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Eight Swimmers Qualify for States, as the Aqua Cats Earn Silver at the District Meet

By Joe Ginley '12 , 02/17/19, 1:45PM EST

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The 200 free relay team poses after earning second place.

A historic season continued to bring success for the Saint Ignatius swimming and diving program on Saturday.

The Aqua Cats qualified three relay teams and three individuals in four events at the District Meet on Saturday.

The Wildcats’ efforts earned second place with 396 points at Bowling Green State University, second only to Toledo St. Francis. The Knights captured another Northwest District title with 486.5 points. Medina (149), Findlay (142.5), and St. Edward (141) rounded out the top five.

For the first time in program history, 20 Saint Ignatius swimmers made the trek to the District Meet. After a full day of competition, 8 Wildcats earned a ticket to the State Meet next week at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.

One of the best highlights from the District Meet occurred early on in the festivities. The Wildcats’ 200 medley relay team raced past the competition to take gold in dramatic fashion. Tyler Hong, Nicky Hong, Joe Richmond, and John Soeder clocked in at 1:33.58, besting Toledo St. Francis by .37 seconds. The triumph served as a great early spark for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats had four representatives in the next race – the 200 free. All four Cats swam well, but none of them could clinch a berth to States. Richmond finished foremost among them with a fifth-place mark of 1:43.66. Promising sophomores Thomas Metz (1:48.19) and Michael Bednar (1:50.13) tallied nice marks, coming in at 10th and 13th. Cameron Marcie rounded out the talented quartet, carding a time of 1:50.26 for 14th. 

Four Aqua Cats competed in the 200 IM next, with one qualifying for next week. Tyler Hong flowed past all other comers, capturing first with a time of 1:51.63. His brother, Nicky, clocked in at 1:58.56, just a few seconds off of third. Zach Toothman drove into fifth place for a nice time of 1:59.53. Christian Wolke rounded out the pack, snagging a time of 2:02.46 for 11th.  

The 50 free did not yield any State qualifiers, but all four Wildcats swam well. Just like Caje in “Combat,” Soeder took the point with a time of 21.68, earning seventh. William Van de Walle and Micah Murtha followed in short succession, clipping 10th and 11th respectively with times of 22.09 and 22.50. Kian Carmichael sealed up 19th place with a time of 22.50 in the quick race.

Similar to the 50 free, the Wildcats competed strongly in the 100 fly but did not qualify any racers for States. Brian Johnson built on his record weekend at Sectionals, brushing past much of the competition for ninth at 53.05. Cameron Marcie parked at 18th on the results, finishing at 55.11. John Libertin and Cormac Nolan flashed to 19th and 21st with times of 55.30 and 56.25.

A quartet of Wildcats cupped nice results in the 100 free, but did not qualify for the final meet. Daemyen Haywood paced the Wildcats with a sixth-place time of 47.64. Murtha nipped at his heels with a time of 48.59 for eighth. Metz (48.80) and Carmichael (48.83) rocked the race with 10th and 11th place finishes.

The lengthy 500 free followed next. Richmond became the second Wildcat to qualify as an individual, booking a trip to Canton with an exceptional time of 4:41.60. Wolke touched the wall a bit later at 4:54.79 for seventh. Bednar cornered a time of 4:57.95 for 12th and Thomas McIntyre rang a mark of 5:00.10 for 15th.

The Wildcats’ second relay of the day, the 200 free, clinched a berth to States with a marvelous race. Soeder, Murtha, Metz, and Van de Walle worked together for a time of 1:26.92, coining silver for the race. Not bad for a young relay composed of a junior, two sophomores, and a freshman!

Tyler Hong burst forward into the spotlight again in the 100 back. The sophomore nabbed gold for the event, whistling into first at 49.70. Haywood pinned 10th place with a nice race of 55.06. Libertin capped off a great four years with 11th place, roaring to a time of 55.70. Sam Hessler touched the wall at 58.12 for 20th, showcasing the immense talent the Wildcats have at the freshmen level.

The final individual qualifier for the Wildcats punched his ticket in the 100 breaststroke. Nicky Hong lit up the pool with a time of 58.53 for third. Toothman followed at 59.61, edging a St. Edward swimmer by just .02 seconds for fourth. Robert Gavigan boxed out several swimmers for 11th, coming in at 1:01.63. Kartar Vig ended an excellent sophomore season with a 30th place finish at 1:08.14 in the event.

The Wildcats barked loud and last in the 400 free. The Wildcats’ quartet of Haywood, Richmond, Soeder, and Tyler Hong penned a second-place finish, combining for a time of 3:08.96.

At the end of the day, the Wildcats walked away proudly with second-place and 8 swimmers and 1 diver ready to make noise in Canton next week. The Wildcats showed the state the depth and excellence of the program. The District Meet was harbinger of great things to come for this Saint Ignatius program.  

Stay tuned this week for race times and news from the State Meet.