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STATE SWIMMING | News and notes
Big day ahead: Boardman senior Ryan Bailey set two school records in Friday’s Division I preliminaries at Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium: a 48.92 in the 100-yard butterfly that was nearly a second faster than anyone else and a 57.17 in the 100 breaststroke, which was the fifth-fastest time in the event. “Today, for the first time in awhile, I didn’t really worry about my swims,” he said by phone Friday night following a 20-minute workout at YSU’s Beeghly Center Natatorium. “I just went out and let my body do the work and not my head. Obviously, I got pretty good results with that.” Bailey had never broken 49 seconds in the butterfly before and said he can still swim faster in tonight’s final. “Both races there are some things that can be cleaned up,” he said. “A lot of people are telling me the same thing [with his form] so obviously there’s a problem with it. I’ll make some quick changes. It shouldn’t be too big of a problem.” Bailey also had the state’s fastest time in the butterfly after last year’s preliminaries and placed third in the finals.
History lesson: Bailey is attempting to become Boardman’s first state champion since 2003, when Tyler O’Halloran won both the 50 free and 100 free. O’Halloran’s father, Terry, is Boardman’s head swimming coach. Canfield’s Garrett Trebilcock was the most recent Valley swimmer to win a state championship, capturing the 200 IM crown as a junior in 2009. Trebilcock now swims at Ohio State while O’Halloran swam at Texas. Bailey will attend the Naval Academy next year.
Finishing up: Bailey was the only Valley swimmer to advance to tonight’s finals. The top 16 swimmers from the preliminaries advanced, with those who finished 9-16 competing in the consolation finals.