Written by Matt Mulcahey, Cincinnati Enquirer contributor
The week leading up to the district meet is a happy time for high school swimmers. Not only because many are celebrating district berths, but also because they finally get a break from heavy training.
“(Teams) will rest more this week. We’ll swim a little less yardage so that we’re ready and rested,” said Dennis Beck, coach of both Lakota East’s and West’s swimming squads. “(The kids) kind of look forward to that break.”
Plenty of St. Ursula Academy swimmers will be enjoying that perk. The Bulldogs earned three relay and 21 individual swimmer slots for the district meet – more than double any other team at Saturday’s Division I sectional event at St. Xavier’s Keating Natatorium.
The Bulldogs won five of the meet’s 11 events and qualified multiple swimmers in six of the eight individual races.
“I’m very happy. We actually qualified more kids than I thought we would,” said St. Ursula coach Ann Gartner. “(Our swimmers) all stepped up and did a very, very nice job.”
In addition to the St. Xavier-held sectional, the district’s two other sectional meets were also held Saturday in Mason and Centerville. The top 32 individuals and 24 relay teams from each event of those collective sectionals advance to next Saturday’s district meet at Miami University.
Gartner said to expect quicker times at the district level due to the additional rest the swimmers will get this week.
“That meet will be so fast,” she said. “Just the energy, the electricity in the pool, is unbelievable at the district meet.”
Junior Marissa DelGado led the Bulldogs with wins in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly. She also participated on a pair of district-qualifying relay teams.
“Marissa had a very good meet,” Gartner said. “She is just a great, great competitor. She can always find that extra gear.”