By Cort Reynolds

OTTAWA__The Bluffton High School boys swim team dove into its season opener by winning a five-team meet on Thursday, December 7, at the Putnam County YMCA.

Bluffton won the close boys meet by three points over Upper Sandusky, 79-76. Ada finished third with 39 points, followed by Bath (25) and McComb (17).

The US Rams won the girls meet with 101 points, with Bluffton a strong second at 87 points. Ada came in third at 43 points, ahead of Bath (25).

Bluffton sophomore Jackson Bowlus won the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke events to pace the Pirate boys to victory.

Bowlus also swam a leg for two first-place relay teams.

Pirate Charles Wright also won the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke races.

PIRATE 1ST-PLACE FINISHERS

Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay 

1 Bluffton Swim Team-OH 1:51.06 

1) Bowlus, Jackson T SO
2) Wright, Charles A JR 
3) Diller, Xavier D JR
4) Lehman, Jacob L SR

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle 

1 Bluffton Swim Team-OH SR 1 Stechschulte, Izzy R 2:13.67

Girls 50 Yard Freestyle  

1 Downey, Jenna M 26.31

Boys 50 Yard Freestyle 

1 Bowlus, Jackson T 23.7

Boys 100 Yard Butterfly 

1 Wright, Charles A 1:00.17

Girls 100 Yard Freestyle 

1 Stechschulte, Izzy R 1:00.31

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay 

1 Bluffton Swim Team-OH 1:46.84 

1) Diller, Xavier D JR
2) Fenzl, Levi D JR 
3) Ungashick, Aaron T FR
4) Bowlus, Jackson T So

Boys 100 Yard Backstroke 

1 Bowlus, Jackson T 1:00.32

Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke 

1 Wright, Charles A 1:15.80