Scouting the state swimming championships
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Where: C.T. Branin Natatorium, 2323 17th St. N.W., Canton. Call 330-438-2739.
Tickets: $16 each division all-session swimming ticket. Diving $8. Participating schools have priority.
Schedule
Wednesday: Division II boys diving, 9 a.m.; Division II girls diving, 2 p.m.
Thursday: Division I boys diving, 9 a.m.; Division II boys and girls swimming preliminaries, all events, 5 p.m.
Friday: Division I boys and girls swimming preliminaries, all events, 9 a.m.; Division II boys and girls swimming finals, all events, 5 p.m.
Saturday: Division I girls diving, 9 a.m.; Division I boys and girls swimming finals, all events, 4 p.m.
Defending state champions
Division I: Cincinnati St. Xavier boys, Upper Arlington girls.
Division II: University School boys, Hawken School girls.
What to watch
Division I boys: Cincinnati St. Xavier won its third straight title and 32nd overall a year ago, winning without a single individual champion. That depth will be on display again as the Bombers will likely have to hold off runner-up Toledo St. Francis DeSales. St. Francis won all three relays and five individual races last year. Upper Arlington, Cincinnati Moeller, Centerville, St. Ignatius and Hudson look to crack the top five.
Hudson sophomore Alex Obendorf was third in diving last year and comes in with top points, with Nordonia’s Stephen Romanik, Stephen Schillero of Garfield Heights and Keith Carmichael of St. Ignatius in the mix. Hudson freshman Ross Palazzo and St. Ignatius junior Derek Hren will both go in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke. Junior Josh Brooks of Centerville is top returnee in IM. Hren was second in breast a year ago. Senior Dan DiSalle from St. Francis is top returnee in 50 and 100 free, with sophomore Nathan Christian from St. Ignatius and junior Mitchell Delventhal of Strongsville going against him in the 50.
Hudson senior Jimmy Dagley and junior Andrew Appleby, eighth last year, will challenge DiSalle in 100 event. Appleby comes in with top qualifying time in 100 backstroke. Dagley will also go in that event. Junior Ian Wooley from St. Xavier was second in both the butterfly and backstroke a year ago. Juniors Mark Lippert from Solon, Zack Milenius from Mayfield and Ryan Hutcheson from Hudson will try to earn points. Senior Jake Moore from Dublin Jerome has a strong case in both the 100 free and butterfly. Senior Jack Pohlmann and sophomore brother, Henrik, will score points in relays, backstroke and breaststroke. St. Xavier, St. Francis and St. Ignatius are all challengers in the three relays. Beavercreek in the medley and Centerville in the finishing 400 event are strong.
Division I girls: Upper Arlington won its seventh straight title and eighth overall a year ago, with Cincinnati Ursuline the runner-up for a 12th time. It figures to go that route again, with Mason, Cincinnati Turpin and Columbus Bishop Watterson as the usual suspects.
Hudson junior Taryn McLaughlin was fourth in diving last and goes against top returnee in senior Morgan Mullins of Centerville. Senior Rachel Speakman of Hudson was eighth last year and junior Sivan Mills of Solon looks to score points. Olentangy Liberty has three divers among top four. Off meet record times at Cleveland State, Massillon Jackson junior Chase Kinney comes in with top times in 50 and 100 free. She was second in 50 and fourth in 100 a year ago. Junior Maddie Martin will challenge in 100 free and defend title in butterfly.
Euclid sophomore Sam Lisy, off wins at CSU, comes in sixth in butterfly and fourth in 200 IM, finishing seventh in the latter a year ago. Walsh Jesuit junior Danielle Margheret moves into Division I ranks after setting Division II marks a year ago in breaststroke. Very competitive race is wide open, with versatile sophomore Molly Washko of Strongsville in the mix. Washko will also go in 50 free and two relays. Interesting venue for Firestone junior Katie Miller, who won the 200 IM last year and was second in 500. Miller returns in IM and will go in 100 backstroke this time, as well as two relays. Sophomore Emily Slabe of Ursuline returns to defend backstroke win.
Cloverleaf senior Addy Ferguson was fourth in butterfly and eighth in backstroke a year ago and will give it another try in both. Riverside senior Jodi Turk, district winner at CSU, is out to improve on last year’s eighth-place finish. Shaker Heights senior Joan Thompson was second in 200 and 500 free at CSU and looks to finish career with solid outings. Strongsville has a strong presence in all three relays, with Firestone and Hudson looking to score.
Division II boys: University School is going for its fourth straight title, but this will not be the walkover of recent years. Dayton Oakwood, Lima Shawnee and Cincinnati Wyoming are primed to end the winning streak and become the first school other than US to win the Division II title.
US sophomore Noah Sterling, fifth last year, will try to get the Preppers off to a good start in diving after claiming the CSU district, with senior Noah Stone of West Geauga and junior Brandon Rosolowski from Cuyahoga Heights in the field. US senior Russell Stack held off Hawken junior Micah Simpson in the 100 free at CSU district and will have to do it again as the top two qualifiers. Stack comes in with the top time in the 50 free. Simpson won the 200 free at CSU and will go against the defending champ in Wilmington junior Josh Quallen.
Chagrin Falls junior Austin Quinn won 200 IM and 500 free at CSU. Oakwood freshman Patrick Mulcare and junior Cliff Goertemiller have imposing times in those respective events. Chagrin Falls senior Davis Staley will defend his 100 backstroke title, Oakwood’s Mulcare holding the top qualifier. US senior Kevin Stang and senior Ted Bornhorst of Benedictine are also challenging in top five.
US junior Gordon Wong turned in surprising breaststroke win at CSU and faces strong field that includes sophomores Ben Boshkos of Walsh Jesuit and Henry Senkfor of Hawken. US won all three relays a year ago and is in top four this time, with Chagrin Falls, Gilmour Academy and Hawken along to push the issue. Oakwood in 200 medley and Lima Shawnee in 200 and 400 loom large.
Division II girls: Look for Hawken School to set the state record with a 14th consecutive title, passing St. Edward’s wrestling team. The Hawks have won all 12 Division II titles, 15 of the past 16 state titles and 21 overall. Only St. Xavier (32) in boys swimming and St. Edward wrestling (26) have won more state championships. Oakwood, Granville and Indian Hill will chase for second.
The Hawks have the top qualifying time in all three relays and boast returning champions in junior Sarah Koucheki in the IM and butterfly, senior Morgan Cohara in the 200 free and junior Marissa Cominelli in the backstroke. Hawken junior Carrie Bencic has the top time in the 500 and will duel Cohara in the 200. Hawken junior Kaitlyn Cerne goes against Koucheki in the butterfly and Cominelli will test Koucheki in the IM. Gilmour Academy sophomore Macie McNichols won the 50 and 100 frees at the CSU district and gets top billing in both here. Hawken’s Cohara will challenge in the 100 and Indian Hill junior Alexandra Tracy looks to test in 50.
Rocky River senior Megan Auzenbergs will go in both free sprints, with best shot in 50. Tracy has top qualifier in backstroke at 55.75, with Cominelli next (55.91) and Rocky River junior Hallie McCue looking for points. In diving, Wellington sophomore Brittany Anderson comes in with second-best points to senior Kendall Weber of Wauseon.
