MANSFIELD — Hutch Blackstone will hang up his soccer cleats and shoulder pads for good.
Mansfield Senior’s three-sport standout will spend the next four years focusing all of his efforts on the pool.
An All-Ohioan in football and swimming and an Ohio Cardinal Conference first team selection in soccer, Blackstone ended what had become a drawn-out recruiting process Wednesday afternoon when he signed a national letter of intent to swim for Miami of Ohio.
“This has been on my mind since February,” a relieved Blackstone said Wednesday evening. “It’s definitely a huge weight off my chest.”
The athletic 6-foot-3 senior had a sensational fall on both the soccer pitch and the football field. He led Senior High’s soccer team to a sectional championship, matching a record for wins in a single season along the way. The Tygers fell in the district semifinals to eventual state semifinalist Whitehouse Anthony Wayne.
Blackstone was every bit as valuable to the undefeated football team. He was an All-Ohio first team selection after helping the Tygers to the OCC title and a berth in the playoffs for a second straight year. Senior High hosted and won its first-round playoff game before falling to New Albany in the regional semifinals. Blackstone was 11 for 14 on field goal attempts and 55 of 57 on extra points.
That set the stage for a memorable winter in the pool. Blackstone qualified for the state tournament for a third straight year and capped a wild state tournament week with a third-place finish in the 100 yard breaststroke. He spent part of the week in the hospital with a severe throat infection.
Blackstone also considered Ohio State and Division III juggernaut Kenyon College in Gambier before deciding on Division I Miami of Ohio in Oxford in the state’s southwest corner. Miami is a member of the Mid-American Conference.
“I visited Miami four or five weeks ago and it felt like the right fit,” Blackstone said. “They have a good group of guys on the swim team and everybody seemed down to earth.
“They were able to put together a very good financial aid package and the swimming program is one of the best in the conference.”
The Redhawks finished fourth at this year’s MAC championships in Buffalo in early-March. Miami boasted five All-MAC second team selections.
The roster features just six seniors and 19 freshmen and sophomores.
Miami is coached by Pete Lindsay, who has directed the program for nearly 30 years. He has been selected the MAC Coach of the Year six times.
“Coach Lindsay said I could come in and contribute right away,” said Blackstone, who carries a 3.95 grade point average and plans to major in kinesiology with an eye on a career in the medical field. “I can’t wait to get there and get started.”
Could he lured onto the football field?
“I’m done kicking,” he said. “One sport at the college level is going to be more than enough.”
Follow Curt Conrad on Twitter @curtjconrad.
