H.S. swimming: Hoover girls coast to Division I sectional title

Step 1 in the postseason was a smashing success for the Hoover girls swimming team.

The Vikings hope it’s the start of a memorable run that leads many of them back to C.T. Branin Natatorium for the state meet.

Hoover won six events and claimed the team title at Saturday’s Division I sectional. The Vikings finished with 403.5 points. Rival Jackson came in second with 344.

“The title ‘sectional champions,’ yeah, that’s a big deal,” Hoover sophomore Amanda Palutsis said. “I think we had a lot of PRs today from kids who were tapered and ones who were not. I’m excited to see what they’re going to do at districts next week.”

Palutsis won the 50- and 100-yard freestyles and swam on the Vikings’ winning 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays. Freshman Parker Timken was a three-time winner as a member of the 200 freestyle, 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. Freshman Kate Lochridge won the 100 backstroke and also was on the 200 medley relay.

“This was just the first step in the process,” Hoover head coach Matt Johnsen said. “Next week (at districts) is the one that really matters. That’s where our focus is.”

Any butterflies Lochridge and Timken had going into their first postseason meet quickly vanished. Lochridge swam lead-off and Timken swam the anchor leg in the 200 medley relay, the first event of the day. The Vikings beat second-place Jackson by almost two seconds.

“They did great,” Palutsis said. “They have performed really well all season.”

Lochridge and Timken hope their freshman season ends where Palutsis’ finished.

Palutsis qualified for last year’s state meet in three events. Individually, she made it in the 100 freestyle.

“I changed my events a little bit,” Palutsis said. “I’m not swimming the 100 back this year. I’m swimming the 50 instead. ... I’m really glad I have the experience from last year to be on two relays and to be able to swim an individual event at state. I’m really excited to hopefully make it four events at state this year and bring some more girls back here.”

Palutsis’ hope is to return to the state meet and reach the finals.

“She is really looking to possibly place highly in all four events,” Johnsen said. “It has been a lot of fun coaching her. She has a tremendous work ethic and an awesome attitude each and every day. She also makes everybody around her better.”

Hoover’s other sectional champions were junior Annie Lochridge on the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, juniors Emma Seccombe and Lauren Cantor on the 200 freestyle relay and sophomore Regan Maxwell on the 400 free relay.

Reach Mike at 330-580-8341 or mike.popovich@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @mpopovichREP

RESULTS

Northeast District

Team scores—1, Hoover 403.5; 2, Jackson 344; 3, Green 295; 4, Wooster 225.5; 5, Copley 167.5; 6, GlenOak 162.5; 7, Boardman 126; 8, Louisville 121; 9, McKinley 120; 10, Canfield 113; 11 (tie), Perry 72, Lake 72; 13, Barberton 24; 14, Massillon 18; 15, Fitch 16.

200-yard medley relay—1, Hoover (K.Lochridge, A.Lochridge, Palutsis, Timken) 1:50.49; 2, Jackson 1:52.33; 3, Wooster 1:52.54; 4, Green 1:53.34; 5, Canfield 1:55.21; 6, Copley 1:57.63; 7, Louisville 1:58.68; 8, Lake 1:59.22.

200 freestyle—1, Richmond (Lou) 1:59.80; 2, Evans (Hoov) 2:00.59; 3, Whitman (Woo) 2:00.60; 4, Kinney (Jack) 2:02.10; 5, Lewis (McK) 2:02.93; 6, Rickman (Gre) 2:02.96; 7, DeWolf (Gre) 2:03.07; 8, Round (Cop) 2:03.08.

200 IM—1, Bonezzi (Woo) 2:1185; 2, Myers (Jack) 2:14.19; 3, A.Lochridge (Hoov) 2:14.71; 4, Dial (Jack) 2:17.78; 5, Zahab (Gre) 2:17.80; 6, Buckley (McK) 2:17.86; 7, Davis (Woo) 2:21.37; 8, Sayre (Hoov) 2:22.38.

50 freestyle—1, Palutsis (Hoov) 24.31; 2, Timken (Hoov) 24.43; 3, Kuras (Board) 24.72; 4, Ehlers (Lou) 25.30; 5, Collins (Gre) 25.33; 6, Daiger (Jack) 25.44; 7, Seccombe (Hoov) 25.51; 8, Ferrell (GO) 25.54.

100 butterfly—1, Bonezzi (Woo) 58.64; 2, Ruddock (Gr) 59.84; 3, Direnzo (Fit) 59.88; 4, Zahab (Gre) 1:00.04; 5, K.Lochridge (Hoov) 1:00.28; 6, Evans (Hoover) 1:00.59; 7, Cronin (Hoov) 1:03.36; 8, Graham (Woo) 1:03.51.

100 freestyle—1, Palutsis (Hoov) 53.25; 2, Kuras (Board) 55.33; 3, Maxwell (Hoov) 55.35; 4, Kinney (Jack) 55.53; 5, Lipster (GO) 55.84; 6, Seccombe (Hoov) 56.05; 7, Ehlers (Louis) 56.10; 8, DeWolf (Gre) 56.32.

500 freestyle—1, Rohweder (Gre) 5:14.15; 2, Whitman (Woo) 5:19.79; 3, Lewis (McK) 5:23.84; 4, Round (Cop) 5:23.98; 5, Richmond (Lou) 5:24.96; 6, Jacob (McK) 5:24.96; 7, Love (Jack) 5:28.50; 8, Rickman (Gre) 5:32.96.

200 freestyle relay—1, Hoover (Palutsis, Seccombe, Cantor, Timken) 1:39.80; 2, Jackson 1:43.46; 3, Copley 1:43.46; 4, GlenOak 1:34.5; 5, Green 1:43.56; 6, Wooster 1:44.64; 7, Boardman 1:45.31; 8, Canfield 1:46.47.

100 backstroke—1, K.Lochridge (Hoov) 1:00.00; 2, Love (Jack) 1:00.98; 3, Dutton (Lake) 1:01.78; 4, Collins (Gre) 1:01.85; 5, Lee (Cop) 1:02.03; 6, Cronin (Hoov) 1:02.29; 7, Finley (GO) 1:02.46; 8, Shroyer (Gre) 1:02.54.

100 breaststroke—1, Myers (Jack) 1:06.95; 2, Addis (Jack) 1:07.18; 3, A.Lochridge (Hoov) 1:08.28; 4, Mikolay (Can) 1:08.73; 5, Davis (Woo) 1:08.96; 6, Buckley (McK) 1:09.62; 7, Dial (Jck) 1:09.97; 8, Rohweder (Gre) 1:10.44.

400 freestyle relay—1, Hoover (Timken, Evans, Maxwell, A.Lochridge) 3:41.41; 2, Green 3:44.49; 3, McKinley 3:46.34; 4, GlenOak 3:48.90; 5, Jackson 3:49.36; 6, Boardman 3:51.29; 7, Louisville 3:51.38; 8, Copley 3:51.79.