Saturday, February 22nd, 2020

Division II State Swimming Championships

Bulldogs place two relays on the podium

Gass earns first team All-Ohio as an individual

By Colin Foster
Submitted Photo

Celina swimmers, from left, Emma Guggenbiller, Zoe Rolfes, Kenzie Conn and Claire Gass pose with their medals after placing fourth in the 200-yard medley relay at the Division II State Swimming Championships. Photo courtesy of Paige Bader.

Friday marked the final time in which Kenzie Conn, Zoe Rolfes, Emma Guggenbiller and Claire Gass swam together as members of the Celina High School swimming team.
It could not have been more memorable.
The quartet teamed for two first team All-Ohio finishes - taking fourth place in the 200-yard medley relay and fifth in the 400 freestyle relay - and Gass also swam to a fifth-place result in the 100 breaststroke at the OHSAA Division II State Swimming Championships. Conn earned second-team All-Ohio in two events as an individual.
"We performed well," Gass said. "I'm just kind of sad that it's the last time with the whole group."
Conn and Rolfes will graduate in May. They played a part in helping the Bulldogs place four relay teams on the podium in back-to-back years at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.
And this performance was better than the last, when the team placed sixth in the 200 medley relay and seventh in the 200 freestyle relay en route to taking 11th as a team with 55 points.
The Bulldogs were the highest-finishing public school at this year's meet in eighth place, tallying 83 points. Gates Mills Hawken was first (399 points), Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown took runner-up (217) and Columbus School for Girls third (165).
"The last two years, this group of girls has been very powerful," Celina coach Paige Bader said. "Like I said going into this weekend, this is a group of girls that you always want on your side because they're always going to fight. That's exactly what they did today in both of their relays and all of their individual events - they fight to the finish."
Conn, Gass, Guggenbiller and Rolfes placed fourth in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:47.84 - improving upon their time in the prelims of 1:48.51. The Bulldogs finished behind Hawken (1:44.22), Columbus School for Girls (1:44.52) and Gilmour (1:46.98).
They returned later to place fifth in the 400 freestyle relay, clocking in a 3:39.45. The Bulldogs were behind Hathaway Brown (3:27.97), Hawken (3:30.26), Indian Hill (3:35.68) and Wyoming (3:38.49).
"We were doing it for each other," Guggenbiller said. "We knew what we had to do, and we just wanted that feeling again from last year."
Gass placed fifth in the 100 breaststroke final with a mark of 1:03.77. She dropped nearly two seconds off of her time in the prelims on Thursday.
"It takes a lot to get to this point in the season," said Gass, a junior. "You don't show up and say 'Oh, I'm going to get first today.' You work the entire season for one day of the year. It was just a lot, I guess, to get to this point. I was kind of proud of all of us to get here and perform like we did. I'm hoping for better next year."
Conn won the B-Final of the 100 backstroke with a time of 58.84 seconds. She placed 15th in the 100 freestyle with a swim of 54.04 seconds to earn another second team All-Ohio spot.
"I just really wanted to finish off my high school career with a bang and just give it my all," she said. "I feel like I performed as well as I could and I gave it my all."
St. Marys' Kyle Lucas and Minster's Nicholas Clune each earned second team All-Ohio.
Lucas finished 13th overall in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:00.20.
Clune took 12th in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 53.96 seconds.
Additional online story on this date
4 area districts start programs for eager students
A new competitive sport is taking root across the state, and some local schools are getting their heads in the game.
After classes on a recent Monday, a handful of Coldwater High School students gathered under the watchful eye of district technology director and volunteer coach Nick Wirwille. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
State routes 118, 707 the site of several crashes
ROCKFORD - Village leaders are asking a state agency to improve a rural intersection that has been the site of numerous accidents over the years, including two injury accidents within 24 hours of one another in late November.
GREENVILLE - Farmers will need to prepare themselves physically and mentally as the climate continues to change and planting and harvesting windows shorten.
CELINA - The Mercer County Health District on Friday reported one confirmed case of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, in the county.
Pertussis can affect people of all ages but can be very serious or even deadly for babies younger than a year old.
ST. MARYS - A chimney fire north of St. Marys caused an estimated $8,000 in damages to a home, St. Marys City Fire Chief Doug Ayers said Friday.
Firefighters responded to the reported fire at 16170 State Route 66 at 6:33 p.m. Wednesday.
Panthers top 'Cats to earn 2nd place outright
ROCKFORD - After the first quarter, Parkway looked primed to win in runaway fashion.
But by the end of the game, the Panthers had just enough to get the win.
CELINA - The Celina boys basketball team executed Jay Imwalle's game plan nearly to a T most of the way against Van Wert on Friday night.
Good execution, however, couldn't make up for a night of free-throw woes.
Girls Bowling
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
St. Marys' girls bowling team will defend its Division II state championship after they and Coldwater qualified for the tournament at the district tournament held Friday at Westgate Lanes in Lima.
Basketball Roundup
Compiled by Colin Foster and Gary Rasberry
St. Marys wrapped up the regular season with its 10th straight win in beating Defiance 45-38 in Western Buckeye League boys basketball action in Defiance.