FREMONT — Perrysburg junior Natalie Sanders was a multiple champion in the Division I sectional meet and will advance to next weekend’s district meet.
Sanders won the 200 freestyle, finishing in 155.71 to defeat second place Findlay junior Claire Kemmere (1:55.76) by one-twentieth of a second.
Sanders also won the 100 freestyle championship, finishing in 53.81 seconds to defeat second place Toledo St. Ursula freshman Mia Harms (54.73) by less than a second.
Bowling Green swimming had nine event qualifiers to districts from the Division II sectional swimming meet Saturday, and the BG girls had 11 district qualifiers in Division I.
“Sectionals was a great meet, lots of PRs (personal records) for the season and lifetime,” said BG coach Gary Layne. “Sets us up for districts.
“BG has swimmers in events where we are seeded well enough to score and possibly make the podium. We have a good combination of freshmen and veterans to districts to balance out nervous energy and confidence.”
In the girls meet, Maggie Layne qualified in the 200 intermediate medley and 100 breaststroke, Alayna Mahan in the 50 freestyle and 100 breasstroke, and Ela Ostrowski in the 200 and 500 freestyles.
Mahan won the 50 freestyle, finishing in 24.86 seconds to defeat second place Harms, who was a split second back in 25.05.
Ella Billiot advanced in the 100 breaststroke and Tess Challu advanced in the 100 butterfly.
Three BG relay teams are also advancing — the 200 medley (Pressli Krupp, Layne, Billiot, and Ostrowski), the 200 freestyle (Ostrowski, Bea Blair, Melanie Long, and Mahan), and the 400 freestyle (Maggie Layne, Long, Billiot, and Mahan).
For Ostrowski, who qualified in four events, the relay teams have been a work in progress that she expects to continue at this weekend’s districts.
“We are super excited to see what we can do individually and as a team this weekend,” Ostrowski said. “I am extremely proud of all this team has accomplished this season and how I have seen everyone grow during the course of the season and the seniors over the last four years.”
Maggie Layne added, “I’m happy to be a four-time district qualifier and be able to compete with our whole girls team. Everyone qualified, which is super exciting and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish.”
In the boys meet, Aiden Hildebrand advanced in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke, Colin Sargent in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke, and Alex Xu in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
Three BG boys relay teams advanced — the 200 medley (Carter Hamilton, Kieran Percival, Xu, and Sargent), the 200 freestyle (Hamilton, Dillon O’Connell, Hildebrand, and Aidan Jacks) and 400 freestyle (Sargent, Hildebrand, O’Connell, and Xu).
“We have worked hard this season with the help of our coaches and it’s paying off,” O’Donnell, a senior, said. “We are excited to see where our efforts take us at districts this Friday.”
In addition, Eastwood junior swimmer A.J. O’Brien advanced in the 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and junior teammate Eric Sander will compete in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke at districts.
In a split D-II sectional with another location, Sander won the 200 IM, finishing in 2:05.98 to easily defeat second place Maumee Valley sophomore Freddy Muler (2:13.63). O’Brien won the 500 freestyle (5:15.08).
Elmwood swimmer Brayden Miller advanced in the 100 backstroke and Maumee Valley senior Tyler Foster, a Rossford resident, advanced in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Foster won the 200 freestyle, finishing in 1:50.7.
“I’m thinking about swimming fast, getting in the water and not getting out until I’ve put in my all,” Foster said. “I want to make it back to state and be a three-time state qualifier. It’s shake and bake time.”
District swimming will be February 16-17 at the Bowling Green State University Student Recreation Center.
