Henry Schutte Splits 19.2 Free on Medley Relay At MHSAA D1 Prelims

MHSAA Division 1 State Meet

• Prelims Friday, March 9th
• Finals Saturday, March 10th
• Eastern Michigan University Jones Natatorium, Ypsilanti, MI
• Short course yards
• Prelims results

Henry Schutte, a Forest Hills Central junior, threw down one of the fastest 50 free splits in a high school meet ever to anchor the Forest Hills Central 200 medley relay in prelims of the MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) Division 1 State Meet. Schutte posted a blistering 19.29, leading his team to a first place finish going into tomorrow’s finals session. The Forest Hills Central team, which also included Seth Fagen, Matt Wilson, and Jonathan Bloedow, was 7th fastest in the field at the 150, but Schutte’s split rocketed them to first.

Schutte also went on to take 1st in the 50 free prelims, posting a lifetime best of 20.01, which broke the all-class MHSAA state record of 20.09, held by Clay Youngquist. That time puts him comfortably in 1st going into tomorrow. His previous lifetime best was 20.12, which he swam back in December at Winter Juniors. He also took the top seed in the 100 free, posting a 44.72, just off his lifetime best of 44.61, which was also set at Winter Juniors. The state record in the 100 free is very fast, sitting at 43.55 from Arizona State star Cameron Craig. Schutte also anchored the 400 free relay, but there was a timing pad error, so his official split is unkown.

David Cleason, an Ann Arbor Skyline senior, took the prelims 200 IM with the only sub-1:50 time, posting a 1:49.04. Cleason, a hometown-Michigan recruit, broke 1:50 for the first time, riding a great backstroke split of 27.49 and free split of 25.56. Alex Margherio, a Birmingham senior and future Texas Longhorn, went a 48.88 to win the 100 fly prelims. While that time is fast in itself, it’s still a ways off his personal best of 47.51. The MHSAA state record sits at 46.63, held by now-Georgia-star Camden Murphy.