LEXINGTON — It is among the greatest dynasties in north central Ohio high school sports — and perhaps the best-kept secret.
The Lexington boys swim team has cornered the market on the 200 yard medley relay.
Since the boys state tournament split into two divisions for the 2008-09 season, Lex has sent a 200 medley relay team to state every year save one (2011-12).
The Minutemen won back-to-back Division II state titles in the event in 2021 and 2022, finished on the podium (top eight) in 2018 (sixth), 2019 (fourth) and 2020 (seventh), and secured All-Ohio honors (top 16) in 2009 (13th), 2010 (16th), 2014 (12th), 2015 (15th), 2017 (14th) and 2023 (ninth).
While Lex has sent other relay teams to state — a 200 freestyle team has qualified every year since 2018 and a 400 free unit has been to state every year since 2013 — they haven’t enjoyed the same degree of success at the state level as the medley relay units have through the years.
This year should be no different as the quartet of Joe Hathaway, Ivan Prykhodko, Trey Nickoli and Oden Bell is seeded third going into Thursday’s state preliminaries at Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium after winning a district title last week in Bowling Green in 1:37.85.
Hunting Valley University School (1:35.28) has the top seed while Cincinnati Indian Hill (1:37.75) is second.
Prykhodko is the foursome’s lone senior and was a sophomore member of the 2022 team that won a state title in 1:34.99. Hathaway, Nickoli and Bell are all juniors. Hathaway, Prykhodko and Nickoli were members of last year’s team that finished ninth.
All three of Lex’s relays could reach the podium Friday. The 200 freestyle team of Bell, Nickoli, Isaac McFadden and Cooper Watters is seeded third (1:29.17). The 400 free unit of Prykhodko, Hathaway, McFadden and Watters is seeded fourth (3:17.52).
Individually, Proykhodko represents the area’s best hope for a state title. He’s seeded first in the 100 breaststroke (56.47).
Ontario’s Mirielle Trumpower is another area state title contender. The freshman is seeded third in the 100 butterfly (56.70).
Here’s a look at the area’s state qualifiers, with seeds and district times:
Division II Girls
100 freestyle: 17. Ashtyn Rickel, Colonel Crawford (53.69); 26. Ava Finnan, Colonel Crawford (54.56).
200 freestyle: 20. Kayla Caldwell, Lexington (1:58.05); 26. Ava Finnan, Colonel Crawford (1:58.51); 30. Emma Montgomery, Shelby (1:59.11).
500 freestyle: 15. Emma Montgomery, Shelby (5:18.01); 28. Brynn Bruner, Colonel Crawford (5:28.36).
100 backstroke: 9. Mirielle Trumpower, Ontario (58.48); 25. Kayla Caldwell, Lexington (1:00.14); 26. Brynn Bruner, Colonel Crawford (1:00.19).
100 butterfly: 3. Mirielle Trumpower, Ontario (56.70).
200 individual medley: 26. Ashtyn Rickel, Colonel Crawford (2:15.91).
200 freestyle relay: 7. Colonel Crawford (1:40.24).
400 freestyle relay: 9. Colonel Crawford (3:40.89); 17. Lexington (3:46.44).
200 medley relay: 20. Lexington (1:54.38).
Division II Boys
50 freestyle: 16. Grantham Trumpower, Ontario (21.93); 20. Oden Bell, Lexington (22.13).
100 freestyle: 11. Grantham Trumpower, Ontario (47.88); 14. Isaac McFadden, Lexington (48.49).
200 freestyle: 14. Cooper Watters, Lexington (1:45.78); 22. Isaac McFadden, Lexington (1:47.45).
500 freestyle: 16. Cooper Watters, Lexington (4:51.30).
100 backstroke: 24. Logan Bernat, Ontario (54.64).
100 breaststroke: 1. Ivan Prykhodko, Lexington (56.47); 7. Trey Nickoli, Lexington (57.95).
200 individual medley: 17. Trey Nickoli, Lexington (2:01.31); 24. Ivan Prykhodko, Lexington (2:02.44); 25. Landon Sutter, Colonel Crawford (2:03.13).
200 freestyle relay: 3. Lexington (1:29.17); 14. Ontario (1:30.68).
400 freestyle relay: 4. Lexington (3:17.52); 7. Ontario (3:19.09).
200 medley relay: 3. Lexington (1:37.85).