Swimming Sends Multiple Qualifiers to OHSAA District Meet

Swimming will be well represented at the upcoming OHSAA District Swim Meet, as several individuals and relays earned district berths following strong performances at Saturday’s sectional meet.

Comets qualified swimmers at the OHSAA Sectional Swim Meet, held at Busbey Natatorium on the campus of Cleveland State University. Those qualifiers now advance to the district meet, which will take place Saturday, February 21, at Bowling Green State University. The girls competition is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the boys competition at 4:30 p.m.

On the girls side, Amherst qualified two relay teams. The medley relay of Sophie Millard, Erin Reitzel, Bridget Sonntag, and Abbey McConihe placed 12th at sectionals, while the 200 freestyle relay featuring the same quartet finished 10th. Individually, Sonntag qualified in the 50 freestyle with a 16th-place sectional finish and in the 500 freestyle with a 12th-place effort. Millard advanced in the 100 butterfly after placing 15th, while Reitzel earned second alternate status in the 100 breaststroke with a 22nd-place finish.

The boys team also qualified two relays and multiple individuals. The medley relay of Colin Reitzel, Ethan Fantozz, Declan Mackowski, and Reed Homolya placed 13th at sectionals, while the 200 freestyle relay with the same four swimmers earned a 10th-place finish. Colin Reitzel led the individual qualifiers, finishing sixth in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle. Mackowski advanced in both the 100 butterfly, where he placed 15th, and the 100 breaststroke with a 14th-place finish. Fantozz qualified in the 100 breaststroke with a 19th-place effort and added an eighth-place finish in the 500 freestyle to secure his district spot.

At the district level, the top three finishers in each event automatically qualify for the OHSAA State Swimming Championships. Additional state qualifiers will be determined by the next 20 fastest times across all four district sites, including Bowling Green, Cleveland State, Ohio University, and Miami University.