Richland Source will select one student athlete to be recognized as the Park National Bank Athlete of the Month during the 2023-24 school year. Nominations for Athlete of the Month are accepted from Athletic Directors and Coaches, but are ultimately chosen by Richland Source and are based on the student’s exceptional athletic performance, effective teamwork and achievement in their communities. Park National Bank is proud to support this initiative and is giving the athletic department of each school $1,000 in honor of each athlete chosen.
LEXINGTON — Ivan Prykhodko can thank his father for introducing him to the breaststroke.
Dear old dad, Dr. Mykola Prykhodko, was a breaststroker himself and would teach his children the finer points any chance he got.
“We’d only swim breaststroke because my dad said it was the survival stroke,” the younger Prykhodko said. “I started swimming breaststroke because, when I started in seventh grade, I couldn’t swim freestyle for the life of me.
“I just always did breaststroke.”
Teaching his son the breaststroke turned out to be a stroke of genius. Ivan took to the stroke like, well, a fish in water — and he has the state championship medal to prove it.
Prykhodko struck gold at last month’s Division II state meet, winning the 100-yard breaststroke in 56.81 seconds. He became Lexington’s first-ever individual boys state champ and joined Hannah Stevens as Lex’s only other individual champ.
“I guess it is a humbling experience,” Prykhodko said after collecting his championship medal. “Yes, this is fun and, ‘Yay me,’ but I’m more for the team that has nurtured me and my brothers and sisters.”
The unassuming Prykhodko was more interested in celebrating Lexington’s runner-up trophy with his teammates than any individual accomplishment. Lex finished with 131 points for its best-ever finish.
“What we (are most proud of) at Lexington is the fact that we are a team,” Prykhodko said. “There might be some outstanding guys … but it’s collectively the whole team.”
That Prykhodko would put the team’s accomplishments above his individual achievements comes as no surprise to longtime Lex coach Brock Spurling. That approach took root during Prykhodko’s freshman year.
Lexington’s 200 medley relay team won a state championship in 2021. That foursome included just one senior, breaststroker Ben Starling.
“He was really motivated after his freshman year when he knew he had to step into that relay to replace Ben Starling,” Spurling said. “He wanted to be the one who stepped into that spot.”
The following year, Prykhodko teamed with the three returning members of the 2021 state championship medley relay team — Jacob Hathaway, Tanner Holmes and Lucas Starling — and the quartet defended the 2021 state title in the medley relay.
“Freshman year it was always a goal of mine to get on top of the podium. That’s why I put in the work to get on that relay sophomore year,” Prykhodko said. “Then I was like, ‘What are we going to have next year?’
“I wanted to get the team to step up and take responsibility.”
Last year’s 200 medley relay unit of Joe Hathaway, Prykhodko, Trey Nickoli and Isaac McFadden, placed ninth. The foursome of Hathaway, Prykhodko, Nickoli and Oden Bell took fourth in the medley relay this year.
Meanwhile, Prykhodko was the overwhelming favorite in the 100 breaststroke. He broke his own school record in the preliminaries, finishing in 56.15 — not that he was especially thrilled with his effort on the opening day of the state tournament.
“That’s the most atrocious race,” he said afterward. “I was gliding into every turn.”
Nickoli joined Prykhodko in the 100 breaststroke finals and the duo came within .01 of claiming the top two spots on the state podium. Cincinnati Summit Country Day’s Weichu Wang was runner-up to Prykhodko in 57.81. Nickoli finished in 57.82.
“That one one-hundredth of a second. We were so close to that one-two,” Nickoli said. “I love being right there with Ivan. We’re so competitive and being able to try to keep up with him helps me.
“I’m super-happy for him.”
While his turns were better in the finals of 100 breaststroke, Prykhodko thought he may have cost himself a state championship by — of all things — swimming too fast.
“I took it out way too fast. I felt like a brick in that last 25,” Prykhodko said. “I was panicking that last 25.”
Spurling didn’t share Prykhodko’s concern.
“He’s special,” Spurling said. “He’s a breaststroker. You’re either a breaststroker or you’re not.”
Prykhodko also picked up valuable team points by finishing 14th in the 200 individual medley. He was a member of Lex’s fourth-place 200 freestyle relay teak.
It all added up to a historic couple of days at Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium. Lexington’s poolside celebration after the team trophies were presented lasted until the deck was virtually empty.
“I am just so proud of these young men. It’s something that … this has been a long time coming,” an emotional Spurling said. “This is a mature group. They had to step up and learn how to be leaders.
“These guys are the best of friends.”
While Prykhodko may have been Lexington’s first individual boys state champ, he doesn’t expect to be the last.
“I would be surprised if there aren’t any state champions coming up in the next few years. Trey and Cooper (Watters) possibly,” Prykhodko said. “I think what we (are most proud of) at Lexington is the fact that we are a team.
“Collectively, it’s the whole team and what every single one of us contributes. It could be a state champ, or it could be finishing 16th in the ‘B’ final. Every one of us is contributing to the team.”