LEXINGTON — Lily Weeks likes to compete, no matter the sport.
One of north central Ohio’s most versatile athletes, Weeks qualified for this week’s northwest district swim meet in two individual events and as a member of two Lexington relay teams.
The senior is no stranger to postseason success. She helped the Lady Lex cross country program win four straight Division II state team titles, scoring at the state meet all four years. She also qualified for the Division I state track meet as a sophomore in the 3200 meter relay in 2019 before losing her junior track season to the coronavirus pandemic.
“She’s an athlete. I think you could probably line her up in a lot of sports and she’s be successful,” Lex swim coach Brock Spurling said. “Her forte is running. She trains running. She shows up and swims during the high school season and that’s about it.
“She’s an athlete and that’s what we like. Give me an athlete and we’ll see what we can do.”
Weeks will go into district competition seeded eighth in the 200 yard individual medley with a sectional time of 2:21.63 and ninth in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.52). The 200 medley relay team is seeded seventh (1:56.42) and the 200 freestyle relay team is seeded 11th (1:47.34).
An ankle injury suffered during the cross country season put Weeks behind schedule. She didn’t start swimming until December.
“This was only my third time swimming IM this year so I was a little nervous,” Weeks said during last week’s sectional meet at Malabar. “I’m a little off my times, but I think this is about where I was last year at sectionals. I’m not too upset about where my times are.”
As a sophomore, Weeks was a member of the state-qualifying 400 freestyle relay team. That unit finished 14th at state. Last year Weeks qualified in the 200 IM, placing 22nd. She helped the 200 medley relay team to a 12th-place finish and was a member of the 400 free relay team that placed 10th.
Her success on the cross country course has translated to the pool.
“The work ethic you have to put in for cross country definitely translates to swimming,” Weeks said. “They’re both sports you have to put a lot of hours into just to drop a couple of seconds.
“They are both sports that really take a lot of time to get where you want to be.”
So is it more fun to run at the state cross country meet or swim on the state’s biggest stage?
“It just depends,” Weeks said. “Winning state for cross country is pretty amazing that you get to do that with your team. Swimming at state, you focus on some of your individual events more but you’re still with the team.”
Considering Weeks’ late start to the swim season, Spurling is encouraged with her progress.
“For her it takes a while to lose her cross country legs and get into swimming shape,” Spurling said. “She knows the process. It takes a while.
“I’m very pleased with where she is at right now.”
