More Firestone swim pool, school records fall with senior Jonny Marshall in the water
Firestone swimmer Jonny Marshall stood on the pool deck of Harvey S. Firestone Natatorium with a big smile on his face Tuesday night.
It was a time to celebrate and an opportunity to set more records in a venue that is like a second home for the 6-foot-5 senior who has won two Division I state championships.
Flanked by his parents, Louise and Steve Marshall, he walked as his name was announced over the public address system and posed for pictures during Senior Night festivities ahead of a tri-meet with Canfield and Warren Harding.
Moments later, the national anthem played and it was go time for Marshall, an Akron resident and University of Florida recruit.
Marshall then set three Firestone boys swimming pool records by winning the 200-yard freestyle in 1:37.89 and the 100 butterfly in 48.54 and posting a 100 freestyle leadoff split of 45.48 on the first-place 400 free relay that clocked a 3:24.78.
He almost set another pool record when he compiled a 50 freestyle leadoff split of 21.07 on the first-place 200 free relay that finished in 1:32.81.
The Firestone record board is covered with the name "Marshall," with the Falcons standout having five out of the eight individual pool records and five out of the eight school records.
“This pool, it is like symbolic,” Marshall said. “It is such a constant in my life. I see it basically everyday, so it is kind of my rock in a way. It holds a lot value with the Don Drumm [design] on the wall [facing north] and then on the opposite wall [facing south] with the national championship banners and the state championship banners. We are kind of like having to uphold that Firestone name in a way and represent Firestone well.
“… Having the record board loud and proud [on the wall facing north] and dedicated to Adam Grigas is special. This is obviously symbolic. There is a sense of pride because there are some really big names up there. There are gold medalists and there are NCAA champions up there. This is a cool pool to swim in. There is a lot of history.”
That Firestone swimming history includes the exploits of state champions Mark Gangloff, Jon Albrecht, Chris Ash and Katie Miller. Gangloff is an Olympic gold medalist.
Jonny Marshall holds majority of Firestone individual swimming records
Firestone coach Cindy Dial and her staff celebrated the feats of program's six seniors — Marshall, Mason Brady, Sam Kmet, Nick Michael, Tera Brilmyer and Elle Dannemiller — Tuesday.
“It is a privilege to work with the kids every year,” Dial said. “We want them to be able to take something that they learned here and move on with it. That is all we can hope for, that they are moving on with the best of the program and always give back after they graduate.”
Michael, Kmet and junior Stanley Niekamp joined Marshall in the 400 free relay, and the Falcons 200 free relay featured Marshall, Brady, Michael and Niekamp.
“Our seniors are a great representation of the culture that is Firestone swimming,” Niekamp said. “It is part of the reason that it is so special to be a part of the program. We are unique in that we connect to our community [with the annual Kids Helping Kids Swim Marathon at Firestone that benefits Akron Children’s Hospital]. It is a great program to be a part of, and our seniors really embody that.”
Firestone has 19 girls and 11 boys on its swim team this season.
“This is a small group of boys, but they pull each together and they pull each other up,” Dial said. “Jonny is in good hands with his future going to the University of Florida. What he has given to our program the last four years is pretty spectacular.”
In addition to the three pool records on Tuesday, Marshall also has the pool record for the 200 individual medley (1:52.94) and the 100 backstroke (48.95).
Marshall’s five school records are in the 200 freestyle (1:36.54), the 50 freestyle (20.70), the 100 butterfly (48.36), the 100 freestyle (44.51) and the 100 backstroke (46.74).
How Firestone senior Jonny Marshall started swimming
Marshall couldn’t quite remember exactly when he learned how to swim, but he recalls it being during a family trip down south.
“We were in Florida with my English grandmother [Beverly Gowens] who was over here in the [United] States for vacation and we were on a vacation in Key West or something,” Marshall said. “I was in a pool and I was 4 or 5 or 6 years old and learned how to swim. Swimming has always been a big thing on my mom’s side of the family. My grandma that helped teach me how to swim, swam, and my mom [Louise] and my aunt [Kirsty Gowens] both swam.”
Marshall’s parents met in the early to mid 2000s during their time on the University of Cincinnati swim team.
Marshall grew up swimming and playing baseball, basketball and soccer. He also dabbled in skate boarding and bicycling.
“I had went to [USA Swimming] Zones the summer after my sixth grade year and I did well there and I thought, ‘Hey, this is going to be my route,’” Marshall said. “Plus, I think there was always a little bit of me that thought this is a viable option just because of where my parents had been and their background in swimming.”
Marshall has competed in meets across the United States and internationally.
His senior year of high school has three championship events coming up: the sectional meet in Akron, the district meet in Cleveland and the state meet in Canton.
“His accomplishments, they never surprise me,” Brilmyer said of Marshall. “He works really hard in practice and it is definitely weird to imagine we are not going to be together all the time [in college]. We will only really see other a few times a year. It is going to be a hard adjustment, I think, and a hard goodbye. I really appreciate being able to watch him grow, and he has helped me grow so much in the same manner because we have always trained together.”
Brilmyer, a Fordham University recruit, is working toward her fourth state swim meet — just like Marshall is. The seniors are next-door neighbors.
“We have watched the Senior Night for three years, and it has always been a dream to obviously do it ourselves,” Brilmyer said. “We have accomplished so much as a team over the past couple of years, things that I don’t think we ever imagined we would, like being runner-up at the [Division I] district meet last year. This team environment this year has been so supportive. We are a much smaller team, but I think that bonds us more. It will be hard to leave, but we will bring amazing memories back with us.”
Firestone Falcons swimmers 'excited to finish the season off strong'
Dannemiller said she is “excited to finish the season off strong.” Her brother, Fritz Dannemiller, swam at Firestone and her father, Noel Dannemiller, swam and dove at Firestone.
Michael is the youngest of four brothers who all went to Firestone. Alex Michael and Ben Michael were swimmers for the Falcons and Sam Michael ran on the Falcons cross country and track and field teams.
“It is nice to come to a close on four years for me and 11 years because of my family’s involvement with two older brothers swimming,” Nick Michael said. “For them to come and watch me swim in this meet is awesome.
Kmet said, “It’s been fun to be a part of this program,” which included his older sister, Abbie Kmet, two years ago.
Brady described Tuesday’s meet as “bittersweet.”
“I remember my freshman year it felt like it took forever going through the school year, but now that I am here as a senior it feels like the blink of an eye,” he said. “… It has been great swimming with Jonny. It has been great swimming with Stanley, Sam and Nick. Last year, we had Dominic Gasper and Daniel Green. It has been a lot of fun swimming with them. I have known these guys for a long time. I have known them since before high school.
"It has been great seeing where we have all come together and where we are going to go next.”
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Senior Jonny Marshall continues to set Firestone swimming records
