DISTRICTS RECAP: NINETEEN RAYS ADVANCE TO STATE
Girls win 10 out of 11 events at D1 Districts
( CLICK HERE FOR CINCINNATI ENQUIRER ARTICLE)
Thirty-five Mason Manta Rays had an excellent meet this past weekend at the High School District championships! We had almost 100% life-time best swims and 19 Manta Rays will advance to the Ohio High School State Championships next weekend in Canton! The Manta Ray girls not only won 10 out of the 11 events Saturday night, but also were a part of four meet records!
Boy’s Division II
Friday morning, Panos Skoufalos represented Seven Hills at the District Championships. Skoufalos went best times in both his races in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. He placed in the first in the 50 freestyle, with a time of 21.35. His second place 100 backstroke was a new Manta Ray team record, with his final time of 51.16. Skoufalos was also a part of Seven Hill’s winning 200 medley relay and second place finishing 400 freestyle relay. Griffin Braun, a freshman at Fenwick, placed 22nd in the 100 Free with a time of 51.69.
Boy’s Division I
In the 200 freestyle Friday night, Mason junior Justin Hove kicked off the individual swims for the Manta Rays swimming a new best time of 1:42.29 and finished 6th overall in the event. Hove’s swim was his first NCSA Junior National cut. Sophomore Joel Thatcher also swam to a best time of 1:44.76 to finish 14th. Fellow Comet teammate, junior Alex Mechler was 23rd.
Sean McCracken, a junior from Lakota West, finished 19th with a best time time of 1:47.36.
In the 200 IM, Keith Jessee, a junior from Lakota East, finished 17th in 1:58.62 – a new best time and first USA Swimming Sectional cut. Mason senior Cesar Carrillo was 30th overall. In the first sprint freestyle event of the night, Mason’s Peter He swam a new best time of 22.20, to finish 11th & his teammate Preston Bailey was 19th.
Senior Josh Enrico was Lakota East, finished 15th in the 100 butterfly; Carrillo was 23rd in the event as well. After the break, He returned back to the pool in the 100 freestyle to go a new best time of 49.21.
Hove came back to add another NCSA Junior National cut with the 500 freestyle. He finished 5th overall in 4:38.37. Thatcher was 12th overall, at 4:40.49, also a new best time. Their mason teammate, Sebastian Castillo was 27th overall.
Enrico finished 15th in the 100 backstroke at 54.05, a new best time for him in the event. Freshman Mike McDonald from Mason followed suit, finishing at 54.48, a new best time and 17th place overall. McCracken was 19th overall, at 55.39, tying the Sectional exactly for his first cut ever.
Jessee finished 7th in the 100 breaststroke at 1:00.22, which was a new best time and Sectional cut. Jackson Tinsley, a junior at Lakota West, placed 9th with a best time of 1:00.50. Jackson also placed 24th in the 200 IM with a best time of 2:03.37. Freshman Matthew Helm and Terry Tao swam to best times to finish 19th and 21st overall, at 1:02.92 and 1:03.00.
Several Manta Rays swam on relays as well. Lakota East was 4th in the 200 medley relay, while West was 12th. Mason High School finished 3rd in the 200 freestyle relay, while Lakota West was 6th and East was 12th. Lakota East was 8th in the 400 freestyle relay as well.
Girl’s Division I
The Manta Rays swimmers claimed 10 titles of the 11 events swam at the District Championships. Ursuline senior Alisabeth Marsteller kicked the night off winning the 200 freestyle in a new District record and best time of 1:47.46.
Alisabeth Marsteller
Mason senior Zoe Thatcher, who held the previous record, was 2nd in the event. Her Comet teammate Lizzie Troy finished 8th in a new best time of 1:52.35; Megan Wolf was 30th.
In the 200 IM, Sydney Lofquist took the event for Ursuline in a new best time and Manta Ray team record of 2:00.49. Casey Frazier, a senior from Lakota West, was third also in a best time of 2:04.54. The Mason foursome of Maddie Franzoni, Sr., Josephine Waller, Fr., Liz Monnin, So., and Tiffany Yu, Fr., all swam best times in the event to finish 13th (2:11.19), 14th (2:11.72), 20th (2:13.59) and 25th (2:15.33).
Sydney Lofquist
Ashley Volpenhein from Mason claimed two individual titles with a win in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Both were best times for her for the Mason freshman; her times were 23.28 and 50.39.
Ashley Volpenhein
Hannah Whiteley, sophomore from Springboro, was 3rd in 50 freestyle. Julia Volpenhein, Kr., and Abbey Esler, So., went 5-6 for Mason in the event, both with best times of 24.17 and 24.18. That was a new NSCA Junior cut for Esler. Their teammate senior Maureen Sullivan finished 12th in the event, as well.
