High school swimming: Avon Lake's Joe Swain sets two county records, gets two wins at sectional; Avon's Alex Downing also wins two events

CLEVELAND — Twos were wild Saturday at the Division I sectional swim meet at Cleveland State. Not only did Avon Lake senior Joe Swain and Avon junior Alex Downing pick up two individual wins for the third year in a row, Swain also set a pair of Lorain County records on the day. While both swimmers were seeded No. 1 in their respective events, nothing came easily. Like many of the swimmers in the field, neither were tapered or rested. In other words, Swain and Downing both came into the sectional feeling the effects from weeks of heavy training. Nevertheless, Swain won the 100 back in a meet- and Lorain County-record time of 50.00. He broke his own county record of 50.33, set Dec. 14 at Rocky River High School. Swain defeated Medina senior Brayden Morford (51.77) for the win. Earlier, Swain defeated Medina junior Zachary Marinis (1:58.40) to win the 200 IM in 1:54.49. "The 100 back wasn't the greatest swim," Swain said. "My turns felt all right. I just felt like I was very high in the water. I didn't feel like I was as level as normal. The 200 IM felt all right, but I felt like I could have done a lot more. I left a lot on the table." Swain has set a pretty high bar for himself. He clocked 48.37 in the 100 back and 1:49.68 in the 200 IM representing his club team (Lake Shore Swim Club) at the 2022 East Speedo Winter Junior Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, in December. Swain finished 18th and 30th, respectively, in those races at the national meet. "We're all looking forward to next week," Swain said of next Saturday's Bowling Green district. "We have a good group of people. We're looking forward to going, having some fun and setting some fast times." Swain's second county record came when he swam a 21.53 split as a member of the fourth-place 200 free relay (1:30.53). That broke the county record of 21.59 set by Elyria's Mike Marsico at the 2007 CSU Division I district meet, as well as the Avon Lake school record of 21.72 set in 1999 by Brad Bartel. "Joe's not tapered yet," Avon Lake coach Dan Smith said. "He's been swimming 4,500 yards a day. We're still working on all the little things, the mechanics. We were beat and just trying to work through it." It's been that type of season for Swain, who broke county records earlier in the season in the 500 free (4:38.52) at the CSU Viking meet and in the 100 fly (50.05) at the Southwestern Conference meet. As a junior, he set the 200 free county record of 1:40.47 at the Division I state meet. Downing won her third straight district titles in the 100 fly (57.10) and the 100 back (57.13). She defeated Wadsworth senior Madelyn Schnelzer (57.95) in the 100 fly and topped Avon teammate Bridget Kurtzweil (57.47) in the 100 back. Kurtzweil won the 200 IM (2:11.70). "It was really nice to see so many of my teammates drop times," Downing said. "Personally, I just had to swim to make it to districts. I was happy with how I did. They weren't my best times ever, but I'll be seeded No. 1 in my events so that's exciting. The relay times were pretty good for us, for this time of the season. I'm very excited for districts. Today was definitely hard for me because I just want to be at districts, but (coach) Adam (Crabtree) kept telling us to focus on now first and get through today." Kurtzweil was happy with her efforts. "I was actually very surprised with how I did," said Kurtzweil, a senior. "I thought it