Lexington swimmers among top qualifiers out of state championships’ first-round meet

Jared Peck
·7 min read

Dozens of Lexington swimmers advanced from the boys and girls State First Round swimming meets on Saturday and will compete in this week’s Final Round of the KHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Kentucky.

Competing Saturday at Scott High School, one of three “State First Round” sites around Kentucky, Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Seneca Oddo recorded the best state qualifying time in the boys 50-yard freestyle at 20.62, while Henry Clay’s Eli Greinke edged Oddo for tops in the state in the boys 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 56.53.

At the same pool, Lexington Catholic’s Lillian Hosinski recorded the second-best qualifying time in the state in the girls 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.51, just 0.01 behind the time that Collegiate’s Ashley Kara recorded at the University of Louisville site.

Due to capacity concerns for the swimming championship in past years at UK’s Lancaster Aquatic Center, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association for the first time split this year’s championship swimming events into two rounds of competition to further narrow the field.

State qualifiers from each region advanced to one of three first-round sites — Russell County High School for Regions 1-3, the University of Louisville for Regions 4-6, and Scott High School for Regions 7-9, which includes Lexington’s schools.

The top three finishers in each event at each State First Round site automatically qualified for the State Final Round to be held Friday and Saturday at UK. The rest of the State Final Round fields were filled by the best 15 qualifying times statewide. The state diving competition was not split into rounds. Diving’s state championships will be held Thursday at UK.

In addition to Oddo, Grienke and Hosinski, top boys finishers at Scott on Saturday included Sayre’s Max Yeoh, who won both the 200-yard individual medley and the 500-yard freestyle events.

Henry Clay’s Jack Liau won the boys 100-yard butterfly in a time of 51.40.

The Dunbar boys’ relay teams took both the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays.

Among girls top finishers at Scott, Lafayette’s Lauren Wedeking won the girls 200-yard individual medley. Lexington Catholic’s Caroline Beiting won the girls 100-yard freestyle and was part of the Knights’ victory in the girls 200-yard freestyle relay.

Lafayette’s Lauren Wedeking won the 200-yard individual medley at the Region 8 Swimming Championships at Stivers Aquatic Center in Barbourville on Feb. 3. She repeated that win Saturday at the State First Round meet at Scott High School in Taylor Mill.
Lafayette’s Lauren Wedeking won the 200-yard individual medley at the Region 8 Swimming Championships at Stivers Aquatic Center in Barbourville on Feb. 3. She repeated that win Saturday at the State First Round meet at Scott High School in Taylor Mill.

STATE FIRST ROUND SWIMMING

At Scott High School, Taylor Mill.

Listed: State Final Round qualifiers from Scott site. (Top three, plus other Lexington qualifiers based on statewide times). Complete results and qualifying lists online at khsaa.org/sports-sport-activities/winter/swimming/.

BOYS EVENTS:

200-yard medley relay: 1. Henry Clay (Nick Johnson, Eli Greinke, Jack Liau, Hayes Doolin) 1:36.44; 2. Highlands (Luke Deegan, Griffin Barlow, Charlie Herfel, Chanith Abeysinghe) 1:37.80; 3. Ryle (Chase Denigan, Addison Coughenour, Dennis, Garrett Andy Pleiman) 1:39.43. Other qualifiers: Lafayette, 1:39.77; Tates Creek, 1:44.47; Lexington Catholic, 1:46.43.

200-yard freestyle: 1. Chase Knopf, Ryle, 1:42.99; 2. Rogers, Jimmy, Lafayette, 1:46.60; 3. Nash Parsons Ryle, 1:47.72; Other qualifiers: Sammy Nunez, Dunbar, 1:48.70.

200-yard IM: 1. Max Yeoh, Sayre, 1:53.81; 2. Chase Denigan, Ryle 1:55.20; 3. Ty Dropic, Villa Madonna, 1:58.51; Other qualifiers: Daniel Liew, Dunbar, 2:02.08.

50-yard freestyle: 1. Seneca Oddo, Dunbar, 20.62; 2. Andy Pleiman, Ryle, 21.34; 3.Eli Greinke, Henry Clay, 21.78; Other qualifiers: Isaac Barrow, Lafayette, 21.98; Cooper Downey, Frederick Douglass, 22.70; Grayson Yorba, Lexington Catholic, 22.85; William Naehr, Dunbar, 22.91.

100-yard butterfly: 1. Jack Liau, Henry Clay, 51.40; 2. Griffin Barlow, Highlands, 51.48; 3. Kaiden Graves, Madison Central, 53.23; Other qualifiers: Thomas Yuan, Dunbar, 54.55; John Kennedy, Tates Creek, 54.77.

100-yard freestyle: 1. Andy Pleiman, Ryle, 47.47; 2. Will Hinz, Dunbar, 47.55; 3. Nick Johnson, Henry Clay 47.82; Other qualifiers: Andrew Rathburn, Frederick Douglass 50.12; Cooper Downey, Frederick Douglass, 50.30; Landon Bates, Tates Creek, 50.74; Grayson Yorba, Lexington Catholic, 51.09.

500-yard freestyle: 1. Max Yeoh, Sayre, 4:40.87; 2. Garrett Dennis, Ryle, 4:41.82; 3. Ty Dropic, Villa Madonna, 4:46.64; Other qualifiers: Sammy Nunez, Dunbar, 4:49.49; Joseph Schmidt, Lafayette, 4:56.26.

