NAPOLEON – This time, Bowling Green’s best efforts weren’t enough at the Greater Northwest Ohio Aquatic
Conference championship meet.
For the first time since 1992 and for only the fifth time since the GNOAC started in 1972, the Gators did
not win the conference title.
Napoleon wrestled the crown away from BG, scoring 2,391 points in its home pool over the two-day meet. BG
finished with 2,188 points, 203 points behind Napoleon. [SEE
PHOTO GALLERY]
For Napoleon, it’s the team’s third title in league history, also winning in 1991 and 1992.
Bryan won the GNOAC in 1980 and 1981. BG has won the other 33 titles.
"This gives us something to work for next summer," said BG head coach Carolyn Strunk.
"It’s something that has been taken for granted for many years. This is one way to help us redirect
that focus a little bit.
"It takes hard work to win a GNOAC championship. It takes fast swimming, but it also takes hard
work. In this league to come out on top you have to have consistent coaching, hard work and
commitment," she added. We’ve almost taken some of those things for granted."
Led by five victories each from Jordan Breitigam, Peter Burroughs and Christian Sobczak, BG finished with
33 individual victories.
BG’s Kelly Titus, 17-18 girls, set a meet record in the 200 individual medley, winning in 2:12.25. The
previous mark was 2:13.97 set by BG’s Andrea Szekely in 1984.
Breitigam, 15-16 boys, won the open 500 freestyle (5:02.46); 100 backstroke (59.29); 100 butterfly
(56.27); 200 freestyle (1:52.43); and the 200 individual medley (2:05.72).
Peter Burroughs, 13-14 boys, won the 100 freestyle (51.73); 100 butterfly (58.06); 100 breast stroke
(1:05.63); 200 freestyle (1:53.33); and the 200 individual medley (2:08.48).
Sobczak, 11-12 boys, won the 50 backstroke (31.72); 100 freestyle (1:00.04); 200 freestyle (2:13.40); 50
freestyle (27.34); and the 100 individual medley (1:10.77).
Jack Burroughs and Michael Cavanaugh each added four victories for the Gators.
Jack Burroughs, 8-and-under boys, won the 50 freestyle (33.41); 25 butterfly (16.92); 25 breast stroke
(21.12); and 100 freestyle (1:17.39).
Cavanaugh, 17-18 boys, won the 100 freestyle (48.95); 100 butterfly (53.48); 100 breast stroke (1:04.34);
and the 200 individual medley (2:03.94).
Recording three victories for the Gators were Titus and Emmy Sehmann.
In addition to her record in the 200 IM, Titus won the 100 backstroke (1:02.34) and the 100 butterfly
(1:01.13).
Sehmann, 11-12 girls, won the 100 freestyle (57.81); 200 freestyle (2:06.97); and the 50 freestyle
(26.52).
Getting one win each for BG were Ileana Ille, 13-14 girls, in the 100 backstroke (1:08.38); Jacob
Sobczak, 9-10 boys, in the 50 breast stroke (50.15); Mallory Glenn, 11-12 girls, in the 50 breast stroke
(34.01); and Marisa Martin, 15-16 girls, in the 100 breast stroke (1:14.01).
"We’ll be ready to come back and be just as good or better next year," Strunk said. "There
is disappointment and we’ll come back with fire in our bellies and it all starts at the top."
The complete team standings, the winners of each event and BG’s finishers in the top six will be
published in Tuesday’s Sentinel-Tribune.