STATE RECOGNITION … Bryan High School head boys swim coach Makenzie Luce (above) was the recipient of the 2026 Neil Skinner Division II Boys State Swim Coach of the Year presented annually by the Ohio High School Swim Coaches Association. She received the award at the Division II district swim meet on February 20 at Bowling Green State University.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
Longtime Bryan High School boys swim coach Makenzie Luce was busy coaching the Golden Bears at the Division II district meet at Bowling Green State University when her name was called over the public address system.
Luce had just walked away from the pool deck after a race when she heard her name called again.
Once Luce turned around, she was surprised to find out she was the recipient of the 2026 Neil Skinner Division II Boys State Swimming Coach of the Year Award.
The award, presented annually by the Ohio High School Swim Coaches Association (OHSSCA) in honor of the late Neil Skinner, a longtime head coach at Lakewood High School, is voted on by head coaches throughout Ohio.
“I was absolutely surprised about it,” admitted Luce. “They just handed it (award) to me, said congratulations and took my picture and off we went.”
The award is a tribute to Luce’s dedication to the sport over more than two decades. She is also the head coach of the Bryan Bear-A-Cudas summer swim team.
“I’m humbled because there are so many coaches in our area and so many good swimmers to be voted for that distinction,” said Luce. “The plaque says it’s a state award, but I feel like it was a district award.”
The statewide recognition comes after Luce guided the boys squad to one of its best seasons in program history.
With a roster of just 14 boys, the Golden Bears emerged as one of the top Division II programs in northwest Ohio this season.
“It’s pretty incredible what those boys did,” said Luce. “I didn’t realize how much potential we had. Coming into the season, we had a great group of juniors and seniors, a small sophomore group, but also wondered how the freshmen would fit in. They (freshmen) filled in beautifully like the pieces of the puzzle we were missing.”
Not only did the boys squad compile a perfect 11-0 dual meet record, but they also captured the Northwest Ohio Aquatic Conference Relay Meet, the Napoleon Invitational and the Bluffton Holiday Invitational.
And for the first time in program history, the squad also won the Northwest Ohio Aquatic Conference meet after finishing third in its first year as a conference member.
The Golden Bears turned it up at the district meet, claiming runner-up honors behind district champion Ontario.
The Golden Bears then qualified four individuals and all three relay teams for the Division II state meet in Canton, capping one of the best seasons in program history.
Bryan divers Ethan Bailey and Griffin Diaz earned first-team All-Ohio honors in Canton. Bailey finished third overall (415.15 points) and Diaz was fourth (366.80 points).
“I know their talent and what they can do,” said Luce. “They just had to realize it and put it together, and they both podiumed last year also. To continue that and to stay on the podium, that’s a pretty hard task to do.”
Freshman Griffin Boehm finished 21st in the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.86 seconds. He had previously broken the school record in the same event at districts. Junior Joshua Sampson finished 21st in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:58.69.
In the relay events, the 200 freestyle relay of Logan Slattery, Boehm, Carter Luce and Brendan Roberts was runner-up in the “B” Final with a time of 1:29.78.
The same quartet also competed in the 200 medley relay and finished seventh in the “B” Final with a time of 1:41.75. The 400 freestyle relay of Zac Schafer, Roberts, Carter Luce and Will McCann finished 21st in 3:23.76.
“The craziest part about it is they’re all great,” pointed out Luce. “We don’t have a superstar that is winning state for the boys team, but they all were up there and all competitive.
“What is super special about it, they all got along. They were super fun to be around, and it made it even more special.”
