CANTON – The dream of a state championship is still alive for four Fremont Ross swimmers.
The girls 200 medley relay team of MaKennah Fitzgerald, Alexis Prenzlin, AnneMarie Moses and Olivia DeRodes clinched a place on the podium at the Division I state swim meet Friday morning.
Alexis Prenzlin
MaKennah Fitzgerald
The three juniors and one sophomore finished eighth in the preliminary round with a time of 1:46.28, putting them in Saturday’s championship final.
“Makennah had a great swim, one of her fastest 50 yards ever, but the other three were just a little bit off,” girls coach Tina Moses said. “They were fast but I believe they can go faster tomorrow night. I’d like to see them move up a spot or two.”
The 200 medley relay was the only event to see Ross swimmers advance to the championship heat Saturday but two individuals will race in consolation heats, clinching all-Ohio status after just missing the cut for their championship heats.
Prenzlin turned in a time of 1:04.05 in the girls 100 breaststroke, placing her ninth, finishing just .21 seconds outside the top eight and a place on the podium.
Olivia DeRodes
AnneMarie Moses
I’m pleased with her swim,” Moses said. “She’s only a sophomore, she swam a great time with room to drop when she comes back and swims faster. Does it stink not making the podium? Of course, I’m sure she’s disappointed. But I’m glad she’ll be back. She’s a sophomore, she’s young and has two more years.”
The boys breaststroke saw Andrew Evans swim a time of 55.94, also finishing ninth, and just .08 behind eighth place.
The event was déjà vu for Evans, who finished ninth in the preliminaries last year as well.
“I’m sure he’s disappointed,” boys coach Phil Moran said. “He swam faster this year and the time he just swam would have gotten him into the top eight last year. He was off a little bit on one of his turns and that’s all it takes at this level and he was just a couple hundredths out of the top eight again.
Andrew Evans
Dylan Weisenauer
“That’s just how fast the breaststroke is. There were two kids that weren’t in the picture that ended up in the picture, in terms of their times. He was in the first heat and that’s a tough heat to swim in. It’s so important to win your heat and be top two and he just got out-touched for third. When you do that and you get three guys beat you in the next heat and three guys beat you in the third heat, you’re done. That’s exactly how it turned out.”
Freestyle swimmer Olivia DeRodes finished 17th and 20th in the 50 and 500, respectively. She clocked a time of 24.15 seconds in the 50, just .02 seconds from qualifying for the consolation final and all-state honors.
“Olivia was kind of disappointed with her 50,” Moses said. “Her suit tore before the meet. She ended up swimming in the suit, we got it mended a little bit for the medley relay and they got her into a new suit, a different suit that she’s not used to.
“I don’t know if nerves played a part but I know she was disappointed, especially with finishing 17th, just outside of coming back for the finals.”
The girls’ 200 freestyle relay took 19th after clocking a time of 1:38.95 while the 400 freestyle relay, consisting on Fitzgerald, Moses, Faith Zimmerman and Mara Brown finished 24th with a time of 3:34.76.
Dylan Weisenauer swam a time of 51.34 seconds in the 100 butterfly, finishing 17th, just .03 outside the top 16 and a place on the all-Ohio team. His time also just missed the Ross school record by only .07.
“I think he was pretty happy, especially considering how he got in, by literally tying for the last spot,” Moran said. “His finish could have been a little better, that’s the only thing I can complain about, as a coach. But he really swam well. You can’t ask for much more.”
Division I state meet
Preliminary heats
Girls results
200 medley relay: 8 – Fremont Ross A (MaKennah Fitzgerald, Alexis Prenzlin, AnneMarie Moses, Olivia DeRodes), 1:46.28 – advances to championship final Saturday.
50 freestyle: 17 – Olivia DeRodes, 24.15
500 freestyle: 20 – Olivia DeRodes, 5:10.51
100 breaststroke: 9 – Alexis Prenzlin, 1:04.05 – advances to consolation final Saturday.
200 freestyle relay: 19— Fremont Ross A (MaKennah Fitzgerald, Alexis Prenzlin, AnneMarie Moses, Olivia DeRodes), 1:38.95
400 freestyle relay: 24— Fremont Ross A (AnneMarie Moses, MaKennah Fitzgerald, Faith Zimmerman, Mara Brown), 3:34.76
Boys results
100 breaststroke: 9 – Andrew Evans, 56.94 – advances to consolation final Saturday
100 butterfly: 17 – Dylan Weisenauer, 51.34