Clay, Eastwood, Oak Harbor swim at the state meet

By: 
J. Patrick Eaken

Clay swimmers Joslyn Jurski and Abram Hagedorn have been rewriting the program’s record book during their prep careers, and they likely are not done.

Both were swimming to get on the Division I state meet podium at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, which was held Wednesday through Saturday, Feb. 24-27.

Clay coach Rod Gyurke thinks what they have accomplished is even more impressive when you consider that the team only participated in a handful of meets this season.

“This season has been a difficult season with all of the COVID. We are thin on practices and meets,” Gyurke said. “We have only planned four to five meets for the entire season, so there just wasn’t the opportunity to swim fast in a race throughout the year.”

Jurski, a junior, automatically qualified during the district meet in two events, the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 freestyle, by finishing as district runner-up. She used the six-week break imposed by the Lucas County Health Department to strengthen and condition.

“She was apprehensive going in, but we had her on a good training schedule that indicated that she would be successful, and she was,” Gyurke said. “She got there and just had a phenomenal meet. 

“The 200 time, 1:54.25, is her best time so she has improved from last year in that event. She was second in the district in that, and that kind of sets the whole meet stage. Every one of our swimmers had their best time, 100 percent across the board, so that was exciting to see. I say that, but I look back and her 500 was just less than a half of a second off from last year, and everybody else had their best time.”

In the 200 freestyle, Jurski finished just under three seconds behind Notre Dame sophomore Kaylee Szymanski (1:51.96). In the 500 freestyle, Szymanski’s time of 4:59.76 was over 11 seconds better than Jurski (5:10.79), but to top dozens of other district qualifiers was an accomplishment.

“Throughout the season, she set the 100 free school record, the 200 free school record, she already had the 500 free school record, and is part of the 200 free relay, so it still a very, very good year,” Gyurke said.

Hagedorn qualified for state with a 100 backstroke time of 50.5 seconds, which is in the top 10 among state qualifiers.

“Abram was fourth in the district, but ninth in the state, so it is a very fast district,” Gyurke said. “Abram is a senior, so it is his last year, so with only having four or five meets, he broke five different school records, and he is in three others (relays), also, so he has a total of eight different school records right now. 

“He went 52.7 in our pool at the East Y a month ago, so I knew he would have to go about a 51 to make it to the state meet, and I had no doubt he was going to do it. We were just waiting for the day because there is no doubt he was going to do it as fast as he was here in our pool. He’s broken the 500 free, the 100 free, the 100 back, the 100 fly (butterfly), the 200 IM (intermediate medley) record, and he did that in four to five meets this year.”

 

Division II

In Division II, Eastwood junior Calvin Price qualified in two events — the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle.

At the district meet, Price finished fifth in the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.98 and seventh in the 200, reaching the finish in 1:47.09.

Oak Harbor amassed eight girls state qualifiers, including three freshmen, three relay teams, and senior Elayna Krupp qualified in two events. Oak Harbor also had two boys relay teams qualify.

Krupp qualified in the 50 and 100 freestyle. Her time of 52.4 in the 100 freestyle is sixth best in the state going in and her time of 23.93 in the 50 freestyle was eighth best.

The three freshmen, Skyler Turner, Paige Krupp and Alyse Sorg, all qualified in the 100 backstroke. Turner’s time of 59.89 in the 100 backstroke is 15th best statewide, Sorg’s time of 1:00.41 is 20th best, and Krupp’s time of 1:00.52 is 21st best. For those who do not automatically qualify at the district meet, the top 24 times statewide advance to state.

In addition, the 200 medley relay qualified with a time of 1:49.35 at districts, which is fifth best in the state, the 200 freestyle relay team’s time of 1:38.53 is third best and the 400 freestyle relay team’s time of 3:40.35 is seventh best.

The Rockets’ two boys relay teams qualifying are the 200 medley relay, whose time of 1:40.2 is 15th-best, and the 400 freestyle relay, whose time of 3:22.5 is 22nd best.

 

 

 

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