What: Cleveland State District swimming and diving
When: Feb. 15-18
Where: Busbey Natatorium, 2415 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland
Schedule: Feb. 15 — Division II diving (11:30 a.m. boys; 6 p.m. girls); Feb. 16 — D-I diving (11:30 a.m. boys, 6 p.m. girls); Feb. 17 — D-II swimming (3 p.m.); Feb. 18 — D-I swimming (noon)
What’s next: In diving, 14 in boys D-II, eight in girls D-II, nine in boys D-I and eight in girls D-I will qualify for state. In swimming, the top three in each individual event and top two in relays will automatically qualify for state, along with 20 individual-event and 16 relay at-larges from both divisions once results from all four districts have been compiled.
Swimming
Boys Division I (full psychs at NEDAB.org): With the expansion to three automatics for 2023, the path will still be challenging, but more opportunity will be available.
South’s Joris Boeman is well-positioned in 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke — more so in fly because Akron Firestone’s Jonny Marshall is such a sub-49 hammer in back.
In order to vie with Hudson’s Andrew Ketler and Brecksville-Broadview Heights’ Dylan Escano, Boeman needs a low-23 to the turn and much better home vs. CSU in 2022, at least around a low-27, to contend for a district crown. For back, Marshall should be district champion again with room to spare — his front-half speed is untouchable. But second in a duel with North Canton Hoover’s Peter Helmuth is doable — sub-24 to open would be helpful in that regard.
Mayfield’s Peter Regas has grown immensely in distance free. He goes into 500 free seeded second, but there is a lot of deep-4:40s speed in this field. Hudson’s Vittorio Cappabianca is the favorite and will likely get into the 4:30s en route to Canton. It’s important for Regas to manage his middle splits well, preferably in the 29s, and let Cappabianca be Cappabianca. Boardman’s Ethan DunLany and Massillon Jackson’s Holden Nist are among the tough customers with whom Regas will contend for an automatic there.
Watch for Wildcats’ senior Kyle Gleba in sprint free. It feels like an automatic chance is better in 50 free, where six of last year’s top seven at CSU graduated and sectional times suggest it could be wide-open. A sub-22 from Gleba will put him in the mix at minimum.
Also keep an eye on Riverside’s Matt Hribar in 50 free and 100 breast, particularly the latter.
Boys Division II (full psychs at NEDAB.org): As always, it won’t be a matter of if there will be district champions — just how many.
University will continue its quest for another state team title with a dominant district performance. Jack Faulkner (sprint free) and Aiden Owens (200 IM and 100 breast) should be threats to double, and Tyler Farkas (distance free) and Ben Davis (200 IM and 500 free) will assuredly be heard from more with their caliber as opposed to more measured swims at SPIRE.
Andrews Osborne’s Krys Gorski, tapered and in a fast suit, will be a lot of fun to watch in his signature 100 back and in 200 free. Gorski hitting in the 49s on back is there for the taking.
Geneva’s Nathan Reigle had a breakthrough performance in 100 and 200 free last week in his home pool, especially that sub-48 vintage in 100. The sophomore’s continued development will be fun to watch.
Speaking of breakthroughs, one is available in 100 fly. US’ Alex Pesek and Ian Sullivan, along with Perry’s dynamic freshman Brody Hicks, will try to give Kent Roosevelt’s Gage Bailey a test. It will have to be at least in the low-52s, though, probably better.
Beachwood had steadily been very good all year in relays and with Evan Warner in sprint free. The Bison will contend for automatics all the way around with the senior in Warner leading the charge.
Chardon’s Nathan Bender could make it interesting for a while with Rocky River’s Michael Esdon and should put up something in the low-4:40s en route to state.
Elsewhere among The News-Herald coverage area ranks, watch for Chagrin Falls’ Ben Broz (200 IM and 100 fly), Lake Catholic’s youthful but exciting free relays and Caleb Ortman (100 breast), NDCL’s Jonathan Ratka (100 back) and VASJ’s 200 free relay.
Girls Division I (full psychs at NEDAB.org): Mentor multi-sport stalwart Annie Berrow is firing nicely in sprint free, as the top seed for 50 free and second for 100 coming into CSU.
