Aulizia, Kubacki finish top 5 in state meet
By Brian Dzenis
In two trips to state, Boardman’s Callen Aulizia has proved he can swim with the state’s best.
Aulizia was very much in the mix for a 50 freestyle title on Saturday at the Division I state tournament at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.
His third-place time of 20.61 was just 0.16 off winner Nathaniel Mullins of North Canton Hoover.
“He had a terrific start,” Boardman coach Terry O’Halloran said. “He raced very well out of Lane 2 as a fifth seed.”
Aulizia’s time tied Tyler O’Halloran’s school record in the 50 free back in 2003. He improved from taking fourth place in the same race last year.
In the 100 freestyle, the junior finished with a time of 46.38. Aulizia helped teammates Kyle Kimerer, Matthew DunLany and Noah Basista set a new school record in the 400 freestyle relay. Their time of 3:10.01 beat last year’s mark of 3:13.06 and was good enough for eighth place.
“I’m just really proud,” Aulizia said. “I’m happy with how everyone finished.”
In his final year of competing, Austintown Fitch’s Tim Kubacki took fourth in the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.02.
“The best word I have for it is surreal,” Kubacki said. “It gave me a sense that what I’ve worked for so many years has finally paid off. Fourth place might not be fantastic to a lot of people, but for me, it’s not something I take for granted.”
He also took 14th in the 200 I.M. Kubacki completes a stellar career from an unlikely place in Fitch to a Division I scholarship at Wright State. His mother and coach, Tina Kubacki, had previously described the family as a baseball family, but Tim took to the water.
“I loved the water. I just wanted to play in the water. If I coud swim or go to a pool, that would be my first option over everything,” Kubacki said. “When I was 7-years-old, I had to choose between indoor soccer and swimming.
“I chose to swim and honestly, it was the best decision I ever made in my life. It’s changed my life and I wouldn’t second-guess it,” Kubacki added.
Canfield had two boys relay teams in the Division II consolation races on Saturday.
The team of Bobby Kutsch, Kamran Sarac, Lake Bennett and Cullen Brady took 10th place in both the 200 freestyle relay (1:29.04) and the 400 freestyle relay (3:15.75).