ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Feb. 17, 2023) -- The Double-R has doubled up -- again! -- on league titles, and now the Pirates are making their way through Buckeye State postseason waters. We check in with River's aquatic athletes with the season's second edition of Lane Lines:
On Jan. 26, the Pirates took on Strongsville in a non-conference test. Getting wins in 9-of-11 events, the River girls earned a 96-74 victory to close out their match season with an 11-2 mark. Juniors Taylor Devorace and Carolyn Wanosik each tallied two individual wins while being a part of two first-place relays. The boys team was edged 91-79 in what marked River's first loss of the season (11-1-1). Senior Matthew Stankivicz logged two wins while competing in two winning relays.
Jan. 26 also marked the diving portion of the Jan. 26-28 Great Lakes Conference Championships held at Lakewood High School (swimming). It would be the start of a marvelous weekend for the Pirates.
Turning back 10 competitors on the boys' side and nine on the girls', Rocky River swept its way to dual titles in the 2023 GLC meet. Both teams kept alive streaks that were initiated in the league's first season. No other program has ever earned a GLC crown; River's teams have each won eight in a row.
The Pirate boys scored 403 points to easily outdistance Westlake (257), Parma (221), and eight other circuit foes. The River girls tallied 380 points, edging runner-up Westlake, which finished with 341.
Highlights of Rocky River's conference conquest included the boys taking second in the 1-meter diving (Toby Rastatter), first in the 200-yard medley relay (Matthew Stankivicz, Nart Yilmaz, Michael Esdon, Phillip Carter), first and second in the 200-yard freestyle (1-Michael Esdon, 2-Matthew Esdon), first and second in the 50 free (1-Stankivicz, 2-Carter), first and second in the 100 free (1-Carter, 2-Stankivicz), first in the 500 free (Mi. Esdon), first in the 200 free relay (Carter, Luke Nolan, Ma. Esdon, Stankivicz), second in the 100 backstroke (Nart Yilmaz), and first in the 400 free relay (Ma. Esdon, Trey Roe, Yilmaz, Mi. Esdon).
Michael Esdon touched in with a GLC-record time -- 4:44.41 -- in the 500 free.
On the girls' side, the Maroon & White took gold in the 200 medley relay (Taylor Devorace, Carolyn Wanosik, Cora Mathewson, Bode McDougal), gold in the 200 free (Mathewson), gold in the 200 individual medley (Devorace), gold in the 50 free (Gianna Miller), gold in the 100 free (Mathewson), gold and silver in the 500 free (1-Devorace, 2-Wanosik), gold and silver in the 200 free relay (1-Mathewson, Blair Pichola, Wanosik, Miller; 2-Katie Stirm, Katelyn Heavey, Meghan Butte, McDougal), gold in the 100 back (Miller), silver in the 100 breaststroke (Wanosik), and gold in the 400 free relay (Devorace, Pichola, Zoe Satayathum, Miller).
The quartet of Cora Mathewson, Blair Pichola, Carolyn Wanosik, and Gianna Miller clocked in with a circuit-record time of 1:42.16 in the 200 free relay.
It would later be announced that Michael Esdon and Gianna Miller were tabbed as the GLC MVPs for the 2022-23 season.
The respective eight-peats, set the Pirates up with a shot of confidence heading into the Buckeye State season which would open two weeks later, with the boys competing in a DII Northeast section meet (Feb. 10) and the girls competing in a DI Northwest section meet (Feb. 11). The River boys won their meet, earning a section title for a fourth straight season. The Pirate girls took second in their meet. Both squads now move on to district meets.
Rocky River qualified a slew of athletes into the district meets which will be held the weekend of Feb. 15-18. Highlighting River's performances were Michael Esdon sweeping gold in the boys 200- and 500-yard freestyle events. Gianna Miller too first in the girls 50 and 100 free races. In the 100, Miller's 52.70-second time reeled in a section record. The Pirates had four of the top five swimmers in that event.
by Skip Snow
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