went very well. I had a PR for my 50 back (26.98, as part of the winning 200 medley relay) and a PR for my 100 back. I was out with mono through most of the December. I missed almost the first half of the season. Today was a huge confidence booster for sure." Kurtzweil teamed with Sierra Kobak, Rayna Swope and Eva Molenaar to win the 200 medley relay (1:50.43) over Strongsville (1:51.53). A freshman, Kobak lived up to her No. 1 seeding to win the 100 breast over defending champ Morgan Vogel of Medina, 1:08.47 to 1:08.52. Kobak was also third in the 200 IM (2:13.12), finishing behind Kurtzweil and Schnelzer. "I worked very hard to get here," Kobak said. "We're all still tired because our team isn't fully tapered yet, but at districts we'll be rested and feel so much better. I'm very excited for districts." Senior Mallory MacKay got the Eagles' other win in the 200 free over Schnelzer, 1:58.46 to 2:00.10. MacKay was also second in the 500 free (5:20.79). "It was very exciting with how we did today," Crabtree said. "We swam a large portion of our girls that aren't fully rested. Of our kids that are rested, we had 20 swims and 20 season-best times. You can't ask for a lot more than that. We have a motto of survive and advance. You can't not only win at the sectional meet. You have to make it to districts and then hopefully ultimately make it to state. We had a couple best times out of that group (that wasn't rested) which is super exciting. They were either around lifetime-best times or season-best times. It set us up very well for next weekend. We had a lot of swims that qualified for the top heat. We have a lot of kids getting out. It's super exciting." Avon Lake and Avon weren't the only Lorain County schools that did well. Amherst senior Sierra Dorobek had two standout performances, taking second in the 50 free (24.69) and 100 free (54.05). Only meet-record performances by Rocky River senior Gianna Miller (24.23, 52.70) kept Dorobek from the top spot. The top two finishers are automatic district qualifiers. Overall, including at-large qualifiers, 32 berths for individual events and 24 berths for relay events are up for grabs from the CSU and Fremont Ross sectionals for the BGSU district on Feb. 18. District spots are earned based on times from the respective sectionals. The CSU sectional was a non-team scoring event. Contact Paul Heyse at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Girls 200 medley relay: 1. Avon (Bridget Kurtzweil, Sierra Kobak, Rayna Swope, Eva Molenaar), 1:50.43; 2. Strongsville, 1:51.53; 9. North Ridgeville, 2:02.43; 13. Amherst, 2:04.20; 14. Avon Lake, 2:05.16 200 free: 1. Mallory MacKay (Avon), 1:58.46; 2. Madelyn Schnelzer (Wadsworth), 2:00.10; 6. Grove (Amherst), 2:02.38; 15. Sara Lipowski (Avon), 2:08.52; 16. Ella Nock (Avon), 2:08.58; 18. Jane Rini (Avon), 2:10.94; 20. Adelyn Lee (Avon Lake), 2:14.24 200 IM: 1. Kurtzweil (Avon), 2:11.70; 2. Taylor Devorace (Rocky River), 2:12.04; 3. Kobak (Avon), 2:13.12; 4. Molenaar (Avon), 2:15.12; 6. Violet Siftar (Avon), 2:18.01; 10. Reagan Henely (Midview), 2:21.30; 14. Stephanie Trimbitas (North Ridgeville), 2:27.90 50 free: 1. Gianna Miller (Rocky River), 24.23; 2. Sierra Dorobek (Amherst), 24.69; 3. 