By: Nate Calvin
BOWLING GREEN-There will be a strong contingent of Golden Bears and Indians this week in Canton for the State Swimming & Diving meet after a strong performance at the Division II District meet in Bowling Green last week.
The competition began on February 12th with diving where Bryan’s Taylor Peters finished as District Runner-Up to advance to Canton with 441.65 points. Cameron Estep was the top placer for Wauseon coming home in 16th with 279.00 points. Aiden Andrews of Bryan was 16th on the boys’ side with 261.65 points.
The attention turned to swimming on February 14th with Wauseon and Bryan flexing their muscles in the pool. For the Wauseon boys, Branden Arredondo was first in 50 Freestyle and second in the 100 Freestyle to move on to Canton in both events as he set new school records in both races.
Andrew Scherer will represent the Indians in the 500 Freestyle by placing fifth with the 200 Freestyle Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay teams also moving on by finishing eighth and fifth respectively in those events.
Wauseon’s Brook Schuette was a double state qualifier individually by winning both the 200 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle. Also punching their ticket for Canton on the girls’ side for Wauseon was the 200 Freestyle Relay team who was seventh and the 400 Freestyle Relay team who finished second.
It was solid day in the pool for the Bryan Golden Bears as seven school records fell on the afternoon. For the boys, Kellen Rigg advanced in the 200 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle by placing third and second respectively.
Also moving on for the Golden Bears will be the 200 Freestyle Relay team who finished in sixth place, missing fifth place by just .13 seconds, and the 400 Freestyle Relay team who swam to a fourth-place finish.
For the Lady Bears, Meggie Voight was third in the 50 Freestyle, just .08 seconds away from first, and she placed second in the 100 Freestyle to advance to Canton in both events.
Also going to state for the Lady Bears will be the 200 Freestyle Relay who placed fifth and the 400 Freestyle Relay who also finished fifth in their race.
The State Swimming and Diving meet will take place at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton with the diving competition on February 19th, the Division II Swimming Prelims on February 20th, and the Division II Swimming Finals of Friday, February 21st.
Nate can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com