With a historic second-place finish in last year’s OHSAA Division I state swimming championship, and the graduation of a loaded senior class, all eyes were on the Saint Ignatius Swimming and Diving team this past weekend.

The Wildcats traveled to Toledo St. Francis De Sales on Friday and the Solon Relays on Sunday. The Catfish faced the pressure with poise, notching top finishes at both events.

To start the weekend off, the team headed to compete against Toledo St. Francis De Sales. Despite falling to the Knights 132-177, the Catfish showed strong individual talent in first place finishes by Tyler Hong in the 200IM (1:54.48 sec) and the 100 Backstroke (53.12). Cian O’Haimhirgin looked good in the 50 and 100 freestyle (22.43 and 49.18), and Nick Hong did well in the 100 Breaststroke (1:01.71).

To add to the success on the swimming side, the diving team nearly swept the podium with a first-place finish by Alex Claus (Score 260.00) and a second-place showing by William Claus (216.50).

On Saturday, the team took on eight local teams as part of the Solon Relays. In addition to strong individual performances, the Catfish showed the depth and strength of their team by finishing second out of eight quality teams.

Capping off the successful day was the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Cian O’Haimhirgin, Kian Carmichael, Thomas Metz, and John Soeder (1:32.58).

After a solid performance at both Toledo St. Francis De Sales and the Solon Relays, one thing is clear – the Catfish are ready to build on the legacy of the 2016-17 season.

The team returns to the pool on Friday and Saturday. The Catfish will host the prestigious Viking Diving Meet on Friday and the Viking Swimming Meet on Saturday.