9. Ashley Porr (Avon), 25.79; 19. Ava Baranski (Avon), 26.67 100 fly: 1. Alex Downing (Avon), 57.10; 2. Madelyn Schnelzer (Wadsworth), 57.95; 9. Swope (Avon), 1:02.95; 14. Petrillo (Amherst), 1:05.06; 15. Abbie Hill (Avon Lake), 1:06.55 100 free: 1. Miller (Rocky River), 52.70 (MEET RECORD, old record 53.09 set in 2021 by Miller); 2. Dorobek (Amherst), 54.05; 6. Molenaar (Avon), 55.68; 18. Baranski (Avon), 57.75 500 free: 1. Katie Goodman (St. Joseph Academy), 5:17.44; 2. Mallory MacKay (Avon), 5:20.79; 5. Grove (Amherst), 5:27.08; 11. Nock (Avon), 5:36.02; 12. Reagan Henely (Midview), 5:36.83; 13. Lipowski (Avon), 5:41.27; 14. Claire MacKay (Avon), 5:42.38 200 free relay: 1. Rocky River, 1:39.27; 2. Avon (Mallory MacKay, Kurtzweil, Siftar, Downing), 1:41.77; 8. Amherst, 1:46.52; 9. North Ridgeville, 1:48.54 100 back: 1. Downing (Avon), 57.13; 2. Kurtzweil (Avon), 57.47; 4. Swope (Avon), 1:01.37; 7. AJ Sliman (Amherst), 1:02.93; 11. Allison McDaniel (Avon Lake), 1:03.63 100 breast: 1. Kobak (Avon), 1:08.47; 2. Morgan Vogel (Medina), 1:08.52; 3. Grace Henely (Midview), 1:08.55; 9. Porr (Avon), 1:11.67; 14. Claire MacKay (Avon), 1:14.47; 15. Siftar (Avon), 1:14.51; 17. Trimbitas (North Ridgeville), 1:16.22 400 free relay: 1. Rocky River, 3:38.93; 2. Avon (Mallory MacKay, Molenaar, Swope, Downing), 3:42.05; 6. Amherst, 3:50.28; 14. Avon Lake, 4:16.21 Boys 200 medley relay: 1. St. Ignatius, 1:34.48; 2. Medina, 1:35.92; 3. Strongsville, 1:39.17; 4. Avon Lake (Joe Swain, Tyler Grabowski, Logan King, Nick Haven), 1:40.47; 10. Avon, 1:52.17; 12. Amherst, 1:55.44 200 free: 1. Brayden Morford (Medina), 1:44.68; 2. Tyler Williams (St. Ignatius), 1:47.00; 13. Brandon Porr (Avon), 1:55.35; 18. Mason Kinser (Amherst), 1:58.77; 19. Stephen Watt (North Ridgeville), 1:58.85 200 IM: 1. Swain (Avon Lake), 1:54.49; 2. Zachary Marinis (Medina), 1:58.40; 13. Bilge Bayarbadrakh (Avon Lake), 2:14.41; 15. Gavin Bello (Avon), 2:14.59 50 free: 1. Joshua Toothman (St. Ignatius), 20.52 (MEET RECORD, old record 21.15 set in 2017 by St. Ignatius' Dimitri Simcox); 3. Andrew Margolin (North Ridgeville), 22.18; 7. Nick Haven (Avon Lake), 22.68; 11. Quinn Kroneker (Avon Lake), 23.01; 12. Colin Reitzel (Amherst), 23.13; 13. Grabowski (Avon Lake), 23.53; 14. Nathan Buck (Avon Lake), 23.66; 18. Jaden Orlandi (Amherst), 24.07 100 fly: 1. Owen Hancock (Brunswick), 52.87; 2. Jude Banks (St. Ignatius), 53.34; 8. Andrew Margolin (North Ridgeville), 56.43; 15. King (Avon Lake), 59.42; 19. Bello (Avon), 1:01.00 100 free: 1. Toothman (St. Ignatius), 45.92 (MEET RECORD, old record 46.52 set in 2016 by Simcox); 2. Tyler Williams (St. Ignatius), 47.68; 8. Kroneker (Avon Lake), 51.91; 10. Dakota Bedient (Avon Lake), 52.49; 12. Haven (Avon Lake), 52.77; 15. Nathan Buck (Avon Lake), 53.45; 18. Sean Flanigan (Avon), 54.04 500 free: 1. Kellen Morford (Medina), 4:50.24; 2. Owen Weiss (Strongsville), 4:52.46; 5. Porr (Avon), 5:09.81; 11. Kinser (Amherst), 5:22.95; 15. Watt (North Ridgeville), 5:29.32; 18. Jonah Franke (Avon Lake), 5:42.47 200 free relay: 1. Medina, 1:28.20; 2. St. Ignatius, 1:28.40; 4. Avon Lake (Swain, Kroneker, Buck, Haven), 1:30.53; 6. North Ridgeville, 1:37.41; 9. Avon, 1:39.47; 13. Amherst, 1:41.57 100 back: 1. Swain (Avon Lake), 50.00 (MEET RECORD, old record 50.67 set in 2019 by St. Ignatius' Tyler Hong); 2. Brayden Morford (Medina), 51.17; 7. Reitzel (Amherst), 57.85; 13. Bedient (Avon Lake), 1:01.51; 19. Yost Smith (Avon Lake), 1:02.68; 20. Young (North Ridgeville), 1:03.42 100 breast: 1. Banks (St. Ignatius), 57.07; 2. Marinis (Medina), 59.52; 12. Lipowski (Avon), 1:05.08; 13. Grabowski (Avon Lake), 1:05.69; 17. Smith (Avon Lake), 1:08.28 400 free relay: 1. St. Ignatius, 3:14.14; 2. Strongsville, 3:23.74; 6. Avon Lake (King, Bedient, Buck, Kroneker), 3:32.91; 9. North Ridgeville, 3:38.14; 10. Amherst, 3:38.63; 12. Avon, 3:40.95