LAKEWOOD, Ohio – Both the boys’ and girls’ teams of Rocky River Swimming & Diving opened their respective seasons on fine fashion Tuesday. Each went 2-for-2 in the Lakewood Double Duals hosted by Lakewood High School.
The River boys defeated Westlake, 55-47, and Lakewood,
79-23. The Pirate girls squad downed the Demons, 72-30, while lapping Lakewood
in an 81-20 contest.
“The results of pre-season training really showed in the water this evening,” said boys’ Head Coach Mark Harris.
The boys team (2-0) earned six wins in 12 events. Drew Helms and Aiden Morris were key performers in the Pirates piling up enough points to top both Lakewood and Westlake. Helms was a member of two first-place relays (200-yard medley, 400 freestyle) and also took first in the 100 backstroke and second – by an arm’s length, to teammate Michael Edson -- in the 500 free. Morris – a fifth-place finisher in last season’s Ohio Division II Championships and a state qualifier in two individual events and two relays – won Tuesday’s races in the 200 and 50 free. He also was part of River’s 400 free relay, a key win for the Pirates in their taut battle with the Westlake Demons. In that race, anchored by Morris, Rocky River touched in with a time of 3:30.62, four-hundredths of a second ahead the Westlake quartet.
“Those guys made a statement in the 400 free relay,” said Harris.
That relay was comprised of Garrett Morris, Braden Devorace,
Helms and Aiden Morris.
On the girls’ side, Rocky River (2-0) was victorious in 11-of-12 events and all 11 of the swimming variety (Westlake took first in the meet’s lone diving event). The Pirates swept three relay events in earning their two comfortable routs. Standout performances were logged by Gianna Miller, Morgan Schuld, and Anna Skapoulas.
Each of those three was in on two winning relays. Miller
also conquered fields in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Schuld took
first in the 200 individual medley and the 100 free. Skapoulas won the 200 free
and the 100 butterfly. She took the 100 fly by a whopping seven-second margin.
Schuld and Skapoulas were two-event state qualifiers for Head
Coach Emma Gerdes last season.
“The girls got off to a great start tonight,” said Gerdes. “As coaches, we’re really looking forward to watching these young athletes compete all season.”
by Skip Snow
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