skip navigation

Swim Cats Triumph at States With Unforgettable Second Place Finish

By Phillip Catanzaro, 02/28/17, 9:15AM EST

Share

Photo Credit: Joshua Gunter / Cleveland.com

CANTON, Ohio —It was the perfect end to a record-breaking season for the Saint Ignatius Swimming and Diving team. 

With powerhouse Cincinnati St. Xavier coming into the meet as the clear, practically untouchable favorite—the race was on between the top teams in the state to take home the second place trophy. 

Under the bright lights of the C.T. Branin Natatorium, the Wildcats edged out a nail-biting 173-171 victory over the Cardinals of St. Charles. Contributing to this victory were the memorable performances of Dimitri Simcox, Marcus Hong, Nick Hong, Cian O’Haimhigrin, Joey Libertin, Alex Claus, John Hessler, and Severyn Kushmeliuk.

It was truly a team effort for the ‘Cats, who can attribute their second place victory largely to their sensational relay finishes.

To start, the ‘Cats pulled off a major upset in the 200 freestyle relay. Coming in as the 16th seed, Simcox, Hessler, Libertin, and Kushmeliuk shocked the state with their time of 1.25.94 and a fourth place finish. The momentum kept rolling in the 200 medley, in which Dimitri Simcox, Marcus Hong, Nick Hong, and Cian O'Haimhirgin clocked in at 1.33.12 to place second in the State. But the Wildcats' incredible post-season run wasn’t over just yet.

In the last race of the night, the ‘Cats swam a remarkable 3.03.78 in the 400 Freestyle Relay, finishing second in the state and breaking the school record. 

On the individual side of the meet, the ‘Cats were more than up to the challenge. 

Marcus Hong took second place in the 100 Butterfly, swimming a 49.17 and breaking a 17 year old school record by T. Minnier.

Dimitri Simcox swam a 20.83 in the 50 freestyle, placing fourth in Ohio in the 50 Freestyle.

Joey Libertin finished sixth in the State in the 200 freestyle in a time of 1.41.43.

Marcus Hong took home eighth place in Ohio in the 100 backstroke with time of 51.63. 

In the 100 freestyle, O'Haimhirgin took 12th in the State with a 47.10, while Joey Libertin finished 16th in the 500 freestyle (4.42.68).

Junior Alex Claus took down some of the best in the state to finish 6th place in the 1 Meter Diving.

A heartfelt congratulations goes out to the members of the Saint Ignatius Swimming and Diving squad for their hard work and perseverance throughout the 2016-17 season—leaving a winning legacy and trail of records that will surely never be forgotten.