Dominic Tatangelo of the Northern Lights YMCA Swim Team qualified for state competition in the 200-yard butterfly with his performance at a recent meet in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (Courtesy photo)

Members of the Northern Lights YMCA Swim Team traveled to Sturgeon Bay to compete in the Fast and Furious Best Chance Meet, delivering an impressive weekend of personal bests, top finishes, and state-qualifying swims.

One of the highlights came from Dominic Tatangelo, who achieved his long-sought state qualifying time in the 200-yard butterfly. Tatangelo touched the wall in 2:37.13, earning the state cut after chasing the time standard throughout the season. The accomplishment reflected months of dedication and persistence in one of swimming’s most demanding events.

Another standout performance came from Allison Deuter, who set a new Northern Lights YMCA team record in the 1,000-yard freestyle. Deuter posted a time of 12:25.27, dropping nearly 30 seconds from her previous seed time of 12:54.04 and etching her name into the team record books with a strong distance performance.

The team also celebrated a number of state qualifying swims, with several athletes earning the opportunity to compete at the state championships in Milwaukee against top swimmers from across Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula.

Swimmers qualifying for the state meet included Dominic Tatangelo, Ella Murphy, Sierra Tatangelo, Jack Krznarich, Greyson Williams, Kelsey Stanek, Claire DeRidder, Mackenzie Kowalczyk, Allison Deuter, Bryce Johnson, and Ava McLaughlin. Also earning a spot at the championship meet is Miriam Gustafson, who will join the Northern Lights contingent traveling to Milwaukee.

The meet featured many strong finishes from Northern Lights swimmers. Ella Murphy tied for first place in the 11-12 girls 50-yard butterfly, touching in 31.34.

Aubrey Dixon added a strong performance in the 13-14 girls 50 butterfly, placing seventh with a time of 33.42.

On the boys side, Bryce Johnson delivered a solid swim in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing in 2:17.90.

Younger swimmers also showed strong progress. Kelsey Stanek (1:28.77) and Claire DeRidder (1:30.72) both turned in strong swims in the 9-10 girls 100 freestyle, while Mackenzie Kowalczyk competed in multiple events in the 8-and-under division, including the 25 butterfly (26.33) and 100 freestyle (1:42.60).

Distance events also saw strong efforts. Sierra Tatangelo posted a 6:38.35 in the 11-12 girls 500 freestyle, while Aubrey Dixon swam the 13-14 girls 500 freestyle in 6:20.53, both demonstrating endurance in the longer races.

Northern Lights swimmers also combined for strong relay performances, highlighted by the 15-and-over girls 200 medley relay team of Ella Murphy, Cira Windell, Aubrey Dixon, and Sierra Tatangelo, which finished fifth.

Head coach Aimee Tatangelo praised the team’s effort and improvement throughout the meet.

“This meet is always a great opportunity for swimmers to take one last shot at qualifying times and to see how much their hard work has paid off this season,” Tatangelo said. “I’m incredibly proud of how our swimmers raced. We saw big improvements, a team record, and several athletes achieved their goal of qualifying for states. It’s exciting to see their dedication rewarded.”

Swimmers will now prepare to compete at the state championships in Milwaukee, where they will race against some of the top YMCA swimmers in the region.