Star swimmers turn up intensity for Tri-County finale

GRANVILLE - One state champion wowed the crowd Thursday, and perhaps a few more competing Thursday will eventually climb to the top of the podium.

The Tri-County Aquatic League regular season is considered low-key, but a packed Trumbull Aquatic Center at Denison University for the first day of the championship meet got the adrenaline pumping. Lancaster graduate Olivia Schmelzer swam away with the title in the 15-18 100 freestyle (50.88) for the Valley View Gators ahead of Gabrielle Brust (53.71) for the Pataskala Porpoises.

"They were great swimmers, so it definitely gets you going," said Schmelzer, who won the state title in the same event this past winter for the Golden Gales. "I was just kind of going for it. ... We've accomplished a lot (this summer). We put in the effort. I am a coach as well for Valley View, so we are really seeing it today as it comes out in the meet. They are having great time drops."

The second day of competition Friday features ages 5 through 10. More than 1,500 swimmers will compete for the 13 teams during the competition.

Schmelzer, a Cincinnati signee, was not far off the times she typically swam during the high school season.

In a big meet, I try to shoot for a 49 or somewhere around there, so a 50 at a meet I am not really tapered for, that's great," Schmelzer said. "That's going to be great going into my next meets."

Brust, a state placer this past winter, got her revenge in the 50 butterfly, edging out Schmelzer with the touch, 26.18 to 26.23. 

"It's nice to have great competition, and she is a very nice girl so it's great race against her," said Brust, who combined with Hannah Mohler, Lauren Bowman and Maddy Gundler on a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay (2:14.99).

"I was just like, 'Just put your head down and don't breathe.' I didn't breathe for like the last six strokes (of the 50 fly)," Brust added. "I knew if I breathed she would get me."

Liberty Union's Logan Lawhorn, a two-time state champion competing for the Baltimore Sea Lions, placed second in the 15-18 100 back (1:06.70) and 100 breaststroke (1:10.65).

Pataskala's Sophia Lochard won the 11-12 50 free (28.07).

Moundbuilders Pirhanas' Gavin Lewis had just enough speed to hold off Porpoises' Will Stought in the boys 11-12 50 free. Lewis' seed time was more than a second better than Stought, but the difference ended up just 18 hundredths of a second at 26.31 to 26.49.

"Sometimes when I breath, I see him, so that just drives me to go even harder and faster," Lewis said. "I had to look at the board. I thought it was going to be close."

Tri-Valley's Hansel Holmes did not have such trouble for the Muskingum Makos, dominating the boys 11-12 100 individual medley (1:07.14), winning by three seconds and setting a new personal best. He later won the 50 fly (28.34) with Lewis placing second (29.53).

"It just makes me want to do well to hold my spot, but there is a little bit of extra pressure to try to stay in first place," Holmes said. "It's good to show even on a small team you can still do really good against the harder teams."

Watkins teammates Issaac Hansen and Ian Jarvis waged quite a battle for the Porpoises in the 15-18 100 IM as Hansen came from behind to take the win 57.33 to 57.55.

"I wanted to be faster than I was last year," Jarvis said. "I was 58 last year, so going 57, it's right around where I wanted to be. (The 100 IM) requires a lot more speed. That is something I have to work on in the summer because I am usually aiming more toward the 200."

Hansen later won the 100 free (49.82), and Jarvis took second in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.42). Hansen, Jarvis, Spencer Kleeh and Zack Chism also won the 200 medley relay (1:42.31) and placed second in the 200 free relay (1:31.42).

Valley View's Alec Gilmore placed second each in the 50 fly (24.09) and in the 100 back (54.29) and helped Andrew Hendrickson, Ryan Arter and Geoff Dixon to a runner-up finish in the 200 medley relay (1:44.12), dropping more than 10 seconds off their seed time.

ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com

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Twitter: @newarkurt