State swimming: Shelby freshman defies the odds
Jon Spencer- Lexington leads the way with 17 swimmers headed to Canton
- Galion has qualified all three of its boys relays
- Ontario has advanced two junior sprinters
MANSFIELD – She's not only a Whippet, she's a pioneer.
Shelby freshman Kassie Stine will have her sights set on a sibling at this week's state swim meet in Canton.
The freshman sprinter is the first girl in the history of the program to qualify in an individual event, the 50 freestyle.
"It feels good," said Stine, who will be swimming in Thursday's Division II prelims in the C.T. Branin Natatorium. "I'm just hoping I can make it to the finals and be All-Ohio like my brother in track."
Cody Stine, now competing for the University of Akron, was a two-time third-place medalist at state in the high jump.
His sister would have to improve eight spots from her No. 24 seed to make the cut of 16 for Friday's finals and earn All-Ohio honors.
She has already defied the odds once. In last week's district meet at Bowling Green, she went in as the 24th seed and finished 11th, breaking her own school record with a 24.67. That was nearly two seconds faster than her seeded time (26.09).
"I feel being in a slow heat (at districts) pushed me more to get a faster time," said Stine, who was a Sandusky Bay Conference champ in her specialty. "I wanted to prove I should be seeded higher."
Lexington leads the way this week with District Coach of the Year Brock Spurling boasting a school-record 17 state-bound athletes. The boys won their first district championship and along with the girls set district meet records in the 200 medley. Lex qualified all six of its relays.
Galion coach Ted Temple is sending all three of his relays on the boys side — a total of seven boys —as well as sophomore relay member Caleb Strack in the 100 backstroke.
Junior sprinters David Whittaker (50 free) and Kenton Cordrey (100 free) earned All-Ohio honors last year on Ontario's 15th place 200 free relay. This year they're going back in their individual specialties.
Willard sophomore Nicholas Bauer earned his first trip to Canton in the 100 breaststroke and the Colonel Crawford quartet of Pierce Krassow, Jillianne Gregg, Cassidy Vogt and Kaisey Speck qualified in both the 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Ohio State-bound Hudson McDaniel is a two-time state champ in the breast, but the Ashland senior has moved up to Division I this season. He's seeded No. 4 at 56.04 and chasing defending DI champ Jason Mathews of Westerville North (54.58). McDaniel has also qualified in the 200 IM, along with teammate Ross Garrison in the 100 free.
State week kicks off Wednesday with the Lex trio of Tanner Donley, Reece Miller and Max Roth competing in the 1 meter diving. Donley, a senior, earned All-Ohio last year with a 12th place finish.
"We're set up real well, but the state has gotten real quick," Spurling said. "Some events are super, super fast, but it's good for the sport."
Lex has a shot of breaking its school record of four medals at a state meet. Top eight earn medals.
The 200 medley team of Kelsi Brown, Alli McFarland, Sage Moore and Alivia Merkel set a district record with a 1:47.16 and is seeded second behind Gates Mills Hawken, which last week became Ohio's first DII girls crew to break 1:44 with a 1:43.81.
"Kelsi had her best backstroke turn she's had in the 14 years I've been coaching her," Spurling said. "Being only 32, it's hard to believe I'm making a statement like that."
McFarland, who was All-Ohio in four events last year, is seeded eighth in the 100 breast and 10th in the 200 IM and Brown is seeded 12th in the back. On the boys side, Wilson Cannon is seeded ninth in the 100 fly, while the 200 medley (which set a district record with a 1:36.91) and the district champ 400 free relay are and fifth and sixth, respectively.
Coming off its district title, the boys are gunning for a top 10 finish at state. The highest finish ever by the boys is 17th, done twice. The girls were ninth last year coming off the program's first district title.
"Getting on the (top 10) board would be huge," Spurling said. "Getting top eight finishes from two of our relays would be huge as far as points."
State swimming and diving qualifiers
(Includes their seeds and seed times/points from district meet)
Division II Swimming
Girls
50 free: 24, Kassie Stine, Shelby 24.67
100 back: 12. Kelsi Brown, Lexington 58.77
100 breast: 8. Alli McFarland, Lexington 1:05.82
200 IM: 10. Alli McFarland, Lexington 2:08.02; 23. Sage Moore, Lexington 2:13.14
200 free relay: 15. Lexington 1:40.89; 20. Colonel Crawford 1:41.86
400 free relay: 13. Lexington 3:40.46
200 medley relay: 2. Lexington (district meet record 1:47.16) 1. Gates Mills Hawken (state record 1:43.81; first DII in Ohio to break 1:44.0); 23. Colonel Crawford 1:52.92
Boys
50 free: 24. David Whittaker, Ontario 22.40
100 free: 19. Kenton Cordrey, Ontario 48.57
200 free: 16. Wilson Cannon, Lexington 1:44.79
100 back: 17. Cayman Eichler, Lexington 54.80; 22. Caleb Strack, Galion 56.23
100 breast: 24. Nicholas Bauer, Willard 1:01.51
100 fly: 9. Wilson Cannon, Lexington 51.22; 23. Connor Miller 53.62
200 IM: No.19. Cayman Eichler, Lexington 2:00.08
200 free relay: 17. Lexington 1:31.76; 22. Galion 1:32.32
400 free relay: 6. Lexington 3:15.32; 19. Galion 3:22.64
200 medley relay: 5. Lexington (district meet record 1:36.91); 19. Galion 1:41.37
Boys diving
7. Tanner Donley, Lexington 400.40; 20. Reece Miller, Lexington 299.35; 22. Max Roth, Lexington 285.85
Division I swimming
Boys
100 free: 23. Ross Garrison, Ashland 47.15
100 breast: 4. Hudson McDaniel, Ashland (2-time Division II state champ) 56.04. (Top seed is defending state champ Jason Mathews, Westerville North, 54.58)
200 IM: 20. Hudson McDaniel, Ashland1:55.83
Note: Division II boys diving is Wednesday. Division II swimming prelims are Thursday and finals are Friday. Division I swimming prelims are Friday and finals are Saturday.
Top 16 in each swim event will advance to second day with all 16 earning All-Ohio and top eight earning medals.