By Cort Reynolds
NAPOLEON – The short-handed Ada High School swim team competed well at the tough 18-team Napoleon Invitational on December 14.
The Bulldog boys finished a solid ninth out of 18 teams with 59 points. Shawnee won the boys team crown with 433 points.
The Ada girls tied for 11th place with 20 points. Napoleon captured the 16-team girls title with 413 points.
“Everyone dropped time in at least one event,” said Ada head coach Ashley Robey. “Which is great to continue to see as they've already been dropping time. We still need to work on flip turns, underwaters and starts to get those times down even more.”
Ada sophomore Tim Chrissobolis finished sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.71) to post the top Bulldog showing. He also came in 12th in the 50 freestyle.
“Tim dropped time in his breaststroke to earn sixth place,” said the coach.
Junior Lydia Demascio touched 11th in the 50 freestyle (28.55) to register the best Lady Bulldog individual finish. She also ended up 17th in the 100 free (1:05.45).
“Lydia dropped time in both of her events,” Robey noted. “She's been working very hard this year, and has also joined the Lima Barracudas to get extra practices in.”
Sophomore Jacob Szippl finished 10th in the 50 free, and 11th in the 100 backstroke.
“Jacob got a personal best in his 50 free and 100 back for the season,” Robey offered. “He's been working very hard at practices, and there are still some areas we could work on to make those times even faster.
“Kaden Clum also got a personal best in the 50 free (28.05) and has been working hard on his turns and head alignment, which has been helping him drop more time,” the coach noted.
“Kennedy Jones dropped time in her 50 free (37.0), and Jordyn Smith dropped time in her 100 free (1:15.6),” she said.
“Alivia Montgomery attempted the 100 back for the first time in a high school meet and did very well (1:19.0),” Robey observed. “With some work, she demonstrates strength in that stroke as well.”
Two Bulldog boys relay quartets (200 free, 200 medley) each came in tenth place. Ada was without two of its top girls swimmers and one boy at the meet.
“We barely had enough for a girls and boys relay; we only had four boys and four girls at the meet,” Robey noted. “Grady Morgan is always the first one in the pool, and works very hard every practice.
“We still have some work to do on technique, endurance, starts and turns but Grady is doing amazing. I'm super proud of his times so far, as well as filling in on the relays,” she added.
Ada swims in the big Northwest Ohio Classic Invitational meet at Bowling Green State University on Saturday, December 21. Preliminary heats start at 9 a.m. at BGSU, and also at Fremont Ross High School to accommodate the large number of swimmers.
Event finals will start at 5 p.m. at the BGSU event. Over 40 school teams are expected to compete.
