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Boardman pleased with swim rebuild
Spartans will be well-represented at district meet
By CHARLES GROVE
With eight individual swimmers, one diver and four relay teams headed to this weekend’s district high school swim meet at Cleveland State, Boardman head coach Terry O’Halloran has a lot to anticipate.
“We were really surprised with how well our girls did,” O’Halloran said. “We thought we were rebuilding that team because we’ve had some really strong swimmers the past four or five years, but they’ve improved tremendously.
“So we were really happy.”
Boardman is seeking its 16th consecutive Division I state appearance in swimming and diving and has plenty of options this year to keep that streak alive.
“We knew we had some talent on the boys side and we’re really happy as well with the 400 freestyle relay,” O’Halloran said. “They seem to be very competitive.”
One swimmer to keep an eye on, according to O’Halloran, is sophomore Callen Aulizia, the third fastest in school history in the 50 freestyle.
“He’s arguably one of the fastest sophomores in the state,” O’Halloran said. “He’s a natural talent and he’s still growing. We’re really excited about his future. He has the potential to be a top player at the state level.”
Canfield’s boys won Friday’s Division II sectional swimming meet in Akron with 332 points.
The Cardinals won in the 200-yard medley relay, 200 freestyle (Alec Gaetano), 100 freestyle (Ben Brucoli), 200 freestyle relay and 100 breaststroke (Matthew Bogen). Both winning relays were made up of Cullen Brady, Bogen, Gaetano, and Brucoli.
Winning first for the girls was Springfield Local’s Mikel Flatley in the 100 butterfly. Flatley was also third in the 100 yard breaststroke to qualify.
Marissa Melillo, Poland, was second in the 50 freestyle while Canfield’s Jared Rothbauer was second in the 500 freestyle.
The top two in each event qualified for this weekend’s Division II district meet at Cleveland State University.
other Qualifiers
BOYS Division
Boardman: Dominic Mariano (1 meter diving), Aaron DunLany (200 free, 500 free), Kyle Kimerer (200 free, 100 butterfly), Aulizia (50 free, 100 free), David Giancola (100 backstroke), 200 free relay (Kimerer, Ethan Schwendeman, DunLany, Aulizia), 400 free (Kimerer, Schwendeman, DunLany, Aulizia).
Fitch: Timmy Kubacki (200 IM, 100 butterfly), Chris Lawrence (100 butterfly).
Warren Harding: 200 medley relay (Michael Miller, Jorge Miranda, Nathan Marchek, Justyn Morgan), 200 freestyle relay (Marchek, Morgan, Miranda, Miller), Miller (100 free), Marchek (100 free, 100 breast).
Division II
Canfield: Brucoli (50 free), Brady (100 back, 200 free), Bobby Kutsch (500, free 50 free), Rothbauer, (200IM), Gaetano (100 fly), Bogen (100 free), Jason Paris (500 free), Lake Bennett (100 breast, 200 IM), Kamran Sarac (200IM, 100 fly), 400 free relay (Rothbauer, Sarac, Kutsch, Bennett).
Howland: Ryan Sekanik (100 breast).
Hubbard: Alex Fox (200 free, 500 free), Hunter Herzberger (200IM, 100 fly) Robbie Dixon (50 free, 100 free), David Robich (200 free, 500 free), Nico Lattanzio (100 breast), Dom Lattanzio (100 free, 50 free), 200 medley relay (Tyler Rich, Herzberger, Fox, Dixon), 400 free (Rich, Herzberger, Fox, Dixon).
Poland: Tony Murcko (diving).
Girls
Division I
Boardman: Madison Rast (1 meter diving), Corie Kuras (50 free, 100 free), Jennah Markovitich (200IM, 100 free), Kelsey Calpin (100 butterfly) 200 free relay (Markovitich, Ella Hare, Sidney Hull, Kuras), 400 free relay (Calpin, Lindsey O’Nesti, Markovitich, Kuras).
Canfield: Carlie Oddo (1 meter diving), Rachel Williams (200 free), Maggie Beistel (50 free, 100 free), 200 free relay (Beistel,Theresa Mikolay, Sydney Schuler, Williams), Mikolay (100 breast).
Fitch: Gia Direnzo (100 butterfly).
Warren Harding: Lydia Walls (50 free, 100 butterfly).
Division II
Cardinal Mooney: Mackenzie Hammond (100 fly).
Crestview: Rebekah Klem (100 free, 100 breast)
East Palestine: Faith Anderson (diving).
Poland: Marissa Melillo (50 free), Avery Blasko (50 free), Gina Ungaro (100 fly, 200 IM) Logan Kountz (200IM), Erin Kilgore (100 back), 200 free relay (Ungaro, Blasko, Kountz, Melillo), 400 free relay (Ungaro, Blasko, Kountz, Melillo).
Springfield: Mikel Flatley (100 butterfly, 100 breast).
Valley Christian School: Tess Emerson (100 back).