Talawanda sending girls relay to state swimming for first time since 2009

Talawanda High School will be sending a relay team to state for the first time since 2009. Pictured from left to right are Kaylyn Macechko, Maren Patterson, Anna Gregg and Abbie Cury. The foursome qualified in the 200 free relay. CONTRIBUTED

Talawanda High School will be sending a relay team to state for the first time since 2009. Pictured from left to right are Kaylyn Macechko, Maren Patterson, Anna Gregg and Abbie Cury. The foursome qualified in the 200 free relay. CONTRIBUTED

OXFORD — Steve Pasquale saw something special in this year’s Talawanda High School girls swimmers. The longtime Brave coach saw it well before the start of the season.

Talawanda will be sending its first relay team to the state tournament in 14 years.

“It’s really awesome for the girls because we are taking four of them,” Pasquale said. “We hadn’t qualified for a relay since 2009, which was the year before I started coaching. That’s exciting to be able to do that.”

Senior Maren Patterson and freshmen Abbie Curry, Kaylyn Macechko and Anna Gregg qualified in the 200 freestyle relay at the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s state meet this week in Canton.

“The reason we are able to be successful is that most of them have been swimming with me their whole life,” said Pasquale, who manages other youth programs in the Oxford area. “They get started when they are 4 or 5 years old. We get them going early.

“When those girls got to the middle school level, we pointed at this year for us to be able to have a chance to send a relay team up there. Sure enough, it happened.”

The swimming and diving state tournament will be held from Tuesday through Saturday this week in Canton at C.T. Branin Natatorium, which has the largest spectator capacity of any natatorium in the state at 1,700.

In addition to the Division I and II state tournaments, there will also be two events for para swimmers on Friday night during the Division II state finals.

Other area swimming and diving state qualifiers:

BOYS

Division I

Fairfield — Max Reed, senior, 50 freestyle (21.51).

Lakota East — Xander Williams, junior, 200 freestyle (1:41.59); 200 freestyle relay (1:28.71).

Lakota West — Nathan Spetz, junior, 200 freestyle (1:41.46) and 500 freestyle (4:37.46).

Ross — 200 yard medley relay (1:35.97); Cooper Burt, sophomore, 100 butterfly (51.03) and 100 backstroke (50.11).

Division II

Badin — Patrick Gibbons, junior, 200 freestyle (1:44.02) and 100 butterfly (52.01).

GIRLS

Division I

Lakota West — 200 medley relay (1:49.37); Sarah Glosson, senior, 50 freestyle (24.18) and 100 backstroke (57.13); Cora Spetz, sophomore, 100 freestyle (52.76); 200 freestyle relay (1:39.09).

Talawanda — Abbie Curry, freshman, 50 freestyle (24.53) and 100 breaststroke (1:07.91); Maren Patterson, senior, 100 freestyle (51.68) and 100 backstroke (57.29); 200 freestyle relay (1:39.15); Anna Gregg, freshman, 100 backstroke (58.54).

Division II

Badin — Lena Trokhan, junior, 200 freestyle (1:59.29) and girls 500 freestyle (5:25.74); Kathleen Burke, sophomore, 500 freestyle (5:19.43).

State tournament schedule:

Tuesday, Feb. 21 - Boys Diving

9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Division II Boys Diving Tournament

3 - 6:30 p.m. Division I Boys Diving Tournament

Wednesday, Feb. 22 - Girls Diving

9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Division II Girls Diving Tournament

3 - 6:30 p.m. Division I Girls Diving Tournament

Thursday, Feb. 23 - Division II Swimming Prelims

5 - 9 p.m. Division II Girls and Boys Preliminary Swimming Competition

Friday, Feb. 24 - Division I Swimming Prelims and Division II Finals (Including Para)

9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Division I Girls and Boys Preliminary Swimming Competition

5 - 9 p.m. Division II Girls and Boys Final Swimming Competition

Saturday, February 25 - Division I Swimming Finals

3 - 8 p.m. Division I Girls and Boys Final Swimming Competition

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