High school swimming: Avon's Alex Downing puts dominance on display with record-breaking win at Elyria Catholic Pentathlon

OBERLIN — Alex Downing never brings anything less than her best to the pool and Saturday the Avon High senior made that abundantly clear. Downing won the 12th Elyria Catholic Swim Pentathlon at Oberlin College's Carr Pool. She took the top prize by winning the 100-yard individual medley A final in a meet-record time of 1:00.33, breaking the 2020 meet record of 1:01.24 held by Normandy's Grace Bodrock. Downing opened a two-second lead over Rocky River senior Taylor after the first 50 (26.75 vs. 28.80) and cruised to a convincing win. Devorace's time was 1:01.77. "It felt good with everyone behind my lane," said Downing, last year's Division I state champion in the 100 fly and the state runner-up in the 100 back. "The energy was very high today. We just had fun cheering each other on. I'm definitely tired and my legs are sore, but it's only 50s and I like to sprint." Downing earned the No. 1 seed in the championship by winning the 50 free (25.05), 50 back (26.79) and 100 fly (26.59), plus taking seventh in the 50 breast (34.63). "We've been working very hard at practice," Downing said. "Winter break was very hard. I just hope it will pay off in the end." Downing is just the third Lorain County girl to win the event since the EC swim meet was first held in 2011. Avon Lake's Chloe Casterline in 2018 was the last one to turn the trick. Avon's Erin Pettegrew also won in 2014. "Alex has really hit another level with her swimming this season," Avon coach Adam Crabtree said. "This is the most relaxed she has ever swam and that's kind of terrifying to think what we might see in February. Alex has always been such a fun athlete to work with, but the way she is taking critique and applying it during her very next race or training session has been spectacular." And as spectacular as Downing performed, it didn't stop there for the Eagles. Five other Avon girls advanced to the A final (top eight) while a sixth girl qualified for the B final (top 16). Sierra Kobak was the No. 2 finisher for the Avon girls. The sophomore took third overall in 1:02.88. She was the No. 1 finisher in the 50 breast prelim (32.21) and was second in the 50 back (29.09), fourth in the 50 fly (28.32) and sixth in the 50 free (26.48). "We've been working very hard all week," said Kobak, a Division I state qualifier in the 100 breast last season. "I'm very proud of our results for how hard we've been working, especially over Christmas break with double workouts. The mindset is just to keep working hard. I think when we get to the (postseason) we're all going to do very well." Senior Eva Molenaar (fifth, 1:04.04), freshman Emma Molenaar (sixth, 1:05.85), senior Violet Siftar (seventh, 1:06.21) and junior Ashley Porr (eighth, 1:07.05) also placed in the A championship final for the Eagles. Freshman Leah Slivochka was 13th in 1:08.96 coming out of the B final. "I was really proud of the way we swam today," Crabtree said. "Winter break is some of the toughest training we do all season. To come out of break with so many athletes swimming best times is a testament to the kids' focus and determination. "Having six girls in the A final out of eight was fantastic. We really focus and train IM and it showed today. Having Tommy (Lipowski) and Leah in the B final was also a nice surprise. I do not want to rush what has been a fantastic season, but we are itching to get to February." It was the first time the meet was held at Oberlin College since 2020. The meet was canceled at Oberlin College in 2021 and '22 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved to the Oberlin Splash Zone in 2023 because of pandemic concerns. Amherst sophomore Colin Reitzel (59.78) and Avon Lake senior Dakota Bedient (1:00.47) were the top Lorain County boys finishers, placing fourth and sixth, respectively. For Reitzel, it was especially gratifying as he was more than a second quicker than his fourth-place