The Canton Cobras Girls Swim & Dive team faced a tough test against Northville, with athletes across all grades stepping up in every event. While the Cobras were edged out overall, the meet was packed with standout swims, strong relay efforts, and consistent diving performances that showcased the team’s depth and determination.

The meet opened with the 200 Medley Relay, where Canton’s “A” team of Jasmine Pham, Audrey Huey, Ximena Murillo, and Ella Strutton earned 3rd place in 1:58.84. Canton’s depth was on full display as nearly the entire team raced in additional relay squads: the “B” team of Isabel Ellinger, Erin Yonker, Caitlin Gregory, and Kaliyah McElroy; the “C” team of Kate Stevens, Peyton Szopko, Praanjal Pradeep, and Cataleya McCauley; the “D” team of Laureli Claerr, Michelle Zhang, Emma Flynn, and Samaara Khan; the “E” team of Megan Michener, Felecia Ferracciolo, Valentina Raoof, and Brynn Sturdy; and the “F” team of Navya Rathor, Aditi Sankar, Vasmitha Karthikeyan, and Imoen Stop.

In the 200 Freestyle, Senior Hannah Gurgel led the way with a 1st-place swim and a season best, followed by Mina Kennedy in 3rd and Isabel Ellinger in 6th. Sydney Bennett, Emma Edwards (with a nearly 7-second drop), and Zoey Macklem (with a personal improvement) rounded out a strong mid-distance group.

The 200 IM featured a runner-up finish from Junior Amelia Pan in a season best. Jasmine Pham dropped over 3 seconds, Michelle Zhang took 6th with a 5.5-second improvement, and event newcomer Erin Yonker, plus Praanjal Pradeep (nearly 2 second drop), and Peyton Szopko added depth with determined swims.

In the 50 Freestyle, sprinters Abigail McAskin and Audrey Huey finished 4th and 5th, both close to their season bests, while Kate Stevens took 6th with nearly a full-second drop. PR swims came from Caitlin Gregory, Cataleya McCauley, Ananya Gautam, and Brynn Sturdy. Samaara Khan, Felecia Ferracciolo, Imoen Stop, Joann Muppidi, Navya Rathor, Elle Gilles, and Aditi Sankar all gained valuable race experience in exhibition heats.

The divers turned in a consistent performance, with Senior Kiera Shisler in 4th, Senior Elisa Quinn in 5th, and Freshman Natalie Dicken in 6th.

In the 100 Butterfly, Junior Abigail McAskin surged to 1st place, Senior Ximena Murillo followed in 3rd, and Sophomore Ella Strutton finished 6th with a 2.5-second drop. Kaliyah McElroy and Amya Bosanko both swam fly for the first time this season, and Emma Flynn added another steady effort.

The 100 Freestyle saw another win from Hannah Gurgel, nearly at her best time. Caitlin Gregory placed 5th with a half-second drop, while Laureli Claerr, Felicia Ferracciolo, Ananya Gautam, Joann Muppidi, and Elle Gilles also lowered their times. Raoof, Karthikeyan, Macklem, Sturdy, Stop, Michener, and Rathor raced in the lanes and boosted team depth in the sprints.

In the 500 Freestyle, Amelia Pan dominated with a season best and the win. Junior Sydney Bennett placed 5th, Kate Stevens cut over 14 seconds in her 20-lap swim, and Emma Edwards and Cataleya McCauley both impressed in their first distance races of the year.

The 200 Freestyle Relay highlighted the Cobras’ sprint strength, with the “A” team of Pan, Huey, McAskin, and Gurgel storming to 1st place in a D1 state qualifying time. The “B” relay of Strutton, Ellinger, Murillo, and Kennedy took 4th, while Canton’s “C” through “F” squads (McElroy, Yonker, Bosanko, Zhang; Bennett, Macklem, Szopko, Edwards; Karthikeyan, Raoof, Ferracciolo, Sturdy; and Gautam, Gilles, Michener, Sankar) each gained crucial relay experience.

In the 100 Backstroke, Junior Jasmine Pham won with a season best, while Praanjal Pradeep and Emma Flynn finished 5th and 6th. Laureli Claerr added another competitive swim in exhibition.

The 100 Breaststroke brought more improvements as Freshman Audrey Huey took 4th with a season best, Senior Erin Yonker placed 5th with a season best, and Junor Michelle Zhang finished 6th with her own best. Peyton Szopko, Kaliyah McElroy, and Amya Bosanko each delivered time drops to round out the group.

The meet concluded with the 400 Freestyle Relay, where McAskin, Kennedy, Pan, and Gurgel combined for 2nd in 3:44.51. The “B” team of Strutton, Ellinger, Murillo, and Pham placed 5th, while Stevens, Zhang, Pradeep, and Bosanko swam a strong “C” relay to close out the night.

Summary
Although Northville secured the overall 52-point win, the Canton Cobras left the pool with confidence after strong performances across every event. Multiple first-place finishes from Gurgel, Pan, McAskin, and Pham highlighted the meet, while nearly every swimmer and diver contributed through relays, individual events, or exhibition swims. The Cobras once again proved their strength in both star power and depth, fighting through every race and showing why they are a team to watch this season.

Canton will next show up at the Wayne County Championships held at Grosse Pointe South HS on Saturday.
Cobra's next dual meet is at home on Thursday, October 9 at 6pm vs the Brighton Bulldogs.