Licking County swimmers pick up intensity in pool with February upon us
NEW ALBANY — Caden May said the good-natured "trash talk" between his Pau Hana swim club teammates is increasing in advance of the Licking County League championships next Saturday, but the Watkins Memorial senior had to acknowledge the help he received Saturday from his Granville rivals.
Watkins and Granville joined Northridge and Johnstown for a quad at New Albany as the teams dive into the final month of the season. May edged Granville senior Dakotta Baillargeon for the win in the 50 freestyle (23.57 to 24.22) before he took runner-up to Granville senior Josh Remlinger in the 100 free (50.56 to 51.84).
"I think the tension's going to build for the LCLs, but they do push you as a competitor," May said. "I have to thank Josh for pushing me to keep going until I couldn't go anymore that last 15."
While the upcoming postseason causes excitement, the most-experienced swimmers are coming to the realization the end is near.
Seniors checked another last off their list on Saturday.
"Me and (classmate Caroline Otter) were just talking about how it's crazy it's our last regular season meet, and we have been doing this for four years. It's bittersweet because a chapter's closing but a new one's opening," Granville senior Carmen Wells said.
Wells and her Granville teammates threw some variety in their events but still enjoyed some great success. Individual winners were seniors Brooke Lemert in the 200 free (2:06.78) and Hannah Hardin in the 50 free (24.66), sophomores Lydia Sturgeon in the 100 free (54.27) and Ainsley Laidlaw-Smith in the 100 butterfly (1:13.54) and freshman Grace Largent in both the 500 free (6:11.02) and 100 breaststroke (1:13.42).
Hardin, Lemert, Sturgeon and Largent won the 200 medley relay (1:54.87), and Otter replaced Largent on the winning 400 free relay (3:51.19).
"Being able to see the times from the beginning of the year to now and you see that you are starting to improve and dropping more and more and getting closer to past (personal bests), I can say I feel like I am at a really good place, and I am excited for postseason," said Wells, who was runner-up to teammates in both the 200 free (2:15.48) and 100 fly (1:14.26). "It's a precursor to LCLs. It gives you a good insight to what next week is going to look like."
Watkins' girls are nipping at the Blue Aces' heels. Freshman Ava Dutton won the 200 individual medley (2:12.87) and 100 backstroke (1:03.91), and she also had an impressive anchor leg to get the victory in the 200 free relay (1:50.95) by just 12 one-hundredths of a second, joining classmates Olivia Crock and Annie Edward and junior Sophia Lochard.
Crock took runner-up in both the 50 free (25.57) and 100 free (56.14). Dutton broke the school record in the 100 free, and the Warriors had several additional personal bests during the during the Northeast Classic in Canton two weeks ago, often used as a measuring stick for the upcoming postseason.
"Our team is in really good shape, and we are doing phenomenal," Lochard said. "It's important that we are cheering each other on because it helps a lot when there is a lot of team spirit to really get us moving."
The Granville boys showed their power, winning every event except May's victory, spreading their depth. Senior Jacob Teter was a double winner in the 100 fly (1:01.40) and 100 breaststroke (1:07.97), and Remlinger added a second victory in the 200 IM (2:07.94) while the two seniors also joined Baillargeon and freshman Nolan Schneider on the winning 200 free relay (1:37.13) and with freshman Miles Baker replacing Baillargeon on the winning 400 free relay (3:34.26).
Schneider also was a double winner, taking the 200 free (1:53.23) and 500 free (5:16.690. Classmate Andrew Bergstrom won the 100 back (1:04.26), and he joined Baker, Baillargeon and senior Gryffin Hauenstein on the winning 200 medley relay (1:52.37).
"It's fun to swim with the (seniors) honestly. I can push myself every day by trying to pace with them," Schneider said. "I am pretty decent at all of the strokes, so I had no clue but I kind of stumbled on (the 500 free). I swam some distance, and it was going pretty well. I have speed, but I just didn't have enough speed to go farther with (the sprints)."
Caden May, first-year senior Trace Hartman and sophomores Cain May and Wes Arnholt were a close runner-up in the 200 medley (1:54.29) for Watkins, and Caden May, Cain May, Arnholt and junior Jimmy Spach took runner-up in the 400 free relay (3:58.40). The Warriors, who also have senior Cody Jordan and sophomore Matthew Jenkins, registered season-best times in two relays in Canton.
"Seeing those times, it makes me believe we can hit those times I want to get at the end of the season," May said.
The Northridge boys are in the middle of a rebuild after graduating all four members of a school-record relay last season, but junior Travis Allen is emerging as a leader in the pool. He took runner-up to Teter in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.93) and is opening eyes — his own.
"I try to work my hardest and go to all of the practices I can, and I just try to keep up, I guess," Allen said. "It's definitely a mood boost to know you are keeping up with somebody that you have always thought of as way better than you. Starting as someone who was not good at all and then to be able to keep up with Jacob is awesome."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking County swimmers pick up intensity in pool with February here
