NORA KUNSMAN-BRYAN
KALI SPENGLER-WAUSEON
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
CANTON – It was the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication and for Bryan’s Nora Kunsman, she had finally concluded an outstanding high school swimming career capturing the Division II girls state championship in the 50 freestyle in the state swim meet held on Friday, February 27 at C.T. Branin Natatorium.
Kunsman, who had finished as state runner-up in the event last year, was clocked in 22.47 seconds to win her first ever state title. In the prelims, she also recorded the top time coming in 23.16 seconds.
Competing in her fourth consecutive state meet, Kunsman also set a new school record in the event, thus breaking her previous record of 23.04 which she set at the district meet at Bowling Green.
She also qualified in the 100 freestyle final where she was runner-up a year ago, but this time settled for a fourth-place finish in 51.71 seconds, after being clocked in 51.95 seconds in the prelims.
Nora Kunsman along with Emma Elkins, Jalyn Mojica and Annie Kunsman took fourth place in the “B” 200 medley relay final with a time of 1:51.94, nearly two seconds faster after the prelims (1:53.61). Drew Smith was also a part of the relay team as the leadoff leg in the Thursday prelims.
Bryan’s 200 freestyle relay of Annie Kunsman, Nadia Moore, Elkins and Nora Kunsman just missed the cut in the prelims finishing 18th with a time of 1:43.23.
Also reaching the top of the awards podium was Wauseon junior Kali Spengler who captured the Division II girls’ state diving championship on Wednesday, February 25.
Spengler, who had finished third in districts the previous week, became the first diver in school history since Kendall Weber achieved a similar accomplishment in 2012. The junior tallied 442.10 points to win her state diving individual crown.
Spengler and Liberty Center’s Joy Brown, who finished runner-up with 421.60 points, gave the four-county area a 1-2 finish in the state diving competition.
Her teammate Taylor Schultheis earned second team All-Ohio Honors with a 12th place finish with 341.35 points. Kamryn Mills of Bryan, who qualified as a freshman, was 30th overall with 122.30 points.
In the Division II boys diving competition, which took place on Tuesday, February 24, Bryan had a pair of divers, Ethan Bailey and Griffin Diaz achieved first team All-Ohio honors.
Bailey finished third with 415.15 points and Diaz placed fourth with 366.80 points.
Also earning All-Ohio recognition was Wauseon’s Tristan Burkholder who placed 12th overall with 339.15 points. His teammate Tucker Hall was 21st with 137.50 points.
Wauseon’s Malachi Reeder earned himself a pair of “B” Final eighth place finishes in the 100 freestyle (48.51) and 200 freestyle (1:46.34).
Bryan’s 200 freestyle relay of Logan Slattery, Griffin Boehm, Carter Luce and Brendan Roberts finished runner-up in the “B” final with a time of 1:29.78.
The 200 medley relay of Luce, Boehm, Slattery and Roberts placed seventh in the “B” Final with a time of 1:41.75. The 400 freestyle relay of Zac Schafer, Roberts, Luce and Will McCann placed 21st with a time of 3:23.76.
Also competing for the Golden Bears were Joshua Sampson who placed 21st in the 500 freestyle (4:58.69) and Boehm was 20th in the 100 backstroke (54.86).
In the final team standings, Bryan was 15th with 45 points and Wauseon was 24th with 24 points in the girl’s division. Bryan was 18th with 46 points and Wauseon was 45th with seven points in the boy’s division.
For more local news, see High School Sports Schedule For Thursday, March 26, 2026 (WEATHER PERMITTING).