The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Hawken wins 22nd straight state title
CANTON » Holtrey Natatorium is quickly running out of wall space for banners.
It’s an organizational issue they’ll happily tackle at Hawken, though.
Because it means “The Streak” for the Hawks’ vaunted girls program is extended for yet another winter.
Hawken got individualevent titles from Jessica Eden (200-yard individual medley) and Tori Culotta (500 freestyle) and gold medal swims from its 200 medley and 200 free relays to steamroll to its 22nd straight state championship with 399 points, well ahead of Hathaway Brown (217), on Feb. 21.
“The Streak” continues to be the third-longest active girls swimming state title run in the country, behind Indiana powerhouse Carmel (35) and Florida power Jacksonville Bolles (30). It is also the 29th girls swimming state team title overall for the Hawks, tied for fourth in the nation.
For the record, there is some wall space left in the corner by Lane 1 at Holtrey Natatorium — space likely to be used in the near future.
“We’re all really happy, and we know that all of our hard work has paid off in this moment,” Culotta said. “It’s not just about winning and having the state championship, which is such a great feeling. But just knowing all of our supportiveness throughout the season and hard work and all of the
sacrifice that we made as a team has paid off. And that’s truly what it’s about.”
Added Eden: “This is amazing and incredible that we’re able to swim to this degree every single year. Incredible.”
The Hawks had a dream start to the night in the 200 medley relay. Bainon Hart, in her return to state ‘A’ finals after missing last postseason while she spent a semester at The Mountain School in Vermont, hit a 23.53 on her free anchor. That rallied Hawken to its 20th state title all-time in the event, the first coming in 1981 when Hart’s mother, Jane, swam backstroke on the Hawks’ winning quartet.
Eden won the 200 IM with a 2:01.12, including a 35.07 breaststroke split that marked a 2.01 drop from when she was third in the event last winter in Canton.
The dynamic sophomore later mastered a formidable back-to-back, turning in a 23.14 anchor on the Hawks’ state record-breaking 200 free relay (1:34.43) and earning runner-up honors in the 100 back with a 55.94.
“(That 200 free relay) felt so good,” Eden said. “To do it with my teammates — oh, it was amazing. I would not trade it for anything in the world.
“(Hitting a 2:00.90 in the IM prelims) really boosted my confidence. It just showed me how much I improved. Being shaved, tapered and suited, it felt incredible.”
Culotta repeated as the 500 free state champion with a clinical 4:52.11 that featured three 29 splits on laps 3-5 to set the proper tone.
“It was a lot different than my swim last year, which is like kind of what I wanted to do,” Culotta said. “I wanted to go out fast and see what I could do. And so last year, I was behind for most of it. This year, I tried to go out fast and see what I could do. So I’m happy with that. I knew I went out fast, and so hopefully I can learn how to bring it back a little bit.”
University brought back D-II team runner-up honors in memorable fashion.
The Preppers got a state title in the 400 free relay to edge Hawken for second overall, 216-209.
US got championship swims in addition from its 200 medley relay (1:33.67) and Nicolas Tekieli with a lights-out 100 back to win in 48.33, just off the state standard in the event, along with a second in the 100 fly from Frank Applebaum (48.80).
The Preppers needed that — and a swim for the ages from their 400 free relay for team hardware, which came to fruition. Amid a cacophony of sound in a three-way battle with the Hawks and Indian Hill, Applebaum turned in a scintillating 46.06 anchor
as US won with a 3:09.56.
“It was incredible. We all knew what we had to do,” Tekieli said. “So it was a matter of going out to race. We all did what we needed to do on that relay.
“(That 100 back) felt amazing. I was happy I was able to go out and do that. I’ve been training for that 100 back all year, and so to see it finally happen was incredible.”
Chagrin Falls’ boys 200 free relay quartet of John Cashy, Michael Tropf, Parker Broz and Clark Reboul took second with a 1:26.43.
Reboul, who took fourth in the 50 free to become the first Chagrin boys sprint freestyler in school history to crack the top four at state, turned in a 20.93 anchor. Tropf also logged a standout split with 21.24.
“There were three seniors on it (Cashy, Broz and Reboul), and it meant a lot to us coming out,” Reboul said. “We really had a lot of fun, and we wanted to just go at it with everything we’ve got. I am super proud of all my boys. It just means a lot to me that we gave it all.”
Coming soon
For the annual look at split breakdowns and more from a busy D-II state meet in Canton, check back in the coming days on News-Herald.com.