Another year … another OCC-Capital Division championship for the Delaware Hayes boys and girls swimming & diving teams as both made it back-to-back-to-back titles with solid showings at Saturday’s league championship meet in Gambier.
“This was a great team win for everyone,” Hayes coach Garrett Eiben said. “I give all the credit to the athletes, their parents and families for support, and my coaching staff to help instill a culture of excellence and success at Delaware Hayes. This is a great group of student-athletes and I am so proud of all their accomplishments … today was a great team win.”
The boys, buoyed by three first-place finishes, scored 249.5 points to secure the top spot for the third straight winter. Worthington Kilbourne finished second with 218.5 points while Big Walnut smoothed out the top three with 210.5.
Two of the Pacers’ wins came in the relays. The 200 freestyle team of Vincent Hupp, Lincoln West, Nolan Green and Tommy Redmond captured the crown in 1:33.13, and the same four won the 200-medley relay in 1:43.34.
They weren’t bad in the individual events, either. Redmond won the 50 freestyle in 22.98 seconds — edging Big Walnut’s Max Bloomer in a swim-off — Green finished third in the 200 freestyle (1:56.31) and 100 backstroke (58.69 seconds), West closed third in the 200 IM (2:09.73) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.84) and Hupp finished fourth in the 100 butterfly (57.60 seconds) and fifth in the 200 IM (2:14.86).
Aside from Bloomer, who also finished third in the 100 free (52.77 seconds), the Golden Eagles’ top performances came from John Wion, who captured conference crowns in the 100 backstroke (53.84 seconds) and 200 individual medley (2:02.99).
Andrew Boldizar and Charlie Ulrich also earned top-three finishes, closing second and third in the diving competition with respective scores of 373.70 and 275.50.
Hayes’ girls, meanwhile, scored 312 points en route to taking top honors. Worthington Kilbourne and Westerville South rounded out the top three with 265 and 215 points, respectively, while Big Walnut finished fifth with 109.
Individual champs included Mia Saksa, who won the 200 free in 2:01.37; Anna Lance, who took top honors in the 100 fly in 59.03 seconds; and Natalie Fiant, who won the 100 free in 54.86 seconds.
Kara Glesenkamp secured second-place points in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.32), Saksa closed second in the 100 backstroke (1:00.78) and Fiant was second in the 200 IM (2:13.04).
Other top-three showings belonged to Becca Rauh, who was third in the 50 free (26.74 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (1:12.40); and Abigail Bricker, who finished third in the diving competition (287.15).
The Pacers also padded their point total with a first-place showing in the 200-medley relay as Saksa, Glesenkamp, Lance and Fiant joined forces to finish in 1:48.29.
The Golden Eagles’ top showing belonged to Sarah White, who won the diving competition with a score of 395.95.
Other BW standouts included Lexie Labier, who finished sixth in the 50 free (27.78 seconds) and seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.34); and Ella Jones, who closed seventh in the 100 back (1:06.86).
