Dublin Jerome girls capture Division I state swimming title
CANTON – Two Dublin high schools proved Saturday there is more than one way to win championships.
While Coffman’s Emily Brown powered her way to a third consecutive sweep of the 200- and 500-yard freestyle titles during the Division I state meet at Branin Natatorium, Jerome swimmers were close behind in both races.
The Celtics won one event, the 400 free relay, but that and a bevy of secondary points were enough to clinch the girls program’s first team championship.
Jerome’s Milly Leonard, Zoe Musselman, Libby Grether and Olivia Matson won the final relay in 3:23.91, 3.26 seconds ahead of second-place Coffman, to amass 225 points, hold off runner-up Upper Arlington (215) and dash New Albany’s hopes for a third consecutive team title.
“Our depth is one of our best strengths,” said Jordan Gundlach, who co-coaches the Celtics with Morgan Quesnel. Both are in their first season guiding the program.
“A lot of teams will bring 15 or 20 kids to the state meet, and we brought eight,” Gundlach said. “We have eight girls and three relays all capable of being in the top five. We knew coming into the season that we had our chance. We had it on our minds all year. We always reminded them this is what they should be working toward.”
Jerome got second- and third-place finishes in the 200 free from Grether
(1:48.86) and Leonard (1:50.39) and runner-up efforts from Matson in the 50 free (22.89) and the 200 free relay (1:33.96). Leonard was third in the 500 free (4:54.95) and Grether finished fourth in the 100 backstroke (55.03).
Central Ohio individuals and relays combined for eight wins on a day in which nine finals featured at least four participants from the area. In five of those, five of the eight qualifiers were from the Columbus area.
Wins in the 200 free relay (1:33.3) and 200 medley relay (1:43.42) and from Hayden Hollingsworth in the 50 free (22.84) led UA, which fell short of its first championship since 2018. Hollingsworth was third in the 100 butterfly (55.49), and Lizzie Oliphant was third in the 50 free (23.36) and fourth in the 100 free (51.46). The 400 free relay finished
fifth (3:29.11).
Despite tearing her suit about 30 minutes before the first event of the day, the 200 medley relay, Brown won the 200 free in a state- and meet-record 1:45.88. The junior and Tennessee commit swam the 500 free in 4:51.17, holding off Delaware Hayes’ Kaitlyn Sallows (4:54.09) and Leonard.
Coffman finished third (169), one spot ahead of a tie between New Albany and Cincinnati St. Ursula (160).
New Albany’s Carly Meeting defended her 100 back championship (53.73) and won the 100 free (49.93). The senior and Florida signee was 50 free champion a year ago.
Marie Belli was runner-up in both the 100 breaststroke (1:03.43) and 200 individual medley (2:01.7) to lead Gahanna to sixth place (144).