role in the victory for his 100-yard-freestyle relay.

The Northern Lights YMCA also celebrated the efforts of its first-year competitors, each contributing to the team’s success. Newcomers included: David Arcand, Alexzandra Beurjey, Alivia Bunker, Scarlette Edwards, Chiara Filippi, Ayla Harrand, Burgess Hendrick, Russell Hodgins, James Joski III, Matthew Kirsenlohr, Palmer Phillips, Bradley Okerlund, and Tyus Schmidt.

Many of these first-year swimmers posted top-10 finishes in their debut season. Notable efforts included Alexzandra Beurjey’s time drops in the 25 and 50 freestyle; Ayla Harrand’s consistent performances across her 8-and-under events; and Russell Hodgins’ runner-up finishes in both the 25 backstroke and 25 freestyle. Young competitors such as Bradley Okerlund and James Joski demonstrated strong racing spirit and ongoing improvement throughout the meet.

With momentum building early in the season, the Northern Lights YMCA Swim Team looks ahead with excitement. “The energy on the pool deck is incredible right now,” Coach Tatangelo remarked. “If we keep working the way we have been, this could be one of our strongest seasons yet.”

The team now returns to training as they prepare for upcoming competitions in Marinette and Sturgeon Bay, Wis.