Saturday, February 19, 2000
St. X swimmers make it 32 straight
Bombers cruise to district title
BY DAVE SCHUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
OXFORD — “I think we're ready to go,” was the vote of confidence from St.Xavier swimming coach Jim Brower after the Bombers' 200-yard medley relay opened the district meet Friday with a record time of 1:33.12.
Brower was on the mark: The Bombers went on to capture a 32nd consecutive district championship before a capacity crowd at Corwin Nixon Natatorium on the campus of Miami University.
The Bombers, with 5611/2 points, would have beaten second-place Centerville (224) and third-place Anderson (223) if the Elks and Aviators combined teams. LaSalle was fourth with 161.
“The swimmers who were expected to do well were great,” Brower said. “We had a great meet. All signs point to the fact we're a week away from having even better swims.”
St.Xavier won the three relays and five individual events. Sycamore's Dan Ketchum and St.Xavier's Jayme Cramer were the only double winners.
Ketchum won the 200 and 500 freestyle races; Cramer won the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
Cramer put St.X's 200 medley relay team into the lead, half a second ahead of the pace for the record time of 1:34.97 set in 1999. The remaining three Bombers swimmers kept the pace.
It was easy to detect St.Xavier's swimmers, all with blond hair.
“We bleached our hair after the sectional,” sophomore David Janszen said. “This week we plan to color it blue, but we'll shave it before the state meet.”
The top three swimmers and relay teams in every event qualify to the state meet, along with the next 11 fastest qualifiers from the four district meets.
Here's a look at each district race.
• 200 medley relay: St.Xavier took control early and was never threatened. Anderson took second.
• 200 freestyle: Ketchum won for the third consecutive year, pulling away from LaSalle's Brian Tiemeier during the final 50 yards. He won in 1:39.69.
“I got out a little slow and I would have liked to go a little faster,” Ketchum said. “He (Tiemeier) stayed with me and wouldn't go away. I was a little concerned and took it out the final 50.”
• 200 individual medley: Janszen, the defending district champion, was a half-second in front of teammate Brett Burns after the backstroke before finishing in 1:54.38.
“I was two seconds off my personal best, but I didn't expect to break it,” Janszen said. “I'm in the middle of my taper and should do better next week.”
• 50 freestyle: In a mild upset, Springfield North's Adam Swonger, the fourth fastest qualifier, edged St.Xavier's Scott Ransenberg in 20.96.
• 100 butterfly: Cramer, the 1999 state runner-up, dominated in 49.14, less than a second off the state record of 48.79 set by Tony Kurth from Toledo St.Francis last season.
“I'm happy with the time,” Cramer said. “I'll learn from tonight, and next week I'll try to break the state record.”
• 100 freestyle: Trailing after the halfway mark, Ransenberg swam the final 50 in 23.91 to edge Swonger.
“Finishing second in the 50 (freestyle) motivated me in this race,” Ransenberg said. “This is my personal best. I'm happy with the time.”
• 500 freestyle: Ketchum won the title for the fourth consecutive year in 4:30.39.
• 200 freestyle relay: Junior Max Leassner put St.Xavier in the lead, swimming the first 50 in 21.78.
• 100 backstroke: Cramer broke the district record of 50.22 that he set last year, clocking in at 49.71.
• 100 breaststroke: The Bombers' Burns was the easy winner in 58.16.
• 400 freestyle relay: The outcome was never in doubt after St.X took the lead after the first 100 yards.
Team Standings
1. St. Xavier 5611/2, 2. Centerville 224, 3. Anderson 223, 4. La Salle 161, 5. Sycamore 1491/2, 6. Wyoming 101, 7. Milford 77, 8. Beavercreek 90, 9. Fairfield 81, 10. Moeller 77, 11. Springfield North 70, 12. Alter 66, 13. Dayton Christian 60, 14. Oakwood 50, 15. Princeton 33, 16. Edgewood 29, 17. Walnut Hills 27, 18. Summit Country Day 24, 19. (tie) Badin, Elder 21, 21. Turpin 20, 22. Talawanda 191/2, 23. Greenview 19, 24. Sidney 13 1/2, 25. Wilmington 11, 26. (tie) Bellbrook, Kings 9, 28. Lakota East 8, 29. (tie) Cincinnati Country Day, Oak Hills 6, 31. (tie) Chaminade Julienne, Middletown, Taylor, Winton Woods 5, 35. (tie) Loveland, Fairmont 4, 37. Mason 3, 38. Mariemont 2, 39. (tie) New Richmond, Fairborn, Kenton Ridge 1.
State Qualifiers
200 medley relay: 1. St. Xavier (Cramer, Burns, Ransenberg, Leassner) 1:33.12 (District Record), 2. Anderson (Cummings, Kauscher, Marty Tomes, Michael Tomes) 1:36.0, 3. Centerville (Grubb, Schlarb, Kent, Milheim) 1:38.70.
200 freestyle: 1. Ketchum (Sycamore) 1:39.69, 2. Tiemeier (La Salle) 1:41.76, 3. Middleton (Centerville) 1:44.52.
200 individual medley: 1. Janszen (St. X) 1:54.38, 2. Burns (St. X) 1:55.04, 3. McCollum (Fairfield) 1:55.26.
50 freestyle: 1. Swonger (Springfield North) 20.96, 2. Ransenberg (St. X) 21.05, 3. White (Dayton Christian) 21.07.
Diving: 1. Donahue (Turpin) 408.10, 2. Collier (Summit Country Day) 336.45, 3. Packer (St. X) 331.90, 4. Hutchinson (Edgewood) 329.30, 5. Hall (Edgewood) 315.30, 6. Teske (Centerville) 295.25.
100 butterfly: 1. Cramer (St. X) 49.14, 2. Marty Tomes (Anderson) 51.24, 3. Keefe (St. X) 51.69.
100 freestyle: 1. Ransenberg (St. X) 46.12, 2. Swonger (Springfield North) 46.32, White (Dayton Christian) 46.45.
500 freestyle: 1. Ketchum (Sycamore) 4:30.39, 2. Douville (Alter) 4:37.46, 3. Middleton (Centerville) 4:39.86.
200 freestyle relay: 1. St. X (Leassner, Janszen, Hausladen, Ransenberg) 1:26.81, 2. La Salle (Kessler, Tenbrink, Huey, Dehne) 1:28.20, 3. Centerville (Knickrehm, Milheim, Kent, Middleton) 1:28.30.
100 backstroke: 1. Cramer (St. X) 49.71, 2. Cummings (Anderson) 51.35, 3. Hardesty (St. X) 51.87.
100 breaststroke: 1. Burns (St. X) 58.16, 2. Kauscher (Anderson) 58.95, 3. Jacob (St. X) 59.46.
400 freestyle relay: 1. St. X (Cramer, Mackos, Stoffer, Keefe) 3:11.38, 2. La Salle (Tenbrink, Huey, Tiemeier, Dehne) 3:14.23, 3. Centerville (Knickrehm, Grubb, Morris, Middleton) 3:14.47.
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