MANSFIELD — Saturday was a record-shattering day for Lexington’s Jacob Hathaway.
A senior, Hathaway smashed the pool record in the 100 yard backstroke and was a part of two record-breaking relay teams at the Division II sectional swim meet at Malabar’s Frank Bartholow Natatorium.
Hathaway’s winning time of 53.3 seconds in the 100 backstroke was more than a second faster than the former mark of 54.4 by Tiffin Columbian’s Stephen Reis in 1996.
“I knew the backstroke I would most likely get. Last year I was really close to it. I think I was 54.7 last year,” Hathaway said. “So coming into this meet I really wanted to break that record. I went 52.8 at (the Ohio Cardinal Conference meet), so I felt I could get that one.”
Hathaway and his 200 medley relay teammates set the tone with a record-setting performance in the meet’s first event. Hathaway teamed with Ivan Prykhodko. Tanner Holmes and Lucas Starling to win in 1:40.09. That broke the previous mark of 1:42.00 set by the Lexington team of Cayman Eichler, Justice Holmes, Wilson Cannon and Connor Miller in 2018.
The 400 freestyle relay team of Starling, Holmes, Isaac McFadden and Hathaway capped it with a record-setting swim of 3:21.06 in the final event of the day. That topped the previous mark of 3:21.54 set in 2019 by the Lex foursome of Miller, Andrew Hathaway, Eichler and Cannon.
“The medley relay has been doing really well and in the 400 we knew it would be really close,” Hathaway said. “It was right down to the tenth of a second there.”
Hathaway picked up a fourth first with a win in the 100 freestyle. He touched the wall in 48.93.
Ontario’s Brie Trumpower matched Hathaway with four firsts and was a member of one record-setting relay team. Individually, Trumpower won the 200 freestyle in 2:00.66 and the 100 freestyle in 54.42. She was a member of the record-setting 200 free relay team, joining with Shelby Keever, Tiffany Whittaker and Ava Ruhe to finish in 1:41.81.
The former mark of 1:42.44 was set in 2018 by Colonel Crawford.
The same quartet finished just a second off the pool record in the 400 relay. The Warriors touched the wall in 3:45.78.
“It was hard mentally just because some of us aren’t tapered,” Trumpower said. “We pushed pretty hard last week and I was just nervous. I really just wanted to get a good time.
“I think I’m where I need to be physically. Those aren’t the times I wanted to go, but I’m not worried about it and my coaches aren’t worried about it. Once I taper and rest I’ll be fine.”
Shelby’s Reyna Hoffman won a pair of individual events. She was first in the 200 individual medley (2:16.18) and the 100 backstroke (1:00.23).
“I wanted my IM to be a little bit faster today, but honestly I’m happy with how I swam,” Hoffman said. “There’s great competition from Ontario and Lex.
“Last year our sectional was split in half (because of the pandemic) and we didn’t have as much competition. Lex and Ontario were in the other section and that was a big deal because they are top competition for us. It’s great swimming with those girls this year again.”
Other individual boys winners included Lexington’s Starling in the 200 freestyle (1:49.93), Holmes in the 100 butterfly (55.01) and Prykhodko in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.94); Colonel Crawford’s Nate Eachus in the 200 individual medley (2:11.87); Shelby’s Paxton Gibson in the 50 freestyle (23.38) and Ontario’s Colin Cordrey in the 500 free (5:08.44).
The Ontario 200 freestyle relay team of Evan Trumpower, Alex Rose, Hunter Petit and Cordrey won in 1:33.92.
Other girls individual winners included Galion’s Troie Grubbs in the 50 free (24.93); Colonel Crawford’s Maddy Keller in the 100 butterfly (1:05.90); Shelby’s Emma Montgomery in the 500 freestyle (5:27.37) and Ontario’s Tiffany Whittaker in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.52).
The Colonel Crawford team of Abby Martin, Ashtyn Rickel, Maddy Keller and Rylee Ritzhaupt won in 1:59.79.
None of Saturday’s winners qualified automatically to next week’s district meet at Bowling Green. District qualifiers are based on time and will be determined Sunday.
