ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (Feb. 12, 2024) -- Rocky River has qualified into a combined 20 events -- in 29 combined slots -- for Buckeye State district meets to be held in the next week.

Swimming at the University of Akron's Ocasek Natatorium, the River boys earned a runner-up finish in a Friday DII sectional qualifying meet. The Pirates qualified into 15 slots for the Feb. 14-17 Northeast District Championships. The Double-R girls took third in a Saturday DI section meet at Lakewood High School. The Maroon & White qualified into 14 slots in the Feb. 13-17 Northwest District Championships.

The boys' performance was highlighted by five top-10 qualifying times. Maceo Tabora clocked the district's third-fastest time in the 50-yard freestyle. Tabora touched in in 22.09 seconds in his race in Akron. Luke Nolan earned the 8-seed in the 200-yard individual medley. River also had three top-10s posted in the 200 and 400 free relays and the 200 medley relay. In the 500 free and 200 individual medley, the Pirates are sending three qualifiers to Busbey Natatorium at Cleveland State University. Kegan Hoy, Ezra Linville, and Charlie Wanosik all qualified into two district individual events. [DII Northeast District qualifiers]

The Pirate boys scored 244 team points in the sectional meet. That was nearly enough to extend what was a four-year win streak for the Aquatic Buccaneers. But Roosevelt tallied 263.5 points to win the meet.

The Pirate girls registered a pair of top-of-the-crop qualifying times -- Taylor Devorace in the 200 IM (2:09.97) and Carolyn Wanosik in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.40). Both logged two individual-event qualifying efforts, as did Julia Butte, Katelyn Heavey, Zoe Satayathum. Rocky River will send all three of its relays to Bowling Green State University's Cooper Pool. That includes a third-seeded unit in the 400 free relay. That quartet includes Devorace and Wanosik, swimming leadoff and anchor respectively. [DI Northwest District qualifiers]


by Skip Snow

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