Alex Lewis and his mother Becky Lewis are off to Canton for Friday and Saturday's state swimming meet.New Richmond High School senior Alex Lewis was given a rousing sendoff to the state swimming meet Thursday by the staff and students at the high school.
Click on the Play button below to watch the sendoff.
Lewis and his mother, high school secretary Becky Lewis, left immediately after the hallway pep rally to Canton where Lewis will be the No. 1 seed in the Division II 100-yard butterfly after posting a state-best time of 51.24 seconds in last week's district swim meet at Miami University. His time was .3 seconds faster than the next best time among the 24 swimmers who qualified in the butterfly event.
Lewis also will compete in the 100-yard freestyle at Canton after posting the 15th best time in the district. That time is misleading as Lewis was placed in the slow heat at the district after posting a slow time in the sectionals due to illness.
"I won my heat but there was no one near me and I wasn't pushed," said Lewis, who was rarely pushed during dual meets this season. "I think I can move up the pack in the 100 free."
Lewis will work out tonight at Canton's C.T. Branin Natatorium and then swim in the Division II prelims beginning at 5 p.m. Friday. The Division II finals begin at 5 p.m. Saturday.
The 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle events are swam back-to-back with only a 15 minute break.
But unlike the sectionals when he was weak after recovering from an illness, Lewis goes to Canton in top shape.
"I'm feeling strong now," he said. "I should be OK doing both."
Event 36 Men 100 Yard Butterfly DIVISION 2 qualifiers
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Name Year School
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1 Alex Lewis SR New Richmond 51.24
2 Ronnie Bolden FR Hartley 51.59
3 David Ireland SR Oakwood 51.62
4 Davis Staley SO Chagrin Falls 51.64
5 Russell Stack SO University 51.74
6 Eric Lethander SO Wyoming 51.77
7 Mack Rice SO Indian Hill 51.83
8 Buckley Powell SO Oakwood 52.00
9 Chris Waldock SR SPE 52.09
10 Michael Murphy SR Wyoming 52.10
11 Josh Quallen FR Wilmington 52.11
12 William Rosler JR Columbus Acad 52.46
Event 38 Men 100 Yard Freestyle DIVISION 2 qualifiers
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Name Year School
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1 Cooper Staton JR Desales 47.09
2 Michael Cavanaugh SR Otsego 47.10
3 Daniel Schmitz SR Oakwood 47.13
4 Thomas Fellowes SR Orange 47.16
5 Owen Dunbar JR Wyoming 47.57
6 Tyler Simonton JR Canal Winchester 47.94
7 Seth Poitinger SR Revere 48.01
8 William Rosler JR Columbus Acad 48.07
9 Russell Stack SO University 48.07
10 Pat Dierker SO Wyoming 48.21
11 Sam Ruddock JR University 48.21
12 Michael Murphy SR Wyoming 48.30
13 Eric Lethander SO Wyoming 48.34
14 Korey Schneider JR University 48.53
15 Alex Lewis SR New Richmond 48.54
