SBC swimming, diving championships start Thursday

It's a pleasant coincidence for Port Clinton and Perkins — the two SBC Lake Division swimming powers have met in a dual or tri-meet for the last number of years right before the SBC Championships. The matchup gives the coaches a sense of where their team stands relative to the competition while giving the swimmers speed alongside them to bring out their best. "We don't show our cards right away, but we kind of know what each other has," Port Clinton coach Dan Diaz said. "It's always fun and good, friendly competition." Perkins and Port Clinton are two of the teams heading into the SBC swimming and diving championships with big goals. The Pirates boys are looking to win the Lake Division for a sixth-straight year, while PC's girls hope for their fourth consecutive league title. "It's something that we talk about, and it's always one of our goals," Perkins coach Brian Cassidy said. "It's part of that stepping stone to set ourselves up for sectionals and districts. They know the expectation is that we want to continue that tradition and win." In the Bay Division, Oak Harbor is the defending champion on both the boys and girls side. Competition begins Thursday at Oak Harbor with the diving portion, and the entire swimming slate will take place Saturday. "I feel pretty confident that we're gonna do OK," Diaz said. "… I'm a wait to see what happens kind of guy." Both Perkins' Cassidy and Port Clinton's Diaz spoke before the season about how their respective defending champs set repeating in the league as one of their goals. The Pirates hoped to be led by returning sophomore Jager Ninke, and he hasn't disappointed. He has the top time in the SBC this year in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. Ninke is the only swimmer in the Northwest District Division II to break 50 seconds in the 100 fly this season, according to swimmeet.com. "He's really worked hard on certain parts of his races and been very focused on those little things that he can do to get faster and get his time better and get stronger," Cassidy said. "… He's such a competitor when he gets in the water." In addition to Ninke being the top seed in those two events for the SBC Championships, Perkins' boys are seeded first in the 200-yard medley relay and second in both freestyle relays. "We're still playing around with personnel, deciding which relays match up best for us," Cassidy said. "... I've still got a lot of faith in my boys, and they're really working hard, and they've got a lot of potential." Port Clinton's girls are also led in large part by a sophomore, Kami Periat. She has swum the fastest time in the SBC in both the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard butterfly. A year ago, Periat won the 50 free and 100 fly at the SBC meet. "She's extremely coachable and she always wants to get better than she was previously," Diaz said. "She's growing as a young lady and as a swimmer." Port Clinton junior Carlie Blaesing adds to the potent PC girls squad. She's the overall top seed in both the 100 and 200 free. PC's girls are seeded first among Lake teams in all three relays. Oak Harbor has four overall top seeds: Skyler Turner (girls 200 IM), Karter Lajti (boys 200 IM), Paige Krupp (girls 100 back) and Alyse Sorg (girls 100 breast). The Rockets are also the top-seeded Bay team in all the relays, both boys and girls. Other overall top seeds heading into Saturday include Port Clinton's Carter Blaesing (boys 100 free) and Logan Brown (200 free), Columbian's Kinsey Slosser (girls 500 free), Huron's Granthem Brown (boys 500 free), St. Mary Central Catholic's David Grant (boys 100 back) and Clyde's Grayson Morgan (boys 100 breast). Huron's Granthem Brown is the Bay Division defending champion in the 500-yard freestyle. He's also seeded second overall this year in the 200-yard freestyle, behind PC's Logan Brown from the Lake Division, meaning Granthem Brown is the favorite to take the 200 free among Bay swimmers, too. The only portion of the SBC meet that will take place Thursday is diving. The girls side of that competition will feature two athletes who went to state a year ago, Port Clinton's Brigitte Schroeder and Margaretta's Kenna Stimmel. "Brigitte has grown immensely, and she's really helpful," Diaz said. "At a championship meet, she adds points to the bottom line." Three of the five boys divers set to compete are from Huron. They include seniors Joey Lenczyk and Evan Lindquist along with junior Max Wasiniak. Margaretta's Caleb Worley and Perkins' Tre Leber are also lined up to dive. Wasiniak is the defending champ. --- What: SBC Swimming and Diving Championships Where: Oak Harbor High School When: Thursday, Jan. 13 (diving) and Saturday, Jan. 15 (swimming)