State meet is crowning achievement for King

By Joe Scalzo

The Canfield senior is competing in four events this weekend.

Canfield senior Ryan King can remember being in the stands when his two older brothers competed at the state swimming meet, so it’s a little hard to believe he’s nearing his final high school competition.

“It’s kind of sad, but I’m just trying to focus my energy on swimming fast and doing well,” said King, a state qualifier for the fourth straight year. “I’m looking to go in there and give everything I have.”

King’s older brothers, Nate and Tyler, swam at Warren Harding and were Division I All-Americans at Ohio State. Ryan will be busy in Canton this weekend, competing in the 100-yard backstroke (where he’s seeded third after winning a district title and has already qualified for All-America status), the 100 free and as a member of the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay.

He’ll have plenty of company, too. Canfield’s seven qualifiers are as many as the other Mahoning Valley schools combined.

“It’s a nice group of boys,” said Cardinals coach Andrea Linnelli. “They’re all very close-knit and they all relate well and push each other.”

Their last practice was Wednesday and afterward they shared a big pasta dinner at Angenetta’s Cafe in Canfield. Linnelli said her biggest challenge this week was settling them down.

“They’re tapering this week, so they have a lot of energy,” said Linnelli, referring to a cutback in training that allows swimmers to peak for big meets. “They just want to be goofy with it.

“I keep having to settle them down and tell them to conserve energy. I’m like, ‘You can do whatever you want after this weekend.’ ”

King is the third of four siblings — his younger sister Emily is a junior at Canfield and just missed qualifying for Canton — and he’ll follow his brothers’ path to Columbus next fall. He plans to major in a business field.

“I just saw the opportunities given to them as athletes,” he said. “I couldn’t pass that up.”

Also competing for Canfield are brothers Garrett and Gavin Trebilcock, who are swimming in four events; John Stefanski; Steven Dalvin; Ryan O’Malley, and Sam Garea. The Cardinals’ success is a continuation of what’s been happening the last few seasons.

“They’ve been there before, so they know what to expect,” said Linnelli.

The state experience fuels their work ethic during the season and the offseason.

This weekend is when it all pays off.

“It’s really fun because all the guys on the team are so great,” said King. “It’s a great experience and I’m glad I get to share it with them.

“We always have a great time and we always have great swims down there.”

scalzo@vindy.com