Swimming

Athletes move closer to state

At a glance

Below are the district qualifiers with sectional time and district seeds for the Kilbourne and Thomas boys and girls swimming teams:

KILBOURNE BOYS

Keeler Callahan: 100 free (48.17, second), 200 free (1:47.33, third); Grayton Giesman: 100 free (50.85, 14th), 200 free (1:51.82, 11th); Mitchell Guist: 100 back (1:00.05, 23rd), 200 IM (2:12.22, 23rd); Justin Jiang: 100 breast (1:06.59, 28th); Riku Kaida: 100 back (58.19, 16th), 200 IM (2:09.09, 17th); Conor Lemmon: 500 free (5:13.39, 21st); 200 medley relay (1:50.11, 16th); 200 free relay (1:34.48, ninth); 400 free relay (3:30.63, 13th)

KILBOURNE GIRLS

Jackie Wachtel: 100 breast (1:11.3, 16th), 100 fly (1:05.7, 29th); 200 medley relay (2:07, 29th); 200 free relay (1:53.44, 22nd)

THOMAS BOYS

George Doyle: 50 free (23.56, 23rd); Trenton Harper: 100 breast (1:01.21, second), 200 IM (2:00.46, third); Matt Reed: 100 breast (1:03.64, 11th); Adam Wolf: 200 free (1:53.43, 22nd), 500 free (5:15.23, 24th); Michael Wolf: 500 free (5:22.87, 30th); Mason Zurovchak: 100 back (58.95, 18th), 100 fly (57.27, 18th); 200 medley relay (1:44.58, eighth); 200 free relay (1:35.75, 10th); 400 free relay (3:28.66, 10th)

THOMAS GIRLS

Katie Allison: 50 free (25.96, 11th); Abby Jank: 100 free (56.27, 15th); Cassandra Laios: 100 free (57.63, 28th), 100 back (1:05.22, 28th); Ashley Parks: 500 free (5:47.61, 24th); Maren Reeder: 500 free (5:32.64, 11th), 100 breast (1:08.46, second); Julia Valentine: 100 breast (1:10.01, 11th), 100 fly (1:03.35, 19th); Abby Wiet: 500 free (5:37.42, 14th), 200 IM (2:20.48, 12th); Kaylee Witkiewicz: 50 free (25.04, third), 100 back (59.51, seventh); 200 medley relay (1:51.09, second); 200 free relay (1:43.66, sixth); 400 free relay (3:44.2, third)

By PAUL BATTERSON

ThisWeek Community News Wednesday February 15, 2012 11:10 AM

With strong finishes in a Division I sectional meet Feb. 11, the Thomas Worthington and Worthington Kilbourne high school boys and girls swimming and diving teams took their first major step toward the state meet.

Competing at the Worthington pool, the Thomas girls won their second consecutive sectional title with 262 points while Kilbourne was 10th (42). The Wolves boys were second (195) and the Cardinals third (183) behind champion New Albany (254).

“This is just the first step,” said Jim Callahan, who coaches all four teams. “This was a nice meet for us, but from this point on, each meet gets bigger.

“We’re setting ourselves up well for the district meet. Everyone who we thought would get through got through.”

To qualify for district, swimmers had to place first in their individual event at sectional or earn one of the 27 at-large berths that were awarded in each event based on times from the Central, East and Southeast sectional sites.

The district swimming competition starts at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Ohio State. The boys diving competition begins at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, and the girls diving begins at 2 p.m. the next day.

The top two finishers in each swimming event, the top three boys divers and the top four girls divers automatically qualify to the state meet Feb. 23-25 at Branin Natatorium in Canton. In addition, 16 at-large berths for each swimming event based on times from district meets statewide.

In the girls sectional, the Cardinals placed in the top three in 11 of 12 events. Freshman Kaylee Witkiewicz, junior Maren Reeder, sophomore Julia Valentine and senior Katie Allison won the 200-yard medley relay in a meet-record 1 minute, 51.09 seconds.

“I thought our medley relay started us off on a really good note,” said Callahan, whose team finished second (1:52.23) to Delaware (1:51.93) in the relay last year. “The meet just kept rolling that way.”

Witkiewicz placed first in all four of the events in which she participated. She also won the 100 backstroke (59.51) and 50 freestyle (25.04) and anchored sophomore Cassandra Laios, junior Abby Jank and Reeder in winning the 400 free relay (3:44.2). Reeder won the 100 breaststroke (1:08.46).

“Competing in the sectional meet was pretty cool,” Witkiewicz said. “I’ve been working on my start mostly and my turns in the 50 free, and it’s getting a lot better.”

“Some kids shrink away from competition, but Kaylee has incredible competitive spirit,” Callahan said. “You can see it in her face just watching her swim the backstroke.”

For the boys, Kilbourne senior Keeler Callahan placed first in the 100 free (48.17) and 200 free (1:47.33). Thomas junior Trent Harper was first in the 200 individual medley (2:00.46).

“The people you know are going to qualify for districts, it’s important for them to get a good time so they can get a nice, solid seed,” coach Callahan said. “It doesn’t have to be a top seed, but you want to be in that last heat so you’re racing against the big dogs, so to speak.”