Macy Irelan, a junior at Owosso, competed in the Girls D3 Swimming State Finals at Lake Orion High School on Saturday.  Like many things this season, the meet was very odd.  Due to wanting to keep swimmers spread out Macy’s warm up time was from 11:30 to 12.  Her first swim was almost 3 and half hours later.  Swimmers had to wait in the commons area where she couldn’t see or hear the pool. "It felt weird not being apart of a meet that is always very loud, exciting and upbeat." Irelan said (no spectators were allowed).  “I’m not sure who was more nervous for those swims Macy or me.  After all this time I wondered if I had trained her right, if we went too hard or too easy, was she going to be warmed up in the right way? Talking to coaches, everyone felt this way.” Coach Murray said.

Despite all the stops and starts this year Irelan kept working hard. “I give all the credit in the world to Macy for her determination and work ethic. I made her swim things in practice she definitely didn’t want to do (100 fly’s off the block…often). But she did them. I think we both breathed a big sigh of relief when she turned in a lifetime best swim in the 50 free going from being seeded 27^th with a time of 25.70 to placing 19^th going 25.37.” Coach Murray added. 

In the fly she went from being seeded 22^nd with a time of 1:02.42 to placing 7^th with a time of 1.00.53. By placing in the top 8 Macy becomes the first swimmer from Owosso to earn All-State Honors. Last year Owosso had its first All-State diver when Katie Clevenger placed 5^th (she now dives for Oakland University). It has been a long season stretching over 5 months.  In a normal year the season is about 3 months long. Macy is ready for some time away from the pool and she is ready to focus on her primary sport of softball, where she has committed to play for Kent State University. Murray concluded by saying, “I am so proud of not just what she accomplished at the State Finals but how she got to that finish line. I know she learned lessons along the way that will help her in the years to come.”