MANSFIELD — The month-long showdown between Ontario’s Brie Trumpower, Shelby’s Kassie Stine and Galion’s Troie Grubbs will culminate this week on the state’s biggest stage.
The trio qualified for the girls Division II state swim meet in the 50 yard freestyle and the 100 freestyle events, along with Lexington’s Olivia Newman. All four will take to Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium in the modified state meet Wednesday afternoon.
Trumpower, Stine and Grubbs first duked it out at the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference meet at Ontario late last month. Trumpower won both the 50 and 100, with Grubbs taking second and Stine finishing third.
Grubbs had the best qualifying times in both events among the three at last week’s district meet at Bowling Green. She heads into the state meet seeded 14th in the 50 free (24.31) and ninth in the 100 free (52.96). Trumpower is seeded 16th in the 50 (24.47) and 10th in the 100 (53.07), while Stine is seeded 18th in the 50 (24.56) and 14th in the 100 (54.20). Lex’s Newman is seeded 20th in the 50 (24.70) and 18th in the 100 (54.50).
Shelby’s Reyna Hoffman, Loudonville’s Madison Smith and Colonel Crawford’s Katie Hanft each qualified for state in two individual events.
Hoffman is seeded 16th in the 200 individual medley (2:13.20) and 14th in the 100 backstroke (59.85). Smith is seeded 20th in the 200 IM (2:13.88) and 22nd in the 100 butterfly (1:00.18). Hanft is seeded 23rd in the 200 freestyle (2:00.66) and 19th in the 500 free (5:25.82).
Ontario’s Amy Evans in seeded 17th in the 100 fly (59.31). Lexington’s Lily Weeks has the 18th fastest qualifying time in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.99).
Lexington’s Anna Parr will compete in the 1 meter diving competition. She is seeded 19th after scoring 356.15 points at the district meet.
All three of Ontario’s relay teams qualified for state. The 200 medley relay team is seeded 11th (1:51.70), while the 200 free relay unit is seeded sixth (1:39.92) and the 400 free relay team is seeded 14th (3:43.67).
Shelby and Colonel Crawford will each send a pair of freestyle relay teams to state. Shelby is seeded seventh in the 200 free relay (1:40.40) and ninth in the 400 free relay (3:42.10), while Colonel Crawford is seeded 18th in the 200 (1:42.51) and 24th in the 400 (3:47.99).
Lexington’s 200 medley relay team also earned a spot at the state meet. Lady Lex is seeded 13th (1:52.50).
The Division II girls state meet is Wednesday. The diving competition begins at 9 a.m. The swimming portion of the meet starts at 4:30 p.m.
