US, Hawken lead area charge at D-II SPIRE Sectional

VASJ, Chagrin Falls swimmers also impress

In one of the least surprising developments early in 2019, several area champions were crowned as usual Feb. 8 during the Division II SPIRE Sectional.

Area individual-event champions crowned were University’s Ethan Banks (200 free and 500 free), Frank Applebaum (100 fly) and Owen Hanna (100 back) and Hawken’s Abby Hay (200 IM and 100 fly), Alex Podrez (200 IM), John Byrne (50 free and 100 free), Tori Culotta (500 free), Jessica Eden (100 back) and Sydney Bare (100 breast).

Among the most impressive swims:

• Banks’ 500 free win with a time of 4 minutes, 35.98 seconds was atop the list from The News-Herald coverage area contingent. It is .18 off his winning swim in December at the Ned Reeb Invitational and a 7.70 drop from his sectional-title swim in the event in 2018.

As opposed to sectional last year, Banks was deeper in the 28s on his middle splits into a 28.16 and 27.27 last 100. The 28.16 ninth split is a .58 cut from Ned Reeb, .71 from sectional last winter and .19 off his district pace in 2018.

• Banks also notched a nice 200 free, hitting the wall in 1:44.26. It marks a 2.85 drop from when he was third at SPIRE last year.

• Byrne’s sprint free double was strong, with a 21.88 in 50 free and a 48.36 in 100 free. Of particular note in 100 free, Byrne went out with a 22.77 opening 50. That’s .15 faster than the D-II Cleveland State District last winter, when he was third, and .19 faster than state, when he was eighth.

• Applebaum stood out with his 100 fly victory, recording a 51.96. That swim was faster on both splits vs. his district performance in 2018 – a 24.53 opener and a 27.43 closer. Those are .14 and .15 drops, respectively. It is also .56 off his state pace from Canton a year ago.

• Bare went 1:06.53 to take 100 breast. She was D-II sectional runner-up last season with a 1:07.31, marking a .78 cut here. Of note was a 34.92 closing 50, which is .25 faster from state in 2018, when she was 10th in the D-II ‘B’ final.

• The biggest relay statement came from US’ 400 free quartet of Hanna, Jeffrey Chi, Applebaum and Banks, which went 3:12.94. Hanna popped the relay with a 47.76, and Banks anchored in 47.87. The 3:12.94 is .83 off Ned Reeb, when the Preppers were third in a fast field, and is a 5.56 drop from SPIRE in 2018. A 3:12.94 should set the table slightly better for the district and state push in 2019 as opposed to 2018, when US was third at both with a 3:12.21 and 3:09.98, respectively.

• Beyond the expected gaudy work from US and Hawken, swimmers from other area schools who cracked the top four individually were Villa AngelaSt. Joseph’s Anika Duhigg (third, 100 free and fourth, 50 free), Chagrin Falls’ Clark Reboul (third, 50 free), John Cashy (third, 100 fly and 100 back) and Michael Tropf (100 breast) and Gilmour’s Matt Vanone (fourth, 100 fly) and Cate O’Haimhirgin (third, 100 breast).

• Duhigg recorded one of the signature year-toyear drops of the meet, taking third in 100 free with a 54.99. She went out in 26.13 and hit the wall with a 28.86. In 2018 at SPIRE as a freshman, she was 11th with a 57.33. Her splits were a 1.07 and a 1.27 drop from last winter at sectional.

• Cashy also cut significant time with a 53.33 in 100 fly. When he was 10th at district a year ago, he went 55.03. His 29.37 closing 50 marks a 1.15 drop from that aforementioned district swim.

• Tropf went 1:01.89 in 100 breast, good for a 3.57 cut vs. when he was 17th at the D-II CSU District in 2018.

• Against an all-Hawken top four that all went under 5:05, Kirtland freshman Kaley Ream also merits plaudits for a 5:09.94 to take fifth.

In the team races, US edged Hawken, 518-501, on the boys side, and the Hawken girls stampeded with 586 points.