ROCKY RIVER, Ohio – Pirate Swimming & Diving had another
big weekend, as both squads earned top-5 finishes at their respective district
championship meets.Swimming at Cleveland State University in Friday’s DII Northeast District Championships, the Rocky River boys’ team placed fourth. Aiden Morris carded spectacular state-qualifying times in two individual races, and the Pirates will also be sending all three of their relays to Canton, Ohio, for the Feb. 19-22 Ohio Swimming & Diving Championships.
In addition to Morris, others from the boys team who will be headed to the state meet include Braden Devorace, Drew Helms, Garrett Morris, Aidan Carter and Michael Esdon.
The Double-R girls competed in Saturday’s DI Northwest District meet at Bowling Green State University. The Pirate girls placed as runners-up and will be sending athletes into six individual events and two relays at the state meet.
Morris earned a third-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle race, qualifying as the state’s No. 5 seed in that event. The senior also earned a runner-up finish in Friday’s 100 free. He’ll be seed fourth in that event in Canton. Rocky River’s 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free relays punched tickets for the trip to C.T. Branin Natatorium. Chief among those quartets was the Pirates’ 200 free unit: the foursome of Aidan Carter, Garrett Morris, Braden Devorace and Aiden Morris qualified as the No. 8 seed.
Dual individual qualifiers for the Rocky River girls were Morgan Schuld (200 free, 500 free), Gianna Miller (50 free, 100 free) and Peyton Spearry (100 free, 100 backstroke). Miller and Spearry finished third and fourth, respectively, in Saturday’s district 100 free. In Miller’s other race, the freshman set a school record by touching in with a time of 23.90 seconds in the 50 free.
It was senior Anna Skapoulas setting a Northwest District meet record in the 100 butterfly. Skapoulas’ 55.47-second time earned a No. 7 seed in the Feb. 19-22 Buckeye State gathering.
Two River relays will also be highly seeded in Canton: the Pirates’ 200 free (Miller, Ella Russell, Skapoulas, Schuld) foursome rates fifth; the quartet in the 400 free (Spearry, Miller, Schuld, Skapoulas) heads in tagged as No. 7.
[state qualifiers: DII
boys | DI
girls]
by Skip Snow
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