Friday, February 26, 1999
St. X, St. Francis renew state swimming rivalry
BY DAVE SCHUTTE
Enquirer contributor
Only the swimmers have changed.
The schools remain the same as do the two teams expected to battle for the boys state swimming and diving championship tonight and Saturday in Canton.
For the sixth consecutive season, 20-time state champion St. Xavier will go head-to-head with defending state champion Toledo St. Francis.
“The relays will be the key for St. Xavier,” Anderson Barracuda and Anderson High School coach Ed Bachman said. “Assuming neither team makes a mistake, I can't give either an edge.”
Although St. X dominated at the district meet, Bachman looks for the Bombers to step it up a notch.
“St. X has three big dogs in Ryan Earhart, Jayme Cramer and Rob Toth,” Bachman said. “I think they will swim great. These kids have the training behind them and are ready to go.”
Bachman provided an outlook for each event for The Enquirer.
200 Medley Relay: This is St. Xavier's best chance to win a relay with Akron Firestone the main competition.
“Firestone has a great breaststroker (Mark Gangloff) but St. X still has the advantage,” Bachman said. “It's not a great relay team but good enough to win.”
200 Freestyle: Sycamore Dan Ketchum easily beat Jeff Pullin from Gates Mills Hawken last year and is expected to win again.
“Jeff Pullin hasn't been swimming exceptionally well and Dan should win it,” Bachman said. “I look for Eric Foster (Anderson) to take third or fourth.”
200 Individual Medley: This will be a one-man race with Tony Kurth from Gates Mills Hawken expected to set a state record.
“Kurth has a good shot at breaking the state record,” Bachman said. “David Janzsen (St. X) is Cincinnati's best hope but he'll have to have the swim of his life.”
50 Freestyle: This sprint will find St. Francis senior James Leahy battling St. Xavier's Rob Toth for the championship.
“This will be Rob's best chance for a state championship,” Bachman said. “But Leahy will have the edge.”
100 Butterfly: Defending state champion Kevin Euans from Westerville South is the favorite with St. Xavier's Jayme Cramer in the hunt.
“Whoever wins the event will break the state record (Dave Wilson, 49.01, 1979) that been there a long time,” Bachman said. “Jayme is a tough kid who has dedicated his life to swimming. He's like to make the Olympic trial cut in this race.”
100 Freestyle: Eddy Matkovich had the fastest qualifying time of 44.98 but Bachman isn't sure the Upper Arlington sophomore can duplicate it.
“You can't ignore Matkovich because his time was unbelievably fast,” Bachman said. “But, last year Matkovich was seeded first and finished third or fourth. Rob Toth isn't capable of 44 seconds but is Cincinnati's best chance.”
500 Freestyle: Dan Ketchum is heads above the field and should easily win although Hawken's Jimmy Pullin made it close in 1998.
“This race was a lot closer than I expected last year,” Bachman said. “Jimmy was closing at the end but Dan has the size and strength advantage.”
200 Freestyle: The state record of 1:24.06 set by St. Xavier in 1992 could fall courtesy of Toledo St. Francis.
“St. Francis could break the state record by a lot,” Bachman said. “St. X has already gone 1:24 and they also have a shot at winning it.”
100 Backstroke: A three-way be battle for the championship is expected between St. Xavier's Ryan Earhart and Jayme Cramer, along with James Leahy from Toledo St. Francis.
“None of these kids were shaved or tapered at the district,” Bachman said. “This race is too close to call.”
100 Breaststroke: Nationally ranked Mark Gangloff from Akron Firestone should win in a breeze.
Gangloff is the best in the country,” Bachman said. “It's possible that he may break the national record (54.35). Trevor Dumond (Anderson) was unshaved and tapered and should do well.”
400 Freestyle Relay: If the state championship is up for grabs going into this race, Toledo St. Francis will claim it.
“St. Francis is by far the best relay team,” Bachman said. “But St. X played around at the district and should take second.”
Preliminaries both days begin at 10 a.m. with the finals at 7 p.m.
The finals of the diving competition is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.
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