HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP — Two teams, two champions and two completely different ways of getting there.

However, all that matters is the Edgewood girls and Jefferson boys swim teams claimed the team titles at the All-County Invitational at the Spire Institute on Sunday.

The Warriors cruised with 400 points, easily outdistancing Lakeside, 400-351, to be crowned for the third consecutive year.

“That was great,” Edgewood coach Keith Kister said. “It was one of our goals coming into the season to defend that title.

“(Winning twice before) had a lot to do with (winning again). That gave us the confidence going in. Knowing we had done it before let us know we could do it again. It was also extra motivation.”

“With the girls, we came in hoping we had a chance at winning,” Lakeside coach Kathryn Kane said. “Edgewood had a leg up on us. I was hoping we could swim up to them. I’m not disappointed for the girls at all. It kind of was what it was.”

The Falcons, however, needed a little luck and every possible point to slide past Lakeside, 349-339, to win the boys title.

“One point could have won it for us,” Jefferson coach Jim Hartman said. “It doesn’t matter (how big the margin was).”

“I am very proud of my team, both the boys and the girls,” Kane said. “I don’t have the words to say this. I’m disappointed, no, not disappointed. I’m a little heartbroken. They work so hard and it came down to the final relay.

“One disqualification. If that hadn’t have happened, we’d have won.”

In the girls race, Geneva was third with 243 points and Jefferson was fourth with 168. The Eagles’ boys were also third with 164 and Edgewood was fourth with 127.

Entering the boys 400-yard freestyle relay, Jefferson led the team race, 325-307, but was in a grim situation. The Falcons only had one team competing in the final race and the Dragons had two. Jefferson had to win the race and hope Geneva finished ahead of one of the two Lakeside teams to hold onto that lead.

“I walked into the control room and they said we needed to finish between the two Lakeside teams,” Jim Hartman said. “Their two relays are strong. There was no way.”

The Lakeside team of Chip Ranck, Mike Andes, Ethan Beitel and Luke Versaw won the event in 4:08.45 — finishing 20 seconds ahead of the second-place team of Bobby Scheaffer, Mark Pfouts, Norman Watts and Spencer Huggins.

All the second Lakeside team had to do was finish the race and the Dragons were champions and Jefferson was runner-up. Misfortune of the worst kind befell the team of Dylan Ackley, Jacen Adams, Brian Smith and Ryan Applebee.

The Lakeside quartet was disqualified, giving the Falcons the trophy.

“I stepped out and took the mic (to announce the team results) and somebody said, ‘Coach, Lakeside was disqualified.’ That, right there, told me we had a chance to win.”

“I am very heartbroken for the boys,” Kane said. “They wanted it. They kept saying we got first, almost every event we got first. But they would get second and third and get more points than we did. The boys are disappointed.”

The Edgewood team of Gianna Varchetto, Gabrielle Harner, Elyse Harner and Taylor Nunisto won both the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay and the Warriors had five individual champions.

“We had a couple of younger swimmers who won individual events and we had a couple of seniors win events,” Kister said. “Our older kids did well, but the younger kids did well,



too.”

Nunisto won the 50- and 100-yard freestyles and Varchetto claimed the 100-yard backstroke. Elyse Harner won the 200-yard individual medley (Varchetto was second) and Gabrielle Harner was the winner in the grueling 500-yard freestyle.

Lakeside had just two individual champs — Lorna Sand in the 200-yard freestyle and Malynda Russell in the 100-yard butterfly, but Hannah Licate, Sand, Smith and Russell teamed to win the 400-yard freestyle relay, as well.

The Jefferson boys had individual champs in Devon Ball (individual medley) and Cody Magda (100 free). Nick Kobernik, Curtis Morris, Garrett Puzio and Bradley Kobernik teamed to win the 200 free relay.

“(Magda) had trouble with his turns,” Jim Hartman said. “He could’ve won the 50 free and messed up a turn. He made up for it in the 100 and took the event. That was a big difference. Isaac Northrup made a difference in the 200 free relay. He just took off. His split was an individual record.”

However, those weren’t the only performances that pushed the Falcons over the top.

“We knew it was close with Lakeside coming in,” Jim Hartman said. “We needed everyone to swim. One of the kids called me and said he was sick and couldn’t swim. We were already up against it.

“Then this guy, Nathanael Hembree, got here today and he’s in the Young Marines, They’ve been having him do a lot of pushups. He said he didn’t think he could swim today.

