West Bloomfield freshman shines at swimming state finals

WEST BLOOMFIELD — After failing to qualify for the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division I State Finals in 2021, West Bloomfield swim made its mark this season Nov. 19 at Oakland University.

In a pool of 36 teams, no pun intended, West Bloomfield placed 15th behind freshman phenom Elizabeth Eichbrecht’s dominant performance in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle. West Bloomfield placed 26th at the 2020 state finals.

Eichbrecht, who is currently ranked No. 6 in the state, according to swimcloud.com, not only tallied all of West Bloomfield’s 40 points with her two first-place finishes, but also broke the Oakland Activities Association record in both events.

“I believe her hard work in practice, her technique and her self-motivation really makes her efficient,” West Bloomfield coach Ronson Webster said.

Eichbrecht placed first at the OAA-Blue league meet Nov. 4, taking first-place in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles. West Bloomfield finished second in the event.

West Bloomfield received contributions from another freshman standout as Bryn Cusack took second in both the 100-yard fly and the 200-yard individual medley at the league meet, which was good for sixth in total points. Sophomore Natalie Weissman placed third in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles to finish just outside the top-10 at the league meet.

While Cusack and Weissman didn’t finish the season the way they had hoped at the state finals, they’ll play a pivotal role alongside Eichbrecht next season.

“They were super excited that they were able to make it there. Now they’re super excited for the future. They’re already setting goals to make it there,” Webster said.

Junior captain Charlotte Brager will continue to be a leader for West Bloomfield next year as the talented, youthful core returns with an extra year of experience.

Webster, in his first year as head coach, said there was one thing he emphasized this year that will be a key factor next season.

“We don’t think of ourselves as a team; we, because of the culture, think of ourselves as a swim family,” Webster said.