CANTON, Ohio -- Rocky River took 11th place in the Ohio DII Boys' Championships held at the C.T. Branin Natatorium on Thursday. On Friday, River placed 18th in the Ohio DI Girls' Championships at the same venue.

The Pirate boys got big performances from two freestyle relays en route to logging 85 points in the meet. River's 400- and 200-yard relays took third- and fifth-place, respectively, combining for 60 of the team's 85 points. The Pirates posted new school-record times in both relays. Juniors Aidan Carter and Drew Helms had big days for the Double-R: both were in on the two scoring relays and both earned individual points as well. Carter took eighth-place in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races; Helms carded a 14th-place finish in the 100 backstroke.

On Friday, the River girls got points from two relays (200, 400 free) and two Gianna Miller swims in earning a team total of 41 points. Miller took fifth in the 50 free and eighth in the 100 free. The sophomore standout was also in on both relay foursomes. Her time in the 50 free (23.53) set a new program record). And Rocky River's team finish set a new program mark as well: the best at the DI level in program history.

Hawken (228 points) won the DII boys' title. New Albany (246.5) edged Mason (220.5) for the DI girls' crown.

The state meet ended anther highly successful season for both teams. Rocky River swept the boys' and girls' Great Lakes Conference for a sixth straight year.


CANNON FIRE ...

THURSDAY HIGHLIGHTS: The boys' bronze-winning 400 free relay was comprised of Aidan Carter, Drew Helms, Philip Carter, and Braden Devorace. The fifth-place 200 free relay members were Helms, Devorace, Mathew Stankivicz, and Aidan Carter. ... Aidan Carter set new personal bests in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events.  Braden Devorace finished just outside the top-16 in both of those events. ... Helms logged two personal bests in the meet, including his point-earning time in the 100 back.

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS: The 11th-place 200 free relay quartet was made up of Blair Pichola, Cora Mathewson, Ella Russell, and Gianna Miller. The group's time was a season-best. The 15th-place 400 free relay was comprised of Russell, Taylor Devorace, Mathewson, and Miller.


by Skip Snow