“We rubbed him down a bit and told him he had to suck it like a Marine, we needed him. He swam all his events. He was a difference maker.”

Hembree was 13th in the 50 free, sixth in the 500 free, fifth with Jacob Falke, Nathan Stone and Theodore Kohn in the 200 free relay.

Ranck was first in the 500 free and the 100 back, Versaw won the 50 free and 100-yard breaststroke and Andes claimed the 100-yard butterfly for Lakeside.

Ranck, Versaw, Andes and Beitel also won the 200 medley relay.

Savanna Krekelberg (50 free), Elyse Harner (100-yard butterfly) and Jessica Reed (100 free) all finished second for the Warriors.    

Russell, Sand, Courtney Smith and Marissa David were second in the 200-yard medley relay.

Gabriella Novak was second for the Dragons in the 100 back, Smith took second in the 100-yard breaststroke and Russell was second in the 500 free.

Paige Huggins was the lone champion for the Eagles, winning the 100-yard breaststroke. Emily Orris (200 free) and the 400 free relay team of Taylor Day, Claire Dodrill, Orris and Huggins were second in the 400 free relay.

“We overcame some adversity,” Geneva coach Dave Zrubek said. “There were a lot of kids out sick from school and it’s been working its way through the team. Some key swimmers ended up with it.

“The kids all pulled together. Everyone swam well. The swimmers have been working really, really hard.”

Michelle Krek, Camille Sas, Morgan Sas and Kelly Hartman placed second in the 200 free relay for Jefferson’s best finish.

Kelly Hartman finished third in the 50 free.

“The girls swam their hearts out,” Jim Hartman said. “We have a lot of new girls, a lot of freshmen. Everyone is coming along really well.”

Pfouts won the 200 free for the Eagles and was second in the 500 free. Spencer Huggins took second in the 100 free.   

Magda, Ball, Isaac Northrup and Nick Kobernik teamed for second in the medley relay and Magda (50 free), Ball (100 butterfly) and Nick Kobernik (100 back) all took second for the Falcons.

Beitel (200 free), Applebee (individual medley) and Andes (100 breaststroke) all were second for Lakeside.

Cory Stewart, Tyler Pocsics, Zachary Nunisto and Danny Nyers finished fourth in the 200 free relay for the Warriors.

“Our boys team is basically the opposite of the girls team,” Kister said. “We have a lot fewer numbers — we have just six boys total — and they’re all in their first year as high school swimmers. One of those boys has competitive experience and the rest are all new swimmers.

“It was a learning experience for all of them. They did really well, though. All of the boys improved their time.”     

Ettinger is a freelance writer from Ashtabula.

BOYS SWIMMING

ALL-ASHTABULA COUNTY

INVITATIONAL

Jefferson 349, Lakeside 339,

Geneva 164, Edgewood 127

at Spire Institute

n 200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY — 1, Lakeside (Chip Ranck, Luke Versaw, Mike Andes, Ethan Beitel), 2:02.06; 2, Jefferson (Cody Magda, Nick Kobernik, Devon Ball, Isaac Northrup), 2:06.55; 3, Lakeside (Thomas Sawicki, Logan Cleversey, Tyler Emerson, Brian Smith), 2:24.91; 4, Edgewood (Cory Stewart, Tyler Pocsics, Zachary Nunisto, Danny Nyers), 2:31.76.

n 200-YARD FREESTYLE — 1, Mark Pfouts (G), 2:16.26; 2, Beitel (L), 2:31.18; 3, Dylan Ackley (L), 2:35.88; 4, Theodore Kohn (J), 2:47.67.

n 200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — 1, Ball (J), 2:49.94; 2, Ryan Applebee (L), 2:53.68; 3, N. Kobernik (J), 3:00.03; 4, Bradley Kobernik (J), 3:40.05.

n 50-YARD FREESTYLE — 1, Versaw (L), 25.12; 2, Magda (J), 25.17; 3, Northrup (J), 27.11; 4, Norman Watts (G), 27.95.

n 100-YARD BUTTERFLY— Andes (L), 1:11.95; 2, Ball (J), 1:17.19; 3, Bobby Scheaffer (G), 1:29.46; 4, Kohn (J), 1:46.70.

n 100-YARD FREESTYLE — 1, Magda (J), 59.35; 2, Spencer Huggins (G), 1:01.93; 3, Northrup (J), 1:03.21; 4, Beitel (L), 1:05.71.

