Girls Gold Star Awards

2010-2019

Ohio High School Swimming

"Keep in mind that the past is not history, but a much vaster region of the dead, gone, unknowable or forgotten. History is what we choose to remember."
Joseph J. Ellis

2010

  • Margo Geer
    Senior
    Milford Center Fairbanks
    • For the 2nd straight year, Margo Geer wins the Gold Star Award going away. She won her 3rd straight title in the 50 Freestyle, and after her 100 Freestyle victory, she became the 4th girls’ swimmer in Ohio history to win the same event 4 consecutive years (Katherine Creighton, Tina Silbersack, Whitney Myers)! There was a lot of talk about how all of the records broken last year with the tech suits made swimming out of reach - Geer had other things to say. Without the speed suits, she still bettered both of her state records from last season! Her 50 Freestyle best time of 22.35 broke her old mark by .05 and was the 2nd best time in the country this year. More impressively, she dropped her 100 Freestyle state record from a 48.99 to a 48.35, which was ranked 3rd in the nation. That means that during her tenure, she’s dropped the sprint freestyle state records 0.38 seconds and 1.55 seconds, respectively. Geer’s 7 individual wins puts her 2nd in Ohio history behind only Whitney Myers, and the only time Geer didn’t win, she still won her division 1 race (freshman 50 Freestyle) with the 2nd best time in Ohio that year.

    A few other swimmers need to be mentioned still, none of which are new names to the Ohio scene. 2nd in our Gold Star rankings again is Kate McNeilis from Dublin Scioto. After demolishing the 100 Backstroke state record as a junior, she wasn’t quite as fast this year but still posted a 54.21 mark to win her 2nd straight title in that event. The time was 11th best in the country this year. She also was runner-up in the 200 Freestyle, making a rare switch from the 50 Freestyle last year.

    Samantha Zuch makes her 1st all-star team, but she’s been flirting on the edge for multiple seasons now as she’s won division 2 titles in the past. This year she was the best in Ohio in the 200 Freestyle and had the 3rd best 500 Freestyle time. Her 1:48 in the 200 Freestyle was 13th best in the country.

    Finally, Gracie Finnegan, Bishop Watterson senior deserves her own section. Had Margo Geer never swam in Ohio, Finnegan would have arguably won multiple Gold Star awards by this point. She graduates with 6 division 1 state titles, all in the 50 and 100 Freestyle, meaning she hasn’t lost an individual race since her freshman year. The problem is, she’s finished just 2nd in the Ohio rankings each time to Margo Geer. Still, Finnegan’s times have been under old state records at points, and perhaps more importantly, she’s led a previous nobody team in Bishop Watterson to high state finishes. Besides her runner-up finishes this year, her 200 and 400 Freestyle Relay teams were state champions. Her best times this season of 23.16 in the 50 Freestyle and 50.16 in the 100 Freestyler were ranked 13th and 10th in the nation, respectively.

2011

  • Dani Barbiea
    Senior
    Springboro
    • In what had to be the closest Gold Star race on the girls’ side since the ridiculous 1988 season where 4 girls had legitimate claim to the award, Dani Barbiea comes out ahead of Abby Chin and Maddie Martin by the slimmest of margins.

    Barbiea, an honorable mention last year, won both the 50 and 100 Freestyle this year with impressive times. Her 22.94 in the 50 Freestyle tied her for 4th fastest in state history and 3rd best ever without a tech suit. That time was the 7th best in the nation this season and was far and away the best in Ohio. She then won the 100 Freestyle with a 50.72 mark that was 19th best in the nation and beat Maddie Martin by just over a tenth of a second. Barbiea also was the key reason Springboro had 2 relays challenging for state titles. While they weren’t able to take down mighty Upper Arlington, both their 200 Medley and 400 Freestyle Relay teams were runner-up.

    The deciding factor for Barbiea winning the award was the fact that she came through with a state record 50 butterfly split on that medley relay, going a 23.87 that beat Darcy Fishback’s old record by almost 2 tenths of a second. Had she not set that record, or not beaten Martin in the 100 Freestyle, she’d likely be 3rd in the Gold Star rankings, showing just how close the race was.

    2nd in the rankings is actually Abby Chin of Upper Arlington. The best swimmer from the best swim team finally makes her first all-star team after sitting on the edge as an honorable mention for the better part of her entire high-school career. She actually came through in a big way, becoming one of only a few girls to win all 4 of their events at the state meet as she was champion in the 200 Freestyle, 500 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle Relay, and 400 Freestyle Relay. Her 23.3 anchor leg on that 200 Freestyle Relay clinched UA setting a new state record at 1:34.12, and that relay was 2nd best in the country this year. Her individual times weren’t nationally scoring (Top-16) but her 1:49 and 4:48 marks were still impressive.

    Sophomore Maddie Martin of Pickerington Central won her 2nd straight state title in the 100 Butterfly and as stated, just missed out winning the 100 Freestyle as Barbiea beat her by a tenth. Martin’s consideration for the Gold Star had a lot to do with the fact that she beat Darcy Fishback’s state record in the 100 Butterfly, making the new standard 53.34. that time was 3rd best in the country this year.

