CINCINNATI, Ohio, January 21. THIS weekend at one of the largest meets in the world, Wilmington's Josh Quallen put together four victorious swims at the Southwest Ohio High School Swimming and Diving Classic. The weekend likely made Louisville's Arthur Albiero very happy as Quallen is committed to become a Cardinal after his senior season. Meanwhile, Dayton Oakwood's Cliff Goertemiller also had a strong weekend, winning a trio of titles. Goertemiller is headed to Harvard after his senior season.
MEET INFORMATION
The Southwest Ohio High School Classic is one of the largest meets in existence. This year, prelims were held in 70 lanes simultaneously with eight different locations that included Beavercreek YMCA, Wright State, Trotwood-Madison High, Washington Township Rec Center, Countryside YMCA, Miami University (two separate nine-lane courses), Milford High and Mason High. Finals were held at the Keating Natatorium at St. Xavier High with the diving finals being held in Cincinnati. In sum, more than 3,000 swimmers and divers representing more than 100 schools from Southwest Ohio competed.
The meet finished today with a clinic that featured Ian Crocker, Misty Hyman, Josh Schneider, Whitney Burnett and Simon Burnett. Nearly 200 swimmers signed up for the experience.
BOYS
Dayton Meadowdale's Malique Elder just missed the meet record in the 50 free with a 21.25. That swim came up a bit shy of Luke Rhodenbaugh's 2009 standard of 21.24. Cincinnati Sycamore's Charlie Fry took home the 100 free crown in 46.75, while Dayton Oakwood's Cliff Goertemiller defended his title in the 200 free with a 1:42.11. Goertemiller then doubled up with a 4:30.58 to win the 500 free by more than eight seconds. Goertemiller completed the freestyle title trifecta with a 15:32.28 in the 1650 free, cutting a huge amount of time from his winning time of 15:46.96 from last year.
Cincinnati Walnut Hills' Cooper Keener conquered the 50 back in 26.55, while Wilmington's Josh Quallen earned the 100 back title in 51.25. Dayton Oakwood's Brock Turner surged to a win in the 200 back in 1:50.67, clearing the field by nearly five seconds.
Cincinnati St. Xavier's Ian Jones posted a 28.44 to win the 50 breast, while Cincinnati Wyoming's Jonathan Rutter touched in 58.01 to win the 100 breast. Rutter doubled up with a 2:07.57 to top the 200 breast.
Vandalia Butler's Corey Shanahan took down the 50 fly title with a 25.13, while Quallen earned his second win of the meet with a 49.96 in the 100 fly. That swim cleared the meet record of 50.53 set by Milford's Beau Robinson in 2011. Quallen then clinched his third title with a 1:52.41 in the 200 fly.
Shanahan demonstrated some speed with his second title after a 57.40 in the 100 IM, while Quallen nearly took down a historic meet record with a 1.52.53 in the 200 IM for his fourth triumph. Cincinnati Roger Bacon's Jerry Frentsos posted a 1:52.09 back in 1984. Centerville's Josh Brooks grabbed the 400 IM crown in 4:01.14.
Cincinnati's St. Xavier won the 200 free relay in 1:26.75, while Centerville topped the 400 free relay in 3:10.19. St. Xavier then took the 200 medley relay title in 1:35.45, while also earning the 400 medley relay crown in 3:29.55.
Mason's Sean Sargent won the one-meter diving title with 496.50 points.
GIRLS
Cincinnati Ursuline's Temarie Tomley won the 50 free in 23.92, bettering her winning time of 24.13 from a year ago. She then finished second to Cincinnati Country Day's Allie Wooden in the 100 free, 51.11 to 51.50, with Wooden upsetting the defending champion in the event. Wooden doubled up with a 1:49.49 in the women's 200 free for the win.
Mason's Zoe Thatcher clipped Wooden in the 500 free with a meet-record tying effort of 4:53.10. Wooden took second in 4:55.37. Thatcher tied the 2007 mark set by Amanda Smith of Cincinnati Indian Hill. Thatcher then raced to victory in the 1650 free with a 16:47.24, defending her title from 2012 and bettering her time by more than two seconds (16:49.76).
Cincinnati Mariemont's Sadie Decamp topped the 50 back in 29.09, while Springboro's Hanah Whiteley smashed the meet record in the 100 back with a 56.15. That swim cut a second off the 57.15 turned in by Centerville's Erin Forster back in 2002. Tomley then earned her second victory of the meet with a 2:03.94 in the 200 back, with Whiteley taking second in 2:04.20.
Dayton Carroll's Morgan Massie cleared the meet record in the 50 breast with a 31.02, besting the 31.55 set by Cincinnati Mariemont's Claire Mongenas in 2011. Springfield Shawnee's Kendra Crew picked up the 100 breast triumph in 1:04.10, blasting her winning time of 1:05.02 from a year ago. Crew then doubled up with a 2:17.30 in the 200 breast, just missing Rachel Gustin's 1993 meet record of 2:17.21 set for Cincinnati Seven Hills.
Cincinnati Clark Montessori's Raeya Gordon prevailed in the 50 fly with a 27.50, while Springfield's Madelyn Shaffer took home the 100 fly crown in 57.59. Cincinnati St. Ursula's Marissa Delgado defended her 200 fly title with a 2:05.35, well below her 2012 winning time of 2:07.12.
Massie won her second title of the meet with a 1:02.44 in the 100 IM, while Cincinnati Ursuline's Bridget Blood defended her 200 IM title in 2:06.44. Dayton Oakwood's Sydney Lofquist also defended her title in the 400 IM with a 4:28.41.
Cincinnati Ursuline won the 200 free relay in 1:36.66 and the 400 free relay in 3:29.35, both meet records. The squad also took home the 200 medley relay (1:46.16) and 400 medley relay (3:52.55) for a relay sweep.
Mason's Maddie Sewell won the diving title in a meet-record tally of 494.15. That surpassed Morgan Mullins' 2012 total of 488.50.