The postseason journey is underway once again for Walsh Jesuit senior swimmers Hanna Gresser and Carly Hart.
Gresser and Hart joined hundreds of other girls swimmers Saturday at the University of Akron’s Ocasek Natatorium in the Division I sectional meet.
The goal for all is to win a state championship, and Gresser, an Ohio State recruit, and Hart, a Penn State recruit, both have state titles on their resumes and are seeking more.
Gresser won all four events in which she competed Saturday — the 200-yard medley relay (1:47.91), 200 individual medley (2:05.83), 100 breaststroke (1:02.64) and 400 freestyle relay (3:36.50). The 200 medley relay and 100 breaststroke times are meet records.
Hudson scored 417 points to win the team title for the 10th year in a row. Walsh (341), Brecksville (245), Firestone (216), North Royalton (190), Aurora (153), Stow (144) and Twinsburg (135) rounded out the top eight in the 15-team field.
“For us, this is just the first step in the process,” Hudson coach Matt Davis said. “We have some swimmers that were shaved and needed to swim fast to get to next week, and they did that. We have a lot of girls that were not rested and next week will be the meet that they are really focused on.”
The top two in each event automatically advanced to next weekend’s district meet at Cleveland State University’s Busbey Natatorium.
“We did really well today,” Gresser said. “It is exciting when you get toward the end of the year because we have worked so hard. When you all come together as a team and you are having fun and it is a light-hearted atmosphere, everybody swims well.”
Hart contributed to the first place 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays, and was also third in the 200 individual medley (2:09.04) and second in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.50).
“This is the first step,” Hart said. “This meet is all about moving on, especially for Hanna and me. … We are still training and we are not tapered yet. It is fun watching everyone else swim super fast. Everyone else on our team did really well today.”
Walsh’s 200 medley relay featured Gresser, Hart, senior Emma Kaczmar and junior Bryanna Renuart; and the 400 freestyle relay consisted of Gresser, Hart, Renuart and freshman Madelyn Draiss.
Walsh coach Wally Lutkus said he was happy with his girls’ times, including freshman Giovanna Cappabianca (first, 100 butterfly, 58.20 and second, 200 IM, 2:08.40).
“A lot of their success has to do with how hard they have been working,” Lutkus said. “Another thing is how well they focus. A lot of times I look down at Carly and Hanna and I will know exactly what they are doing and what they are working on. … When a swimmer learns that they begin to get a better feel for what we are trying to accomplish as coaches with them and what they should be doing in their individual swims.”
Hudson sophomore Maddie Hannan (200 freestyle, 1:57.49) and freshman Paige McCormick (500 freestyle, 5:00.90) each placed first individually. The Explorers were also first in the 200 freestyle relay with Hannan joining seniors Macy Trattner, Brittan Ham and Gaby Palazzo to clock a 1:40.40.
“We have got a really good mix on our girls team,” Davis said. “We have really good swimmers who I think can get to the finals at the state meet like Paige, [senior] Natalie [Gundling], Maddie, Macy, Brittan and Gaby. We have a really strong nucleus of swimmers that are among the top kids in the state, and we also have a ton of young kids that swam really well today.”
Aurora junior Lara Ketonen won the 50 freestyle in a meet record time of 24.25 and the 100 freestyle in 53.13. Nordonia junior Christina McFarland also advanced with a first-place finish in the 100 backstroke (58.39).
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at www.ohio.com/preps.