Emerging Licking County swim stars flourish in Pau Hana's Jill Griesse Memorial
GRANVILLE — Swimming against high school athletes does not bother Grace Largent, but it does throw her for a loop when she is beating them.
The Granville incoming freshman received a taste of varsity competition Sunday during Pau Hana’s Jill Griesse Memorial at Denison’s Trumbull Aquatic Center. The events throughout the three-day competition are mixed genders and broken up only by 12-and-under and 13-and-over.
"It's weird because I will swim against guys that are like 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, and it's like, 'Here I am,'" Largent said. "It hits you randomly like, 'Wow, I'm actually pretty good,' so I guess it's fun."
The Jill Griesse Memorial began in 2015 as a way to remember Griesse, the club's founder in 1968. Griesse, a national champion and a Hall of Famer, died in 2014 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and between the event and riding in Pelotonia each August, Pau Hana has raised more than $62,000 for the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.
"This is kind of like a fun meet for us," said incoming Watkins Memorial freshman Ava Dutton, who competes for New Albany Aquatics. She swam a time of 1:06.91 in the 100 butterfly.
"The (variety of ages) gives me more competition and pushes me a little harder," she added. "The 100 butterfly I am focusing on (this summer) because I am trying to place at zones."
The young teens from host Pau Hana measured up quite well providing a peak at what is to come for some of Licking County’s top swim programs.
The 14-year-old Largent dropped nearly five seconds off her 100 breaststroke, finishing in a time of 1:26.21 in a heat that included Pau Hana teammate Xandy Arnholt, who recently graduated from Granville Christian and competed for Watkins. Sydney Lauffer, 13, dropped more than three seconds in the same event, finishing in 1:37.08, and Sarah Jacoby, 14, sliced an impressive 15 seconds off her seed time, finishing in 1:47.15.
The boys had similarly strong showings with A.J. Lawler, 14, finishing the 200 backstroke in 2:31.16, nearly eight seconds better than his seeded time. Micah Jenkins, 14, was more than six seconds at 1:44.53 in the 100 breaststroke and seven seconds in the 200 freestyle at 2:53.88, and Andrey Pilipchuk was a whopping nearly 11 seconds below at 1:27.23 in the 100 breaststroke.
"I have definitely been doing a lot more practice. I normally did an hour-and-a-half to two hours, but now I am starting to do more three-hour practices," said Lawler, who will be an eighth-grader at Tri-Valley this fall. "The hour of dry land before our practice helps a lot, which I hated at first. I am building more strength."
Nolan Schneider soon will be the next to drop time, but he is taking things slowly after missing much of the winter with an arm injury. He is an incoming freshman at Granville and could make a bid in 2023 for one of the two open spots on the Blue Aces’ state-qualifying relays.
"Things are going well. It's a fun meet, and there are a ton of people here," Schneider said. "I haven't swam in a while, so it's just getting back there and going for the (Junior Olympic) times. ... I don't see the older kids as intimidating. I see it just as fun. It's fun to race."
The two holdovers Jacob Teter and Josh Remlinger will both be seniors and were among the veterans competing during the weekend. Maddy Gundler, a 2021 Watkins graduate, and Abigail Wenger, who swims at Eastern Michigan, were among those representing Pau Hana in the meet, which allowed those up to age 20.
It makes for an eclectic group in the pool and on the deck.
"I love this team," said Andrew Taulbee, who will be a junior at Reynoldsburg. "It's been some of the most fun I have had in my swim career. (Teresa Fightmaster) is a really good coach, who incorporates fun into hard sets, and everyone on the team is like a big family. It's really nice to be a part of."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking County swim stars flourish in Pau Hana's Jill Griesse Memorial
