Shawnee state qualifers are: Top row (l-r) Erika Bell, Kayla Frost, Ansley Newman, Morgan Schmimoeller and Addisyn Newman. Bottom row (l-r) Aidan Latham, Thomas Koh, Mason Latham, Adam Latham and Carter Cleaves.
It is the old adage of ‘what a year a difference makes’ for Shawnee swimming.
Last season the Indians failed to qualify for anyone for the state championships but this year eight swimmers will be competing in the Division II state tournament.
Coincidentally, there is one Indian swimmer, Addisyn Newman, who is making a return trip to state only she accomplished this feat with Wapakoneta last season and this year the Shawnee senior was determined to making it back to Canton.
“They all worked incredibly hard,” Shawnee head coach Scott Newman said. “Last year we had nobody qualify for state and to say we have eight kids is a pretty good leap. I would remiss if I didn’t say my daughter moved from Wapak to Shawnee and she helped tremendously and really both my daughters because they are on the relay teams.
“But the boys team didn’t have anybody move in and we actually lost two kids that moved to Cincinnati that would have helped us that are going to state and we still made it. It is testament to how hard they worked and how good they have gotten.”
Newman is one of two Shawnee swimmers to compete in an individual event as she will be battling in the 50 freestyle and the 100 breaststroke. Freshman Morgan Schimmoeller qualified in the 100 backstroke, These two will also be members of the 200 freestyle and medley relay teams along with Ansley Newman and Kayla Frost with Erika Bell as the alternate.
On the boys side, the foursome of Mason Latham, Conner Latham, Carter Cleaves and Thomas Koch with Aiden Latham as the alternate will be competing in the boys medley relay.
“In the medley relays we are sitting at 16 and that would be the last spot in the meet final but we know we are going to have to be faster,” coach Newman said. “Addisyn is seeded 10th in the 50 free and 13th in the breaststroke. Realistically we worked to get her to state so she can go faster than what she did at districts.”
Newman added this year the state increased the number of qualifiers for each event by eight and he pointed out that this move “backfired on them,” because that opened up more spots in district so he said a number of individuals tapered in the districts because of those extra eight spots.
“Some of the qualifiers who made it last year to state didn’t make it to state this year because they didn’t taper to districts but tapered to state and they didn’t go as fast as what they had and those counting on state didn’t make it,” coach Newman said. “That is kind of the scary thing. We are fortunate Addisyn made it in her events and with Morgan we did taper at districts because we knew it would be close with her so she ended up 21st in the backstroke. We are really excited to see what they can do individually as well as our relay teams.”
Addisyn Newman’s goals remained the same coming into this year despite the transition to a new school.
“I just wanted to improve because last year I was excited that I made it but this year I definitely want to go for the top eight and the top three and place and bring home some hardware,” she said. “The training was definitely different especially for the breaststroke and the sprinting style was different from my 50 free so I kept reminding myself that when practice got hard that I knew that I can do it. I have some big goals and they need to be accomplished. This is the last chance I have.
Addisyn Newman added is looking for a top three finish in the top three in the 50 free and to make top eight in the breaststroke.
Schimmoeller is on the opposite end as she is beginning her high school swim career and is excited about making to state her freshman year.
“It is crazy and I can’t believe it,” Schimmoeller said. “I worked really hard and go to everything I could and to try to do everything I could to reach that goal (of making state). We are worked really hard at practiced and trained really hard.
Addisyn Newman is also excited about her team’s chances in the relay events.
“I am so excited that we were all able to make it and our medley relay has a chance to go top 16th which is really exciting and our free relay snuck in there so I am really excited to be in four events.”
OHSAA info
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s first winter state tournament will take place this week, as the swimming and diving state tournament will take place in Canton at C.T. Branin Natatorium, which has the largest spectator capacity of any natatorium in the state (1,700).
In addition to the Division I and II state tournaments, there will also be two events for para swimmers on Friday night during the Division II state finals.
The NFHS Network will have live video streaming coverage of all sessions, including diving. Jennifer Beck, Greg Franke and Hunter Bell will be on the call for the swimming sessions. NFHS Network coverage is available at: https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/ohsaa/swimming%20and%20diving
State tournament information, qualifiers and links the NFHS Network and live results are available at: https://www.ohsaa.org/Sports-Tournaments/Swimming-Diving/Swimming-and-Diving-2022-23/2023-Swimming-Diving-State-Tournament-Coverage
State qualifiers
Division II
Boys
(Relay team members’ names were not listed by ohsaa.org)
200 Medley Relay: 4th seed: Wapakoneta (1:37.36 seed time); 12. Bluffton 1:40.59, 15. St. Marys, 1:40. 9; 23. Shawnee, 1:44.32.
200 Freestyle: 29. Sam Houg (Van Wert), 1:48.87
200 IM: 5 Andy Jiang (New Bremen), 1:54.71; 18. Riley Verb (Bluffton), 1:58.84; 32. Reese Triplett (Saint Marys), 2:02.08
50 Freestyle: 5. Alex Honigford (Wapakoneta), 21.17; 10. Jackson Newcomb (Celina), 21.87; 18. Luke Wierwille (Wapakoneta), 22.07; 27. Landon Stahler (Bath), 22.44; 30. Jackson Bowlus (Bluffton), 22.54
100 Butterfly: 8. Andy Jiang (New Bremen), 51.72; 16. Luke Wierwille (Wapakoneta), 52.73; 22. Jayden Welker (Van Wert) 53.45
100 Freestyle: 4. Alex Honigford (Wapakoneta), 46.18; 29. Landon Stahler (Bath), 49.40
200 Freestyle Relay: 4. Wapakoneta, 1:27.93
100 Backstroke: 18. Owen Becker (Wapakoneta), 53.95; Jackson Bowlus (Bluffton), 55.17
100 Breaststroke: 18. Jackson Newcomb (Celina), 1:00.39; 22. Grady Steffan (Ottawa Glandorf), 1:00.66; 27. Riley Verb (Bluffton), 1:01.24; 32. Marcus McClain (St. Marys), 1:01.96
400 Freestyle Relay: 23. Wapakoneta, 3:24.74
Diving: 25. Luke Hertenstein (St. Marys)
Girls
200 Medley Relay: 16. Shawnee, 1:52.42; 18. Fort Recovery, 1:53.12; 20 Ottawa Glandorf, 1:53.68
200 Freestyle: 22. Annie Jiang (New Bremen), 1:57.99
200 IM: 17. Marissa Beckett (Ottawa Glandorf), 2:12.44; 20. Kylie Niekamp (Marion Local), 2:13.78
50 Freestyle: 10. Addisyn Newman (Shawnee), 24.04; 21 Teigen Fortkamp (Fort Recovery) 24.55; 31. Carlie Oldfield (Ada), 24.99
100 Butterfly: 2. Lily Baumgartner (Ada), 55.46; 20. Kylie Niekamp (Marion Local), 1:00.08
100 Freestyle: 30. Cameo Cedarleaf (Minster), 55.19
200 Freestyle Relay: 21 Shawnee, 1:42.96
100 Backstroke: 9. Lily Baumgartner (Ada) 58.55; 14. Teigen Fortkamp (Fort Recovery), 59.04; 21. Morgan Schimmoeller (Shawnee), 1:00.31; 25. Arleigh Amspoker (Elida), 1:00.5
100 Breaststroke: 13. Addisyn Newman (Shawnee), 1:07.19; 14. Marissa Beckett (Ottawa Glandorf), 1:07.27
Diving: 7. Riley Hunt (Kenton)
No area swimmers or divers qualified for state in Division I
