SAGINAW — The Marquette Senior High School boys and girls swimming and diving teams took part in an event unique for them over the weekend.

They participated at a Lower Peninsula competition, the Muzz Relays at Saginaw Heritage.

“Marquette swimming and diving headed downstate for competition (as far as I know) for the first time ever,” MSHS head coach Nate McFarren said in an email.

A major part of the difficulty in participating there is that Lower Peninsula girls swimming is held in the fall, while the boys season is in the winter, contrary to the Upper Peninsula where both boys and girls seasons are in the winter.

McFarren added that the combined Redmen-Redette team competed against seven other schools, including host Saginaw Heritage and fellow U.P. school Sault Ste. Marie.

The MSHS team scored 160 points to finish runner-up by just two points to champion DeWitt, which fielded an all-boys squad.

“The lowest finish in any race for Marquette was third, many placed second and (there were) three first-place finishes.”

The meet was composed of 11 relay events.

Heritage was third with 108 and the Soo fourth with 102, followed by Oscoda with 76, Essexville-Garber 70, West Branch Ogemaw Heights 54 and Chesaning 46.

“It was a great opportunity for our crew to make the trip, see a new venue and competition,” McFarren said. “There were some nerves coming into the meet, but great swims — many season and lifetime bests — proved that Marquette is doing it right.”

The MSHS wins included the mixed 200-yard medley relay in 1 minute, 45.18 seconds comprised of Andrew King, Colin VanderSchaaf, Liam McFarren and Maverick Baldwin.

Marquette also won the three-person mixed 300 medley relay by more than four seconds in 3:02.15 with VanderSchaaf, Grace Sobczak and Liam McFarren.

And MSHS also won the meet’s final event, the mixed 200 freestyle relay in 1:33.65 with VanderSchaaf, Baldwin, Bobby Caron and Liam McFarren.

Runner-up finishes included another mixed 200 medley relay in 2:16.14 with Evan Balko, Kelsey Glover, Caden LaFayette and Hunter Symbal.

MSHS was also second in the mixed one-meter diving event where Evan Balko was listed with a score of 144.90 points.

Marquette was also second in the 300 butterfly relay in 3:14.30 with Delaney Marchiol, Elena Henry, Alex Gooch and Sevi Voigt; the 300 backstroke relay in 3:15.37 with King, Natalie Schetter, Henry and Mason Doan; and the 300 breaststroke relay in 3:48.78 with Kai Chouinard, Liam Boland, Maddie Wood and Kelsey Glover.

Third places were turned in by the mixed 800 free relay that included Trevor Crandell, Sobczak and Hannah Winn; mixed 400 free relay with Caron, Winn, Marchiol and Andon Buyarski; and mixed 400 medley relay with Voigt, Maija Talvensaari, Gooch and Crandell.

Marquette hosts Westwood in a regular dual meet on Wednesday afternoon, then holds its annual Splash-n-Dash Meet at 10 a.m. Saturday that is scheduled to include every U.P. team in sprint-only events.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.