Hannah Whiteley
Yu was the best Manta Ray in the 100 butterfly, at 11th place in a best time of 58.69. Esler had a quick turnaround from her 50 freestyle, but broke the 1:00 barrier to finish at 59.84 for 20th. Mason teammate, Caroline Heywood, Sr., also snuck under 1:00 to finish 23rd in a best time of 59.96.
Marsteller was 3rd in the 100 freestyle. Troy made it two-for-two of best times with a 4th place finish in the 100 freestyle at 52.11. Jordan Decker had her first top eight finish, finishing 8th in 52.75, also a new best time. Rounding it out for Mason was M. Wolf, who finished 26th in a best time of 55.86.
Manta Rays went 1-2 in the 500 freestyle, with Thatcher winning the event for Mason, and Loftquist in second for Ursuline. Mason also had best times from Kayleigh Vicknair, Sr., and Camille Nguyen who finished 22nd, 5:18.36, and 28th, 5:22.15.
Zoe Thatcher
Whiteley defended her title from last year, winning the 100 backstroke. J. Volpenhein had a big drop to finish 5th at 57.15. Sullivan was right behind her in 6th place. Franzoni and freshman Caroline Wolf also had best times in the event. Franzoni got under 1:00 at 59.75 for 14th, and Wolf was 15th at 1:00.61.
Frazier claimed her first District title winning the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:04.73. She was one of four Rays to finish top eight in the event, with Waller finished 3rd, 1:06.85, Decker in 4th, 1:07.02, and Monnin in 6th, 1:07.50. Springboro had the 25th spot with Freshman Cayla Bodner. And all those swims were new best times for the girls.
Casey Frazier
Many Rays teamed up for excellent relays as well. Ursuline won the 200 medley relay, while Mason was 2nd, Springboro in 3rd and Lakota West in 5th. Mason set a new District record in the 200 freestyle relay (A. Volpenhein, Esler, J. Volpenhein, Sullivan), and Ursuline was 2nd, Lakota West at 8th and Springboro at 11th. Rounding out the night in relays was a District record by Ursuline (Lofquist & Marsteller), plus Mason finished 2nd, and Springboro in 5th.
The following nineteen Mason Manta Rays will be competing at the State Championships this weekend in Canton, Ohio:
Boys Division II (Prelims – Thursday PM , Finals – Friday PM)
Panos Skoufalos, Seven Hills – 50 freestyle (2nd), 100 backstroke (2nd) & Relays
Boy’s Division I (Prelims – Friday AM, Finals – Saturday PM)
Justin Hove, Mason – 200 freestyle (12th), 500 freestyle (7th) & Relay
Joel Thatcher, Mason – 500 freestyle (15th)
Preston Bailey, Mason – Relay
Peter He, Mason – Relay
Keith Jessee, Lakota East – 100 breaststroke & Relays
Josh Enrico, Lakota East – Relays
Girl’s Division I (Prelims – Friday AM, Finals- Saturday PM)
Ashley Volpenhein, Mason – 50 freestyle (1st), 100 freestyle (1st) & Relays
Hannah Whiteley, Springboro – 50 freestyle (3rd), 100 backstroke (1st) & Relays
Julia Volpenhein, Mason – 50 freestyle (10th), 100 backstroke (9th) & Relays
Abbey Esler, Mason – 50 freestyle (11th) & Relays
Alisabeth Marsteller, Ursuline – 100 freestyle (3rd), 200 freestyle (1st) & Relays
Lizzie Troy, Mason – 100 freestyle (9th), 200 freestyle (13th) & Relay
Jordan Decker, Mason – 100 freestyle (20th), 100 breaststroke (24th) & Relay
Zoe Thatcher, Mason – 200 freestyle (2nd), 500 freestyle (1st) & Relay
Sydney Lofquist, Ursuline – 500 freestyle (2nd), 200 IM (1st) & Relays
Maureen Sullivan, Mason – 100 backstroke (10th) & Relays
Casey Frazier, Lakota West – 100 breaststroke (3rd), 200 IM (6th) & Relays
Josephine Waller, Mason – 100 breaststroke (21st)
MORE ABOUT DISTRICTS & STATE
Boys and girls compete on different nights, and there are four district sites. The four sites are Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus, & Cleveland. The SW District Meet is held at Miami University.
The Ohio High School State Meet will be held next week in Canton and culminates the end of the swim high school season. The meet is a two day meet. There are 4 District Meets in Ohio, SW, Central, Northeast, & Northwest. Each District has two “automatic” qualifiers. There are 8 automatic qualifiers that come out of the 4 District Meets. After those 8 we then go to the next fastest 16 “at-large” swimmers across the State to equal 24 state qualifiers. All results can be found on www.swimmeet.com
