Steven Wright -February 19, 2024
OXFORD — Beavercreek led the area with five individual qualifiers into the OHSAA state swimming championships.
Beavercreek’s boys 400 yard freestyle relay team of Anthony Braun, Nathan Dunhac, Caleb Manning and Alex Drachuk placed second at the Division I district meet held at Miami University on Saturday. The team also got fifth in the 200 yard medley relay together to also move on in that event.
Manning won the 500 yard freestyle and got third in the 200 yard individual medley. Braun and Drachuk as individuals both qualified in the 200 yard freestyle, and Drachuk was also third in the 500 yard freestyle. Braun also was fifth in the 100 yard backstroke and Dunhac got fourth in the 100 yard breaststroke.
Fairborn’s Malcolm Hibbert was 34th in the boys 100 yard freestyle race. Xenia’s Cory Pham finished in 20th in the boys 100 yard butterfly and was 24th in the 100 yard backstroke.
On the girls side, Bellbrook’s Mia Nazarenus qualified in the one-meter diving competition with a second place finish.
Beavercreek’s Chloe Otten got fourth place in the 200 yard individual medley, as well as in the 500 yard freestyle race. The 200 yard freestyle relay squad of Mia Silcott, Lily Kochersperger, Adisson Schmidt and Otten finished in seventh.
Maeley Huffman-Wynn of Xenia got through with an eighth place swim in the 100 yard butterfly.
Fairborn was 14th in the 200 yard freestyle relay and 18th in the 200 yard medley relay. Lia Johnson raced to 30th in the 100 yard butterfly, Evelyn Pho was 27th in the 100 yard freestyle and Raine Stepp was 32nd in the 100 yard breaststroke.
In the D-II competitions which were held on Friday, Bellbrook boys had six swimmers on two teams and a diver advance.
The relay team of Aidan Evans, Peter Guthrie, Rylan Carper and Luke Henley got sixth in the 200 yard medley relay race. The group of Josh and Elijah Vawter, Henley and Guthrie also got sixth in the 200 yard freestyle relay.
Guthrie also won the 100 yard breaststroke as an individual and got third in the 50 yard freestyle. Connor Spriggs was second in the one-meter diving event.
Travis Ervin of Legacy Christian got 20th in the 100 yard breaststroke and 31st in the 50 yard freestyle. The 400 yard freestyle relay team was 23rd in the final standings.
The girls competition saw LCA’s Aubriana Woods get 21st in both the 100 yard breaststroke and 100 yard butterfly. Its 200 yard freestyle relay team was 14th and the 400 yard freestyle relay team got the same finish.
State competitions begin on Tuesday at the C. T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.
Diving will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. D-II swimming prelims will start Thursday with the finals on Friday. D-I swimming will begin its prelims on Friday and hold finals on Saturday.
STATE QUALIFIERS
(State seed – Qualifying time)
DIVISION I – BOYS
Beavercreek: Team — 200 yard medley relay (11th – 1:35.03), 400 yard freestyle relay (8th – 3:09.22); Individual — Anthony Braun, 200 yard freestyle (21st – 1:43.33), 100 yard backstroke (11th – 51.08); Alex Drachuk, 200 yard freestyle (9th – 1:41.23), 500 yard freestyle (3rd – 4:35.08); Nathan Dunhac, 100 yard breaststroke (11th – 57.23); Caleb Manning, 200 yard individual medley (3rd – 1:50.03), 500 yard freestyle (1st – 4:28.72)
DIVISION I – GIRLS
Beavercreek: Team — 200 yard freestyle relay (19th – 1:40.56); Individual — Chloe Otten, 200 yard individual medley (7th – 2:05.95), 500 yard freestyle (15th – 5:10.36)
Bellbrook: Individual — Mia Nazarenus, 1-meter diving (14th – 398.65)
Xenia: Individual — Maeley Huffman-Wynn, 100 yard butterfly (26th – 58.17)
DIVISION II – BOYS
Bellbrook: Team — 200 yard medley relay (21st – 1:41.77), 200 yard freestyle relay (23rd – 1:32.24); Individual — Peter Guthrie, 50 yard freestyle (7th – 21.45), 100 yard breaststroke (2nd – 57.25); Connor Spriggs, 1-meter diving (17th – 305.60)
Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on X (formerly Twitter) @Steven_Wright_.