200-yard freestyle relay: 1. Dunbar (Justin Wong, William Naehr, Sammy Nunez, Seneca Oddo) 1:28.24; 2. Ryle (Andy Pleiman, Nash Parsons, Lucas Dilger, Chase Knopf) 1:29.82; 3. Highlands (Griffin Barlow, Robbie Koester, Luke Deegan, Noah Gracey) 1:30.25; Other qualifiers: Henry Clay, 1:32.09; Lafayette, 1:34.35; Tates Creek, 1:34.83; Douglass, 1:35.08.

100-yard backstroke: 1. Chase Knopf, Ryle, 51.77; 2. Isaac Barrow, Lafayette, 52.29; 3. Nick Johnson, Henry Clay, 52.98; Other qualifiers: John Kennedy, Tates Creek, 53.78; Will Hinz, Dunbar, 54.48; Thomas Yuan, Dunbar, 56.55.

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Eli Greinke, Henry Clay, 56.53; 2. Seneca Oddo, Dunbar, 56.91; 3. Griffin Barlow, Highlands, 57.97; Other qualifiers: Jimmy Rogers, Lafayette, 58.65; Hayes Doolin, Henry Clay, 59.64; Daniel Liew, Dunbar, 1:01.28.

400-yard freestyle relay: 1. Dunbar (Sammy Nunez, Will Hinz, Justin Wong, Seneca Oddo) 3:16.17; 2. Ryle (Chase Denigan, Nash Parsons,Garrett Dennis, Chase Knopf) 3:18.36; 3. Highlands (Charlie Herfel, Charlie Golden, Noah Gracey, Chanith Abeysinghe) 3:19.59; Other qualifiers: Lafayette, 3:23.60; Henry Clay, 3:24.40; Tates Creek, 3:25.43; Lexington Catholic, 3:30.34.

GIRLS EVENTS:

200-yard medley relay: 1. Madison Central (Marlee Cooksey, Angelena Brown, Emma McDowell, Kirsten Eads) 1:49.71; 2. Highlands (Sarah Jones, Keira Kobida, Clare Herfel, Ragan Moore) 1:50.44; 3. Dunbar (Anna Whitney, Meher Saini, Max Reynolds, Charlie Boyd) 1:50.80; Other qualifiers: Lafayette, 1:51.71; Lexington Catholic, 1:53.94; Henry Clay, 1:55.81.

200-yard freestyle: 1. Sadie Hartig, Notre Dame, 1:52.47; 2. Marlee Cooksey, Madison Central, 1:52.69; 3. Amelia Jones, Dunbar, 1:54.31; Other qualifiers: Avery Gabbard, Henry Clay, 1:58.87; Riley Shaw, Lafayette, 2:01.16; Emmalyn Morrison, Tates Creek, 2:01.31.

200-yard IM: 1 Lauren Wedeking, Lafayette, 2:07.19; 2 Reese Yauger, Ryle, 2:09.42; 3 Ryon Argo, Beechwood, 2:09.54; Other qualifiers: Tierney Maynard, Tates Creek, 2:12.76.

50-yard freestyle: 1. Lillian Hosinski, Lexington Catholic, 23.51; 2. Caroline Beiting, Lexington Catholic, 23.74; 3. Elliott Havens, Henry Clay, 24.57; Other qualifiers: Lauren Cox, Lexington Christian 25.02.

100-yard butterfly: 1. Angelena Brown, Madison Central, 56.98; 2. Megan Wedeking, Lafayette, 57.26; 3. Ryon Argo, Beechwood, 57.78; Other qualifiers: Max Reynolds, Dunbar, 59.38.

100-yard freestyle: 1. Caroline Beiting, Lexington Catholic, 51.49; 2. Elliott Havens, Henry Clay, 53.17; 3. 53.20 Lillian Hosinski, Lexington Catholic.

500-yard freestyle: 1. Sadie Hartig, Notre Dame, 4:57.90; 2. Lauren Wedeking, Lafayette, 5:03.11; 3. Clare Herfel, Highlands, 5:04.03; Other qualifiers: Amelia Jones, Dunbar, 5:05.26.

200-yard freestyle relay: 1. Lexington Catholic (Caroline Beiting, Anna Claire Meegan, Maysie Houlihan, Lillian Hosinski) 1:39.11; 2. Madison Central (Marlee Cooksey, Angelena Brown, Emma McDowell, Kirsten Eads) 1:40.14; 3. Highlands (Ragan Moore, Ellie Niese, Addie Tinkler, Keira Kobida) 1:41.57; Other qualifiers: Lafayette, 1:42.00; Henry Clay, 1:43.56; Dunbar, 1:43.93; Tates Creek, 1:45.12.

100-yard backstroke: 1. Marlee Cooksey, Madison Central, 56.47; 2. Megan Wedeking, Lafayette, 57.61; 3. Sarah Jones, Highlands, 57.73; Other qualifiers: Max Reynolds, Dunbar, 59.47; Avery Gabbard, Henry Clay, 1:00.55.

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Addi Johnson, Dixie Heights, 1:06.21; 2. Lauren Cox, Lexington Christian, 1:06.87; 3. Ella Kaak, Great Crossing, 1:07.13; Other qualifiers: Tierney Maynard, Tates Creek, 1:08.86; Meher Saini, Dunbar, 1:09.52.

400-yard freestyle relay: 1. Highlands (Sarah Jones, Ella Kate Reynolds, Keira Kobida, Clare Herfel) 3:40.99 ; 2. Ryle (Gabriella Stephens, Hannah Panko, Mackenzie Denigan, Reese Yauger) 3:41.85; 3. Beechwood (Maddie Staley, Gabrielle Lee, Maria Morris, Ryon Argo) 3:41.90; Other qualifiers: Dunbar, 3:42.87; Tates Creek, 3:50.73; Lafayette, 3:51.17.