ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Jan. 28, 2024) -- The middle month of Rocky River's 2023-24 season has been a productive one. And a string of impressive performances culminated in both the boys and girls programs earning their ninth straight Great Lakes Conference championships.
On Dec. 29, the Pirates competed in the Wally Morton Relays at Cleveland State University. [results not available]
River rolled into the 2024 calendar year with a split against Lakewood (boys lost 90-89, girls won 118-68) on Jan. 3. For the boys, Josh Crook (500-yard freestyle) and Mekhi Herring (200 free) logged career-best times in those events. Taylor Devorace earned first-place finishes in both the 50- and 200-yard freestyle events and was in on River's winning 4x400 free relay. Julia Butte (500 free) and Carolyn Wanosik (200 free) registered career bests in those events.
Rocky River swam at the Elyria Catholic Pentathlon, held at Carr Pool at Oberlin College, on Saturday, January 6. Four River boys -- Ezra Linville (1:03.08), Luke Nolan (1:00.96), Trey Roe (1:03.09), Maceo Tabora (59.99) -- finished in the top-16 and swam in the 100-meter individual medley final. The Pirates also advanced a quartet -- Taylor Devorace (1:01.77), Bode McDougal (1:06.53), Zoe Satayathum (1:07.69), Carolyn Wanosik (1:03.69) -- to the finals on the girls' side. Devorace registered a runner-up finish in the individually scored event.
On Jan. 10, the Buccaneers swept the Normandy Invaders in a Great Lakes Conference meet (boys won-score not available, girls won 144-42). the River boys earned a medal sweep in the 500 free with Keegan Hoy, Crook, and Herring touching in 1-2-3. The Double-R took gold and silver in the 100 free; Trey Roe and Ethan Baker, respectively, raked in the top placement points in that one. Maceo Tabora won both the 50 free and 100 butterfly. The Pirate girls clocked a medal sweep in the 200 free, with Butte (first), Bode McDougal (second), and Isabel Pangrace (third) doing the honors. McDougal, Zoe Satayathum, and Sofia Baker earned a 1-2-3 sweep in the 500 free. Devorace took first in the 200 individual medley and 100 fly and was also in on two first-place relays.
On Jan. 13, Rocky River sent 13 athletes -- a Buccaneer's dozen -- to the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton where they competed in one of the premier events on the Buckeye State prep calendar, the Northeast Classic Swimming & Diving Invitational. The Pirates clocked a slew personal bests on the day, and River placed 39th on the boys' side and 22nd on the girls' (47 teams scored in each competition).
On Jan. 17, the Double-R traveled to North Olmsted for a GLC road meet. River earned a sweep, with the boys beating the Eagles 106-67 and the girls winning 147-33. Maceo Tabora carded first-place finishes in both the 50 and 100 free events while also competing in a winning relay. Taylor Devorace (200 free, 100 back) and Carolyn Wanosik (100 free, 100 fly) accomplished the same feat on the girls side. Rocky River won 10-of-12 events on the boys' side and 12-of-12 on the girls'.
Rocky River took on Beachwood and Hoban in boys competition and the same two schools plus Beaumont on the girls; side in a Jan. 24 non-conference event. The River boys split, defeating Hoban 90-54 while losing to Beachwood 94-70. The Buccaneer girls swept their way to a 3-0 mark; they downed Beachwood 109-26, Beaumont 97-62, and Hoban 105-34. That meet spring-boarded the Double-R into the Jan. 25-27 GLC Championships.
The league's title event opened with diving championships on Jan. 27. The Pirate boys were able to garner a slew of day-1 points when Toby Rastatter and Tyler Meyer took second and third, respectively, in the 1-meter diving. The 25-point head start would loom large when the meet's final scores were tallied two days later. And striking silver would serve Rocky River well all week. By the end of the meet, the Pirates would rack up more-than-a-half-dozen runner-up finishes. They scored 311 points, turning back second-place Westlake (305) by six points to win the GLC crown.
The boys' big point producers were Kegan Hoy, Luke Nolan, and Charlie Wanosik. Each racked up multiple top-3 finishes. Nolan and Trey Roe were in on a pair of runner-up finishes in relays.
On the girls' side, the Pirates rolled to 431 points, topping second-place Westlake by more-than-75. Taylor Devorace and Carolyn Wanosik led the River effort, with each picking up two individual wins and competing in two winning relays. Julia Butte registered one gold and one silver. Bode McDougal and Zoe Satayatham also tallied victories.
The GLC titles marked the ninth in as many years for both RR Swimming & Diving programs. No other school has ever earned a league championship in the nine-year history of the GLC.
The 2024 GLC Championships were held at Lakewood High School.
"This week was an absolute team effort," said coach Mark Harris, whose Pirates are now preparing for what they hope will be a continuation of what has thus far this winter been a big splash.
The Pirates, whose boys finished 6-5 (5-2 GLC) and girls went 10-2 (7-0) in dual meets this season, are scheduled to compete in Feb. 9-10 sectional meet action in Akron (boys) and Cleveland (girls). That weekend opens a three-week sprint to the Feb. 21-24 Buckeye State championships.
by Skip Snow
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