Mercy Clinches Third Straight Swimming State Title, Powered by Teamwork and Depth
ROCHESTER HILLS — While Campbell Shore was the standout swimmer for Farmington Hills Mercy, claiming the only individual state championship for her team, she is quick to emphasize that the Marlins’ success is built on the strength of the entire team, not just individual performances.
“Our team is based on teamwork,” said Shore, a sophomore. “Everyone on this team has shown me that swimming is more than just an individual sport. We lift each other up, and you don’t have to win an event to be a winner on the team. It’s about working hard together, not about the times or places we get.”
Shore certainly had an impressive showing at the MHSAA Division 2 state finals at Oakland University, with three first-place finishes in her four events. But her individual success was just a piece of a larger, dominant team effort that led Mercy to its third consecutive state title.
“The best part of this experience is the support I have,” Shore said. “This team has meant so much to me. It’s taught me that swimming is not just about being in a lane for yourself. It’s a team sport, even when it doesn’t seem like it, and that has helped me grow as a swimmer, athlete, and person.”
Mercy finished with 375.5 points, far outpacing second-place Grosse Pointe South (255), followed by Birmingham Seaholm (244), Ann Arbor Skyline (137), and Portage Central (136).
“We achieved more than we thought we could, and I’m so proud of everyone,” Shore said. “Coach Mike Venos and everyone else is proud of our entire team and what we accomplished this week.”
The Marlins scored in 11 of the 12 events, with 24 swims contributing to their total. While only three of those swims were first-place finishes, Mercy’s depth was evident as they placed multiple swimmers in the championship heats. The team’s all-around performance clinched their 13th state title and their third straight.
“Everybody was hitting lifetime bests, and it was just so fun to watch,” Coach Venos said. “Once they get their first nervous swim out of the way, they know what they need to do. We’ve talked about it since our first dual meet: treat every meet like it’s the state meet, and when you get here, you’re going to own the place. You just wind them up and get out of their way.”
Shore’s time of 51.41 seconds earned her the title in the 100 freestyle, while she also anchored the winning 200 freestyle relay (1:35.19), alongside Mackenzie Conway, Ella Hafner, and Avery Tack. The 400 freestyle relay team of Tack, Leah Greaves, Hafner, and Shore also took first in 3:29.07, earning an All-American consideration time.
“I’m so proud of everybody and how hard we’ve worked,” Shore said. “Our coach always reminds us that times don’t matter. What matters is being hard workers and lifting each other up in practice. That’s what allows us to get the times we do.”
Conway echoed Shore’s sentiments: “It took all season to get to this point. We worked together all season and became like sisters. It was a different kind of bond, and that really clicked when we reached this level.”
Mercy had 20 state-meet qualifiers, including 17 swimmers and three divers. Half of them earned all-state honors by placing in their events. Besides Shore, Ella Hafner, Tack, Conway, Kathleen Schwab, Greaves, Clare Hafner, and Caroline Lee all finished in the top five in their individual races.
“We keep telling them, everybody’s watching. The girls before you earned that reputation for you,” Coach Venos said. “Your job is just to take care of yourselves, and good things will happen.”
Mercy was the Division 2’s top-ranked team throughout the season, also winning the Oakland County and Catholic League championship meets.
“There is a winning culture at Mercy, but it’s not just about swimming,” Venos said. “It’s about the true community we have. These girls know there is strength in numbers, in tradition, and in the history of this program. Mercy won the first-ever girls state championship in 1972, and that legacy is not lost on them.”
Marian, Cranbrook, and Divine Child Shine at Division 3 State Finals
Meanwhile, at the Division 3 state finals at Oakland University, Bloomfield Hills Marian and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook earned top-four team finishes, and Dearborn Divine Child’s Ella Dziobak successfully defended her state title in the 500 freestyle.
Dziobak won the 500 (5:12.76), with Marian’s Stella Glorio finishing second (5:14.57). Dziobak also placed third in the 200 free (1:56.71), while Cranbrook’s Hazel Strain was the runner-up in the backstroke (56.99). These were the only top-three finishes for Catholic League swimmers, though Cranbrook scored points in all three relay events, and Marian and Divine Child each placed in two.
East Grand Rapids claimed their fourth consecutive state championship with 407 points, followed by Marian (173) and Cranbrook (147). Divine Child finished 13th with 79 points. Marian’s last state championship came in 2022, while Cranbrook won in 2020.
