Canfield’s Brady has solid finish to swimming career

Staff report

CANTON

Canfield senior Connor Brady didn’t quite finish his swimming career the way he wanted, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

“I definitely didn’t leave anything there,” he said. “Everything’s in Canton’s pool right now.”

Brady finished fourth in both the 100-yard butterfly and the 100 backstroke and helped the Cardinals’ 200 medley relay place ninth and the 400 free relay take 11th in Friday’s Division II state meet at C.T. Branin Natatorium.

“My fly wasn’t quite were I wanted it to be,” said Brady, whose time of 51.09 was slower than the 50.70 he swam at last year’s state meet, when he finished second in the event. “But my backstroke was awesome.”

Brady’s backstroke time (51.33) was well ahead of last year’s state time of 52.12, when he finished seventh.

Brady joined Kyle Anderson, Matthew Bogen and Ben Brucoli on the 200 medley relay, while Brucoli, Bogen, Brady and Alec Gaetano swam on the 400 free relay.

It was Brady’s fourth straight trip to Canton and he admitted he got a little emotional at times on Friday night.

“At a couple points, I teared up,” he said. “We only had two seniors, me and Kyle Anderson, and when we swam the medley, we looked at each other and realized it was the last high school race we would ever swim together.

“It’s exciting to start a new chapter but it’s definitely sad to see this one go.”

Brady plans to swim in college and has narrowed in on Kentucky, Cincinnati and West Virginia.

“It’s still up in the air,” he said of his college choice. “I was really focusing on finishing out my season on a good note, but now it’s time to get down and dirty.”

Anderson placed 19th in the 200 IM and 20th in the 500 free, while Bogen was 19th in the 100 breast. Canfield’s 200 free relay of Cullen Brady, Kamran Sarac, Gaetano and Anderson placed 17th.

The Cardinals had just nine boys on this year’s team but seven managed to advance to Canton.

“That’s an extremely good accomplishment,” Brady said. “I think we did Canfield proud.”

Division I

Boardman senior Brooke Bailey placed eighth in the 100 breast during Friday morning’s preliminaries to advance to today’s finals.

The top eight times from each preliminary event advance to the final, while nine through 16 advance to the consolation finals.

Bailey also joined Sarah Gonda, Corie Kuras and Amanda Moss on the 19th-place 200 medley relay.

Warren Harding junior Michael Miller was 15th in the 50 free and senior Dylan Thirion was 23rd in the 100 free and 24th in the 50 free. Harding’s 200 free relay of Nathan Marchek, Miller, Justyn Morgan and Thirion placed 16th.