The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Moore, Burgess excel at state
Amherst senior places 13th in 200 freestyle, Rocky River junior finishes 15th in breaststroke at Division I state finals in Canton
Nathan Moore has long been one of the best The Morning Journal area has to offer.
There was only one thing missing from his legacy, though: an appearance in the Division I state finals.
Mark the Amherst senior’s legacy complete, as Moore placed 13th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:42.78 during the Division I state finals on Feb. 24 at the C.T. Branin Natatorium.
After making it to Canton in two events in both 2016 and 2017, but not making it out of preliminaries, being able to end his career on the last day possible is something that Moore said is a feeling he had been waiting for all his career.
“Being here is amazing,” Moore said. “They say before each meet that it’s the best high school swim meet in the country. I’m pretty sure it is. It’s just crazy in here. It’s just an unreal way to end everything.”
In 2016, Moore placed 18th in the 200 freestyle (1:44.09) and 21st in the 100 freestyle (48.07).
In 2017, Moore placed 17th in both the 100 (47.65) and 200
(1:44.32) freestyles and was a member of the 23rd-place 200 medley relay (1:38.73).
But Moore saved his best for his swan song.
After qualifying for the finals with a time of 1:42.31, Moore was right in the ballpark with his finals swim.
After the first 50, he was fourth in his heat at 23.70, slowed a bit to fall into sixth after 100 with a time of 50.0, then kicked it into a new gear over the final 100 yards, posting splits of 26.28 and 26.50 to take fifth in his heat at 13th overall.
In typical Moore fashion, the senior was quick to thank those around him and take the focus off of himself.
“I just want to thank coaches Don (Cisar) and Mary (Bartek),” Moore said. “Everything is because of them. I can’t thank them enough for everything over these last four years. This has been great to experience with them, and the whole team.”
Moore’s swim in the finals was more than just the completion of his legacy, though. It was the end of an Amherst drought.
Moore is the first Comet to swim in the state finals since Dominic Pecze placed fourth in the 100 backstroke with a time of 51.17 as a senior in 2011.
“I just wanted to keep the tradition going,” Moore said. “We all know Dom. We all look up to Dom. It’s exciting to be mentioned with him, but, for me, it’s about the tradition of Amherst swimming.”
Moore also qualified for state in the 100 freestyle, but did not make it out of preliminaries, finishing 20th with a time of 47.13.
For Moore, though, the true excitement the day before the finals came from swimming in a pair of relays with his teammates. Although neither relay advanced out of the preliminaries, Moore was ecstatic to not only swim one more time with his swimming brothers, but twice.
“It’s just awesome,” Moore said. “We would have loved to have the relays here (in the finals), but we got two down here. It’s just one step at a time. I’m glad I got to be with these guys one more time this season.”
The 200 medley relay of Sam Parker, Max Mlincek, Jake Kiska and Moore finished 17th with a time of 1:36.09, while the 200 freestyle relay of Kiska, Mlincek, Kevin Heyd and Moore finished 18th with a time of 1:27.88.
In the end, Moore was simply happy to end his career on such a high note.
“I’m really happy,” Moore said. “This has been such a great season. I’m glad it ended here.”
The Amherst senior was not the only area athlete to swim in Canton on Saturday.
Rocky River junior Katherine Burgess finished 15th in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:06.53.
“It was so cool,” Burgess said. “It was like a dream come true. I’ve wanted this since my freshman year, to come here in an individual event.”
The trip to Canton was the second for the junior, but the first time Burgess swam in the finals and the first time she qualified as an individual. In 2017, Burgess was a member of the 21stplace 200 free relay team (1:39.44).
Burgess said being alone on the blocks for the first time in Canton was a bit different than she expected.
“It’s nice having my team with me (behind the blocks),” Burgess said. “But it was awesome seeing them at the end of the lane. It’s like you’re alone, but not alone. It’s just great to have them there cheering me on.”
Burgess noted that her main goal was to improve in her placement.
Check that as a success, as the junior was seeded eighth in her heat and finished seventh.
“I feel awesome,” Burgess said. “I out-touched a girls to move up, so that’s awesome. It was just a really nice swim.”
While Burgess was the only Pirate to take to the pool on Saturday, she was not alone. The Rocky River 200 medley relay team of Morgan Schuld, Burgess, Anna Skapoulas and Peyton Spearry placed 17th in the preliminaries with a time of 1:48.01.
Additional individual qualifiers from Rocky River who did not advance to the finals include Skapoulas (21st, 100 butterfly, 58.02) and Schuld (23rd, 100 backstroke, 58.96).
“It’s just amazing,” Burgess said of having a relay and three individual qualifiers. “Rocky River is such a small school. I mean, we’re not too far out from when we were D-II. So to get so many people here, it just means a lot to us.”
Burgess said getting experience this year will be beneficial as she attempts to oneup herself as a senior.
“It’s so motivating,” Burgess said. “I can’t wait to get back out here next year and hopefully make the A final.”