Worthington Swim Club shines at Kelly German Memorial Invitational

Last weekend, the C. David Howell Pool Complex was the site of the largest swim meet ever hosted in Worthington.  755 swimmers representing 18 teams from Ohio and Pennsylvania converged on the campus of Thomas Worthington for what turned out to be an extremely competitive event for swimmers age 14 and under.  The recent construction of the adjacent Championship Hall, a 3,200 square feet multi-purpose room which hosted the athletes during the meet, now allows for this type of swim meet to be held in our community.  

"The Kelly German used to be extremely competitive" says head coach Bernard Vrancken.  "The addition of the Championship Hall and a brand new state-of-the-art scoreboard enables the meet to regain its stature as one of the most competitive in Ohio."

Worthington Swim Club swimmers were specially inspired by the stature of the occasion.  Several won multiple events including Jesus Caraballo in the 11-12 boys' 100 backstroke (1:04.12) and 100 butterfly (1:05.75); Trenton Harper in the 13-14 boys' 200 backstroke (2:04.67) and 200 breaststroke (2:25.22); and Bailey Williams in the 9-10 girls' 100 backstroke (1:13.22) and 100 IM (1:14.56).  

Other impressive swims included the girls' 13-14 400 freestyle relay team of Abby Jank, Annie Miller, Maren Reeder and Kelly Jiang which clinched a spot in the upcoming state championships with a time of 3:55.18; Maren Reeder in the 13-14 girls' breaststroke events (2nd in both the 100 and 200 with times of 1:08.96 and 2:28.78 respectively) Joel Schuster in the 9-10 boys' freestyle events (3rd in both the 50 and 100 with times of 30.40 and 1:08.48 respectively); Rina Laios in the 9-10 girls' 100 breaststroke (3rd with a time of 1:22.61); and Jackie Wachtel in the 11-12 girls' breaststroke events (3rd in both the 50 and 100 breaststroke with times of 34.29 and 1:13.04 respectively).

"I am extremely pleased with the results at this time of the season" says coach Vrancken.  "These fast swims have a snowball effect on the attitude our swimmers bring to practice.  You can feel the vibe on the pool deck, it is a lot of fun to be part of this team right now."

The 155 swimmers on the Worthington Swim Club are now turning their attention toward the championship part of the season.  Select swimmers will be traveling to Cincinnati for the TYR Invite and Mary Lou Mini Meet in early February.  The team will then be hosting both the Regional Championships on February 20th to 22nd and the Barbara Kay Mini Meet on February 28th and March 1st.  We will finish off the season by traveling to Bowling Green for the State Championships on March 13th to 15th.  GO WORTHINGTON!