Bluffton youth Jackson Bowlus, June Essinger and Levin Essinger competed in the Tim Welsh Invitational Jan. 3-5, at the Rolfs Aquatic Center at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. More than 500 swimmers from Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin competed.

The local swimmers are part of the Lima YMCA USA Swim Club coached by April Dorman and Jeff Bowlus. This was the team’s second appearance at the invite and a total of 10 swimmers from the area competed with the Lima team finishing 15 out of 28 teams.

Jackson Bowlus, 12,  is the son of Robin and Jeff Bowlus and scored a total of 77 points for the team. Individual results are:           

100 Yard Freestyle: placed 6 out of 67 swimmers with a time of 1:02:63 (dropping 4.27 seconds for a PR).

50 Yard Breaststroke: placed 9 out of 61 swimmers with a time of 39:46 (dropping 2.05 seconds for a PR).

50 Yard Backstroke: placed 4 out of 71 swimmers with a time of 32:66 (dropping .12 seconds).

100 Yard Backstroke: placed 4 out of 44 swimmers with a time of 1:08:60 (dropping 3.08 for a PR)

50 Yard Freestyle: placed 6 out of 50 swimmers with a time of 28:31 

50 Yard Butterfly: placed 7 out of 30 swimmers with a time of 31:40 (dropping 1.42 for a PR)

June Essinger, 12, is the daughter of Dave and Alice Essinger and scored 66 points for the team. Individual results are:

1650 Yard Freestyle: placed 5 out of 22 swimmers with a time of 24:33:52 (dropping 1:59:85 for a PR)

200 Yard Individual Medley: placed 9 out of 38 swimmers with a time of 2:42:72 (dropping 24.87 seconds for a PR)

50 Yard Breaststroke: placed 15 out of 102 swimmers with a time of 39:21 (dropping .73 seconds)

100 Yard Butterfly: placed 7 out of 27 swimmers with a time of 1:14:35 (dropping 2.07 seconds for a PR)

500 Yard Freestyle: placed 7 out of 19 swimmers with a time of 6:40:58 (dropping 18.77 seconds for a PR)

50 Yard Butterfly: placed 8 out of 73 swimmers with a time of 32:33

100 Yard Breaststroke: placed 11 out of 55 swimmers with a time of 1:26:05 (dropping 3.64 seconds for a PR)

Levin Essinger, 9, is the son of Dave and Alice Essinger and scored 69 points for the team. Individual results are:  

500 Yard Freestyle: placed 7 out of 14 swimmers with a time of 7:47:17 (dropping 1:49:68 for a PR)

100 Yard Individual Medley: placed 10 out of 35 swimmers with a time of 1:32:93 (dropping .77 seconds for a PR)

50 Yard Breast: placed 5 out of 53 swimmers with a time of 44:55 (dropping 2.32 seconds for a PR)

100 Yard Freestyle: placed 21 out of 70 swimmers with a time of 1:22:97 (dropping 3.56 seconds for PR)

50 Yard Butterfly: placed 20 out of 45 swimmers with a time of 46:49 (dropping 8.39 seconds for PR)

200 Yard Freestyle: placed 13 out of 29 swimmers with a time of 3:00:35 (dropping 5.67 seconds for a PR)

100 Yard Breaststroke: placed 5 out of 26 swimmers with a time of 1:37:88 (dropping 3.19 seconds for a PR)

100 Yard Butterfly: placed 4 out of 8 swimmers with a time of 1:45:85 (dropping 14.72 seconds for a PR)

50 Yard Freestyle: placed 14 out of 61 swimmers with a time of 35:31 (dropping 1.65 seconds for a PR)