Kingsford senior Chloe Blazer swims the 100 individual medley at Saturday’s Splash N Dash at Marquette Senior High School. Blazer set a personal best with a 1:28.63, erasing 10 seconds off her previous best which was the largest time drop of the meet for the Flivvers. (Ron Deuter photo)

MARQUETTE – The Kingsford swim team, despite some illness working its way through the roster, turned in some promising performances at the multi-school Splash N Dash medal meet Saturday at Marquette Senior High School, the site of next month’s U.P. Finals.

“The kids did well but we have been having a bug running through the team and it affected some performances,” Flivvers head coach Jim Lindstrom said.

Junior Thomas Gibbons was a double winner for the Flivvers. He won a super close 100 IM, coming up with a personal best time to edge Marquette senior Jack Pozega by a five hundredths of a second with a 1:01.58. In his main event, the 50 breaststroke, Gibbons had a little easier of a time of it with a personal best time of 30.33 which was nearly a four-second advantage.

Gibbbons’ win the breaststroke made it a sweep of the event for the Flivvers. Ahead of the boys race, junior Ella McLean was again fastest for the girls with a season-best time of 34.58.

“Ella ran a very good 50 breaststroke,” Lindstrom noted.

Two of the top two girl swimmers in the U.P. found themselves head to head again in two races, and not at all surprisingly, they delivered a couple of a thrilling finishes. Marquette junior Kaytlin Roell just out touched sophomore Allison Deuter in the 100 IM, 1:07.23 to 1:07.75 in what marked personal bests for both swimmers. Deuter got even in the 50 butterfly, winning in 28.11 to Roell’s 28.55, with both swimmers again posting personal bests.

“They split again just like the last time they met,” Lindstrom said. “It’s fun to watch two of the best swimmers in the U.P. go head to head.”

Iron Mountain sophomore Bryce Johnson also needed a personal best to claim victory and keep his undefeated run going in the backstroke. Johnson swam a 27.48 in the 50 backstroke to top Pozega’s 27.54. Johnson later turned in an impressive 23.61 split in the 200 free relay, helping the Flivvers to a second place finish.

“He surprised us all with that split,” Lindstrom said.

Some additional highlights for the Flivvers came from senior Chloe Blazer, who turned in the team’s biggest time drop of the meet by shedding 10 seconds on her 100 IM time with a personal best 1:28.63. Senior David Arcand posted personal bests with in the 50 free (26.34) and 50 fly (27.79). Coach Lindstrom also mentioned freshman Michael Covitz who had personal bests in the 50 free (29.26) and 50 back (38.64).

“I was happy with the overall performance considering the illness going around,” Lindstrom said.

The Flivvers host Rudyard and Gladstone on Thursday at the Northern Lights YMCA Dickinson Center.