time of 1:01.00 from a year ago at the meet. Reitzel was consistent in all his prelim heats. He was third in the 50 free (23.28), fourth in the 50 back (27.92), fourth in the 50 breast (30.74) and sixth in the 50 fly (26.16). "I feel like it was very easy for me because today was all 50s and sprints. That's my cup of tea," said Reitzel, a 100 free and 100 back specialist. "I'm already matching the top times I was hitting last year." "I'm more a sprinter. I'm not very good at distance," Bedient said. "Swimming is a lot of work. I put in 3.4-4 hours of work a day at practice. On the day of meets I won't lift prior to the meet but I'll lift after. I'll do some heavy lifting the day before a meet." Lipowski, a sophomore, finished ninth (1:01.22) in winning the B final to lead Lorain County boys in that heat. For Avon Lake, senior Logan King (11th, 1:02.79), sophomore Ian Fababe (15th, 1:03.91) and senior Wyatt Modic (16th, 1:06.69) were also in the B final. "This meet is so fun because it's less traditional," Bedient said. "It's an important meet, but it's not too hard and consequently it's not as stressful." Contact Paul Heyse at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. GIRLS 50 free: 1. Alex Downing (Avon), 25.05; 2. Taylor Devorace (Rocky River), 25.54; 3. Emma Molenaar (Avon), 25.92; 4. Carolyn Wanosik (Rocky River), 26.16; 5. Eva Molenaar (Avon), 26.29. Other top local swimmers: 6. Sierra Kobak (Avon), 26.48; 7. Grace Grove (Amherst), 26.64; 8. Ashley Porr (Avon), 26.70; 9. Leah Slivochka (Avon), 26.82; 11. Violet Siftar (Avon), 26.88; 12. AJ Sliman (Amherst), 27.02; 13. Victoria Lustri (Avon Lake), 27.15 50 back: 1. Downing, 26.79; 2. Kobak, 29.09; 3. Eva Molenaar, 29.64; 4. Devorace, 29.74; 5. Emma Molenaar, 29.95. Other top local swimmers: 6. Lustri, 31.07; 7. Siftar, 31.08; 9. Sliman, 31.48; 10. Porr, 31.79; 11. Grove, 31.87; 12. Adelyn Lee (Avon Lake), 31.89 50 breast: 1. Kobak, 32.21; 2. Wanosik, 32.70; 3. Devorace, 33.18; 4. Porr, 33.54; 5. Eva Molenaar, 33.65. Other top local swimmers: 7. Downing, 34.63; 8. Emma Molenaar, 35.69; 10. Sliman, 36.30; 11. Amelia Abraham (Elyria Catholic), 36.34; 12. Siftar, 36.47; 13. Molly Hoock (Avon Lake), 36.70 50 fly: 1. Downing, 26.59; 2. Devorace, 28.13; 3. Eva Molenaar, 28.13; 4. Kobak, 28.32. Other top local swimmers: 6. Slivochka, 29.62; 7. Siftar, 29.72; 9. Emma Molenaar, 29.89; 10. Victoria Lustri (Avon Lake), 29.93; 12. Grove, 30.09; 14. Ava Baranski (Avon), 30.41 100 IM: A championship final — 1. Downing, 1:00.33 (MEET RECORD, old record 1:01.24 set in 2020 by Normandy's Grace Bodrock); 2. Devorace, 1:01.77; 3. Dorobek, 1:02.88; 4. Wanosik, 1:03.69; 5. Eva Molenaar, 1:04.04; 6. Emma Molenaar, 1:05.85; 5. Siftar, 1:06.21; 8. Porr, 1:07.05B consolation final — Local swimmers: 10. Grove, 1:06.40; 12. Sliman, 1:07.33; 13. Slivochka, 1:08.96; 14. Lustri, 1:10.33; 16. Abraham, 1:15.39 BOYS 50 free: 1. Alex Cucu (Normandy), 22.06; 2. Maceo Tabora (Rocky River), 23.10; 3. Colin Reitzel (Amherst), 23.28. Other top local swimmers: 7. Dakota Bedient (Avon Lake), 23.89; 8. Logan King (Avon Lake), 24.03; 12. Ian Fababe (Avon Lake), 24.51; 13. Wyatt Modic (Avon Lake), 24.52 50 back: 1. Cucu, 25.57; 2. Blake Colwell (Normandy), 26.57; 3. Trey Roe (Rocky River), 27.83; 4. Reitzel, 27.92. Other top local swimmers: 8. Bedient, 28.60; 10. Fababe, 28.95; 14. Tugso Bayarbadrakh (Avon Lake), 29.09; 15. Brandon Porr (Avon), 29.28 50 breast: 1. Cucu, 26.90; 2. Colwell, 29.53; 3. Tommy Lipowski (Avon), 29.97; 4. Reitzel, 30.74. Other top local swimmers: 10. Fababe, 31.49; 11. Bedient, 31.53 50 fly: 1. Cucu, 24.98; 2. (tie) Julian Wolke (St. Edward) and Colwell, 25.85; 4. King, 25.99; 6. Reitzel, 26.16. Other top local swimmers: 8. Modic, 26.37; 9. Bedient, 26.49; 13. Fababe, 27.06100 IM: A championship final — 1. Cucu, 53.52; 2. Cowell, 56.40; 3. Wolke, 57.66; 4. Reitzel, 59.78; 6. Bedient, 1:00.47B consolation final —Local swimmers: 9. Lipowski, 1:01.22; 11. King, 1:02.79; 15. Fababe, 1:03.91; 16. Modic, 1:06.69