n 500-YARD FREESTYLE — 1, Ranck (L), 5:46.35; 2, Pfouts (G), 6:24.32; 3, Curtis Morris (J), 7:10.43; 4, Nathan Stone (J), 7:27.37.

n 200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY— 1, Jefferson (N. Kobernik, Morris, Garrett Puzio), B. Kobernik), 1:49.63; 2, Geneva (Watts, Scheaffer, Huggins, Pfouts), 1:53.44; 3, Lakeside (Jacen Adams, Applebee, Emerson, Ackley), 1:59.13; 4, Edgewood (Nyers, Shane Welton, Stewart, Nunisto), 2:03.88.

n 100-YARD BACKSTROKE — 1, Ranck (L), 1:06.27; 2, N. Kobernik (J), 1:20.05; 3, Applebee (L), 1:21.05; 4, Stewart (E), 1:30.74.

n 100-YARD BREASTSTROKE — 1, Versaw (L), 1:10.80; 2, Andes (L), 1:21.49; 3, Cleversey (L), 1:22.93; 4, Huggins (G), 1:24.26.

n 400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY — 1, Lakeside (Ranck, Andes, Beitel, Versaw), 4:08.45; 2, Geneva (Scheaffer, Pfouts, Watts, Huggins), 4:28.87; 3, Jefferson (Northrup, Puzio, Ball, Magda), 4:54.76.



GIRLS SWIMMING

ALL-ASHTABULA COUNTY

INVITATIONAL

Edgewood 400, Lakeside, 351,

Geneva 243, Jefferson 168

at Perry High School

n 200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY — 1, Edgewood (Gianna Varchetto, Gabrielle Harner, Elyse Harner, Taylor Nunisto), 2:16.15; 2, Lakeside (Malynda Russell, Courtney Smith, Marissa David, Lorna Sand), 2:23.0; 3, Lakeside (Paige Upole, Chelsea Vewsaw, Gabriella Novak, Megan Richey), 2:32.81; 4, Geneva (Megan Kern, Paige Huggins, Claire Dodrill, Taylor Day), 2:39.03.

n 200-YARD FREESTYLE — 1, Sand (L), 2:35.64; 2, Emily Orris (G), 2:43.03; 3, M. David (L), 2:52.95; 4, Camille Sas (J), 3:00.75.

n 200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — 1, E. Harner (E), 2:50.21; 2, Varchetto (E), 2:50.70; 3, Smith (L), 2:58.23; 4, Novak (L), 3:05.79.

n 50-YARD FREESTYLE — 1, Nunisto (E), 30.06; 2, Savanna Krekelberg (E), 30.52; 3, Kelly Hartman (J), 30.74; 4, Day (G), 31.22.

n 100-YARD BUTTERFLY — 1, Russell (L), 1:18.45; 2, E. Harner (E), 1:24.04; 3, M. David (L), 1:31.90; 4, Dodrill (G), 1:41.48.

n 100-YARD FREESTYLE — 1, Nunisto (E), 1:08.44; 2, Jessica Reed (E), 1:10.05; 3, Hannah Licate (L), 1:10.20; 4, Day (G), 1:10.37.

n 500-YARD FREESTYLE — 1, G. Harner (E), 6:33.82; 2, Russell (L), 6:44.31; 3, Sand (L), 7:13.69; 4, Orris (G), 7:16.79.

n 200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY — 1, Edgewood (Varchetto, G. Harner, Nunisto, E. Harner), 2:01.84; 2, Jefferson (Michelle Krek, C. Sas, M. Sas, Hartman), 2:15.04; 3, Lakeside (Licate, Lexi David, Madelynn Crawford, M. David), 2:18.34; 4, Edgewood (Dakotah Rylance, Summer Shoenberger, Julie Revis, Krekelberg), 2:18.85.

n 100-YARD BACKSTROKE — 1, Varchetto (E), 1:15.93; 2, Novak (L), 1:26.04; 3, Revis (E), 1:28.85; 4, Upole (L), 1:34.62.

n 100-YARD BREASTSTROKE — 1, Huggins (G), 1:25.02; 2, Smith (L), 1:26.36; 3, G. Harner (E), 1:26.64; 4, Hartman (J), 1:30.97.

n 400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY— 1, Lakeside (Licate, Sand, Smith, Russell), 4:41.78; 2, Geneva (Day, Dodrill, Orris, Huggins), 5:09.85; 3, Edgewood (Krekelberg, Rylance, Shoenberger, Reed), 5:18.10; 4, Lakeside (Versaw, Novak, Upole, Richey), 5:21.05.