It had been four years of Notre Dame watching Ryle or Dixie Heights win a girls Region 7 swimming title.
That streak ended Saturday. Notre Dame captured its first team title since 2019 by dethroning three-time defending champion Ryle, 372-353, at Silverlake The Family Place.
“Notre Dame had a 20-something-year record, and it was beaten by Ryle three years ago,” Notre Dame sophomore Claire Monahan said. “I actually swam for Ryle and transferred to Notre Dame this year, so I’m really happy to be a part of the Notre Dame win this year.”
Ryle coach Jeff Floyd thought the Pandas win in Saturday’s 200-yard freestyle relay was the race that effectively clinched the Pandas’ win.
The quartet of Claire Monahan, Olivia Wallace, Riley Quinn and Sadie Hartig finished three-tenths of a second ahead of St. Henry’s Sarah Littrell, Alexis Fassbender, Emma Littrell and Ameliya Lynn.
“Three of their girls had just finished the 500 free (Hartig won, Monahan took second, and Wallace placed sixth),” Floyd said. “And to come back and win that relay, that was impressive.”
Wallace was maybe the most exhausted after the 500.
“I crawled out of the pool, I was so tired” she said.
It also helped Notre Dame had two-time state champion Lainy Kruger. The Florida-bound senior won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:50.03 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.23.
Ryle sophomore Reese Yauger won the 200 individual medley in 2:06.15 and 100 butterfly in 56.34.
Littrell, who’s headed for Eastern Michigan, dominated the freestyle sprints. She won the 50 in 23.96 and the 100 in 52.26.
“I cannot do distance; it’s always been sprinting,” Littrell said. “Not backstroke very much. I’m pretty good at (individual medley) and 100 (butterfly).”
St. Henry finished third with 260 points. Dixie Heights placed fourth with 254.5, and Beechwood and Conner tied for fifth with 198.
Ryle’s best boys
The Raiders bested Highlands, 518-473. It was the program’s first regional crown.
“Very happy for the boys,” Floyd said. “This is my eighth year at Ryle, and when I started we were ninth. So now to win our first boys championship is a huge accomplishment, especially with five seniors.
“We were favored this year, and we came through.”
Freshman Chase Knopf and sophomore Andy Pleiman had played large roles in the Raiders’ win. Knopf placed first in the 200 freestyle (1:43.18), and Pleiman won the 50 freestyle (21.84) and 100 freestyle (48.16).
Ryle senior Roman Furuta thought the relays would determine the winner, and he was correct.
Knopf, Furuta, Garrett Dennis and Blake Koenigsknecht won the 200 medley relay (1:38.22). A couple hours later, Furuta, Pleiman, Koenigsknecht and Zach Stephens won the 200 freestyle relay (1:28.48), and Pleiman, Stephens, Dennis and Knopf won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:16.55.
“The relays are double the points, and I feel that’s a big part in scoring for our team,” Furuta said.
Covington Catholic was third with 230 points, Scott placed fourth with 199, and St. Henry took fifth with 163.5.
So close
If you blinked at the wrong time, you’d have missed the closest finish of the night.
That would be the 200 individual medley, where Highlands sophomore Griffin Barlow beat Koenigsknecht by just a hundredth of a second. Barlow turned in a 1:57.22, a fingernail ahead of Koenigsknecht’s 1:57.23.
“It was that close?” Barlow said. “I did not know it was that close. It was definitely thrilling.”
Barlow wanted to relax in the opening butterfly leg because he was tense in Friday’s preliminary round. He said backstroke was his weakest, while the breaststroke was his strongest.
Koenigsknecht – “K-13” to his friends because of the number of letters in his last name – saw Barlow two lanes away. He said backstroke is his strongest, while breaststroke is his weakest, and he tried to hang on in the freestyle finish.
“I could see him out of the peripheral,” Koenigsknecht said. “I guessed it was going to be a close one. I finished, I waited for the time to pop up … We didn’t rest for the meet, so I didn’t expect to go that fast.”
First-timers
St. Henry senior Austin Cutcher and Highlands senior Adam Pawlak are headed to state for the first time.
Cutcher won the boys 500 freestyle in 4:42.37, a little more than six seconds faster than Highlands senior Evan Jones’ 4:48.62.
“It’s really amazing,” said Cutcher, who’ll swim collegiately at Holy Cross. “There’s always been one guy in front of me.
Pawlak captured the 100 butterfly in 53.26, a little more than two seconds ahead of Ryle’s Samuel Zehnder.
“There’s definitely some things I can improve on for state,” Pawlak said. “Definitely stroke tempo. I want to slow it down so I can catch more water.”
Team scores
Girls
1. Notre Dame 372; 2. Ryle 353; 3. St. Henry 260; 4. Dixie Heights 254.5; 5. Beechwood and Conner (tie) 198; 7. Highlands 173.5; 8. Cooper 84; 9. Scott 78; 10. Villa Madonna 72; 11. Boone County 62; 12. Simon Kenton 50; 13. Covington Latin 41; 14. Holy Cross 39; 15. Campbell County 27; 16. Calvary Christian 12.
Boys
1. Ryle 518; 2. Highlands 473.5; 3. Covington Catholic 230; 4. Scott 199; 5. St. Henry 163.5; 6. Villa Madonna 124; 7. Cooper 113.5; 8. Simon Kenton 86; 9. Holy Cross 76.5; 10 Campbell County 67; 11 Beechwood 62; 12. Conner 55; 13. Dixie Heights 51; 14. Covington Latin 25.
Combined girls and boys scores
1. Ryle 871; 2. Highlands 647; 3. St. Henry 423.5; 4. Notre Dame 372; 5. Dixie Heights 305.5; 6. Scott 277; 7. Beechwood 260; 8. Conner 253; 9. Covington Catholic; 10. Cooper 197.5; 11. Villa Madonna 196; 12. Simon Kenton 136; 13 Holy Cross 115.5; 14. Campbell County 94; 15. Covington Latin 66; 16. Boone County 62; 17. Calvary Christian 12.