Berrow has been consistent with displaying 24 speed in 50, and now is the time to see those sub-24s. It should make her a title contender in a good field. Over in 100 free, her main competition is likely to be Green’s Olivia Elgin. It typically takes a low-52 to contend for gold, so it would be great to see Berrow sub-25 to the turn to set the tone.
The Cardinals should also be a factor in 200 free relay for an automatic with 1:40-type potential, but North Canton Hoover will be a handful at the top of the pack despite Raeli Blandine’s graduation.
Mayfield’s Danielle Grande was an automatic contender in 500 free a year ago, placing third, and should be right up there again. The seeds going in from sectional seem a bit deceptive — it might take around 5:05 to vie for the top three in this field. Grande has that caliber, and the key will be getting deeper in the 31s on middle splits.
It would not be a surprise, seeing her growth throughout the year and knowing Coach Matt Parrish’s training, to see Chardon freshman Briella Hewitt pushing for third in 100 fly. Shaker Heights’ Darby Marlin and Green’s Sydney Peterson should have the top two to themselves, but third may be more open.
Riverside senior Samantha Smith would be a great feel-good story to give herself an at-large argument in 100 free. It’ll require at least a high-52 in a go-for-broke type of swim. It’s also nice to see Mayfield senior Emma Burkey get an ‘A’ final swim in 100 breast.
Beavers’ senior and three-time News-Herald girls para swimmer of the year Julia Hixson will also start her postseason as the lone para entry in girls D-I.
Girls Division II (full psychs at NEDAB.org): Speaking to just how good The News-Herald coverage area ranks have been in girls D-II, this might be the least impactful district there’s been in years as far as winning district event titles because it won’t be almost a clean sweep.
There will be plenty of gold and automatics to go around. How many is an open question.
Hawken’s Sarah Pophal should vie for a distance free double, obviously with considerable competition from non-area standout Meredith Stewart of Hathaway Brown. But her Viking swims proved there’s a lot more there in 200 and 500 free.
Hawks’ freshman Nina Newton could be a title factor in 100 free, a race that could get into the low-52s with fellow area stalwart Laina Collis of Gilmour, along with Marlington’s Claire Cox.
Collis’ 200 IM being in the 2:08s, given her deep sub-2:07 speed, felt like more of a placeholder to advance. The Lancers’ junior, who is deep in the conversation for 2023 News-Herald girls swimmer of the year, should be much faster this week.
Gilmour’s 200 medley relay, with the continued development of Gianna Minotas in back and Maddie Sammut in breast, will be a district title contender. That relay has had some rough postseason luck in recent years, so it’s due for some good fortune.
The list of others elsewhere locally who should push for high podium placement here could conceivably be a mile long. Among them should be Chagrin Falls’ Alexandra Scharpf (200 IM and 100 breast) and Madi Machado (100 breast), West Geauga’s Ashley Chase (100 and 200 free) and Perry’s Grace Kitchen (100 fly).
Also of note again this week will be “The Streak” watch, as Hawken and HB add another chapter to that battle.
Diving
Division I (diving order for boys and girls on NEDAB.org): Chances are daunting at best to advance with such a large D-I field, since there wasn’t a sectional competition in D-I this winter. The best shots at higher placement will likely come from the Western Reserve Conference champions, South’s Seamus Garry and Riverside’s Isabella Steen.
Division II (diving orders for boys and girls on NEDAB.org): With the numbers in D-II across Ohio, there is ample opportunity to advance, especially on the boys side. Of the current field for CSU, 70% (14 of 20) will get to Canton, along with eight of 19 for the girls.
Chagrin Falls junior Samantha Holtz, who placed third as a freshman and fourth as a junior at state and is far and away The News-Herald coverage area standard bearer in the craft, should be a prohibitive favorite to repeat as district champion. With her skill, pushing for a score of 500-plus is in the realm.
Hawken’s Christianna Reineke has been on good form going into CSU and should vie for another state berth deeper into the 300s after taking fifth at district a year ago. Kenston senior Mary Cowan, a standout gymnast for much of her Bombers’ tenure, would be a great story should she advance as well.
