CANTON — Grantham Trumpower has made several visits to the state awards podium, just never in an individual event — until Friday.
Ontario’s junior freestyle specialist finished fourth in the star-studded 100-yard free during the final day of the Division II state meet at C.T. Branin Natatorium. His time of 46.61 seconds was more than four-tenths of a second faster than Thursday’s preliminary mark of 47.03.
The event was won by Vincent Warren phenom and Ohio State recruit Mason Francis, who finished in a jaw-dropping 43.55 seconds. Francis broke the Division II state meet record by a whopping two-tenths of a second.
“It’s so good to have fast people like him. It pulled the whole heat,” said Trumpower, who was seeded seventh. “I had to take it out fast. I knew I had to go out in under 22 and I was at 21.9. That was the key.”
Trumpower also reached the state podium as the anchor of Ontario’s 200 and 400 free relay teams. The 200 team of Trumpower, Evan Ruhe, Logan Bernat and Owen Walter was third in 1:27.14. The 400 squad of Trumpower, Ruhe, Walter and Colten Montgomery was fifth in 3:12.29.
Ontario has earned state medals in the 200 and 400 free relays each of the past three years. Trumpower has been a member of every one of those teams. He now has seven state medals with his senior year still to come.
“I couldn’t be happier,” said Trumpower, who also won the consolation final in the 50 free in 21.52. “It couldn’t have gone any better.”
Trumpower’s younger sister, sophomore Miri, had a sensational closing day. Individually, she finished third in the 100 butterfly in 55.17 and fourth in the 100 backstroke in 56.17.
She joined forces with Ava Zehe, Joie Simmering and Tessa Crum to place sixth in both the 200 free relay (1:38.88) and the 400 free relay (3:38.12). The younger Trumpower became the first swimmer in program history to win four medals (top-eight finish) in the same state meet.
Lexington’s Trey Nickoli earned three state medals. He was third in the 100 breaststroke (57.52) and a member of both the 200 medley relay team and the 400 free relay outfit. The 200 medley crew of Nickoli, Joe Hathaway, Cooper Watters and Oden Bell was fifth in 1:37.14. The same four swimmers teamed up to finish eighth in the 400 free (3:17.75).
Individually, Watters placed 13th in the 500 freestyle (4:51.72).
Shelby’s Emma Montgomery finished seventh in the 500 free in 5:15.20. The senior qualified for the 500 four straight years.
Montgomery’s younger brother, Ontario freshman Colten, qualified for the consolation final in the 200 individual medley and finished 16th in 2:00.09.
In addition to swimming a leg of the 400 free relay, Colten Montgomery also was a member of Ontario’s 200 medley relay team that finished 10th in 1:38.15. That team also included Bernat, Ruhe and Carson Smith.
A senior, Bernat also competed in the consolation final of the 100 backstroke, finishing 15th in 53.78. He qualified for the state tournament all four years.
“This was my last-ever meet, so I’m happy about it,” an emotional Bernat said. “It’s kind of hard because this has been my life forever. I’m just glad I could go out this way.”
Lexington sophomore Kayla Caldwell earned four All-Ohio citations over the weekend. She won the consolation final in the 200 freestyle (1:56.86) to finish ninth overall and was 11th in the 500 free (5:18.68). She was also a member of Lex’s 200 medley relay team, which finished ninth in 1:52.98, and the 400 free relay team, which was 13th in 3:45.35.
“I’m really happy with my weekend,” Caldwell said. “Going into the weekend I wanted to place in the top 16 in both my individuals and my relays and we succeeded.”
Caldwell was joined in 200 medley relay by Brynn Bruner, Katy Prykhodko and older sister Emma, a senior. The 400 free relay team included both Caldwell sisters as well as Bruner and Julia Wyant.
So what was it like swimming with her older sister one final time?
“It was very emotional,” Kayla Caldwell said. “We’ve been swimming together since we were young. It’s bittersweet, but I’m her biggest supporter.”
The elder Caldwell agreed.
“It’s definitely sad to not be able to swim with her again. I’ve been training with her since she was a little kid,” Emma Caldwell said. “She’s a good training partner and she’s my best friend.
“I’ve enjoyed every single minute I’ve gotten to swim with her and I can’t wait to see what she does the next couple of years.”