    The final swimmer to be mentioned this year is Kate Miller, a sophomore from Akron Firestone. She was state champion in the 200 IM, runner-up in the 500 Freestyle, and her 2:00.62 best time in the 200 IM was the 9th best in the country this year.

2012

  • Bridget Blood
    Junior
    Cincinnati Ursuline
    • Upper Arlington won their 7th straight girls’ team title, as impressive as ever considering they’d never won before this streak began. Cincinnati Ursuline and Gates Mills Hawken gave it their best shot, however, scoring 211 and 209 to UA’s 248, and Ursuline is the team looking to have a shot at ending the streak in the near future due to a pair of girls who were both nationally scoring this year.

    One of them, Bridget Blood, is the Gold Star winner this year after having the only double-win performance on the girl’ side. She took first in the 200 IM and 100 Breaststroke, and while her best time in that 200 IM was an All-American 2:01, it's her breaststroke that was the highlight. Blood swam a 1:02.59, one of the faster times in state history and the 15th best this season.

    Her teammate, Emily Slabe, was equally as impressive, finishing 1st in the 100 Backstroke and 4th in the 100 Butterfly. Slabe’s backstroke time of 54.23 was 3rd fastest in state history and 13th best in the nation. That was actually the highest nationally scoring swim this season for Ohio girls. Those two girls combined to win their 2nd straight 200 Medley Relay state title, this time with a 1:42.51 time that was a new state record and 4th best in the country this year.

    Upper Arlington won the meet more on depth than anything this year, but they still had their moments, many of which came from freshman star Gracie Long. She won the 100 Freestyle, was 4th in the 200 Freestyle, and led UA to state titles in both the 200 and 400 Freestyle Relays. That final swim was noteworthy because UA put together a team that took down the oldest record on the board: the 2000 Toledo Notre Dame girls’ 400 Freestyle Relay. Long, with teammates Lauren Comer, Jennifer Smith, and Gabrielle Veri, swam a 3:24.24 that took down the old mark of 3:25.69 by over a second, and that relay was 4th best in the country this year.

    Comer is a swimmer of note this year because she missed making her 2nd straight all-star team by just a couple of points, but her 2:00.48 best time in the 200 IM this season was top in Ohio and the only nationally scoring swim in that event (15th ranked).

    Finally, Maddie Martin of Pickerington Central was able to successfully defend her 100 Butterfly crown for the 3rd straight year, doing so with a 54.27 that was also the 15th ranked swim in the nation.

2013

  • Chase Kinney
    Senior
    Massillon Jackson
    • Kinney takes the Gold Star after posting a national point total that only Margo Geer has bettered in the last 10 seasons. Kinney, a sprinter, won both the 50 and 100 Freestyle with some times that even challenged Geer’s records, and that was necessary because there were 2 other girls who were tops in Ohio in both of their events this year. In fact, Kate Miller of Akron Firestone had arguably as impressive a meet as Kinney because she took down what was by far the oldest record on the board, that being Tami Ransom’s 200 IM mark of 1:58.76 with her own 1:57.98. Kinney, however, has been chosen as the award winner because her 22.53 in the 50 Freestyle was actually ranked higher nationally (2nd) this season than Miller’s 200 IM (which was 3rd in the country). That and Kinney in her 2nd event (the 100 Freestyle) posted a 49.70 that was 8th best in the country.

    Miller’s 2nd event (the 100 Backstroke) saw her impressively beat a tight field, but her 54.04 time was 16th in the country. That 28 to 17 national point difference was key in the final decision to push Kinney to the top. Her 50 Freestyle and 100 Freestyle times there were 2nd and 3rd best in Ohio history, and she also split 22.1 anchoring Jackson’s 200 Medley Relay. Still, Miller deserves much credit as her IM record proved only part of her impressive versatility. She swam the breaststroke leg on Firestone’s 200 Medley Relay and anchored their 400 Freestyle relay on top of her 100 Backstroke and 200 IM.

    Besides those 2 girls, Zoe Thatcher (3rd in the Gold Star ranks this year) is another girl who won both of her events this year. A junior at Mason, Thatcher took the 200 and 500 Freestyle with some of the best times in state history. Her 1:47.43 was 2nd best in state history and 11th in the nation, while her 4:47.26 made her the 3rd best in Ohio history and 12th in the country. The fact that a season like that is just 3rd in the Gold Star ranks shows how much faster Ohio can get in just 1 year.

    Cincinnati Ursuline notably took down Upper Arlington, handing them their first loss since 2005, and giving Ursuline their first team title since 2003 (combined and D1). They were led by 3 all-stars: juniors Emily Slabe and Alisabeth Marsteller, and senior and last year’s Gold Star winner, Bridget Blood. Slabe was their best this time, finishing 2nd in both the 100 Backstroke and 100 Butterfly. She notably had a 53.94 time this year in the 100 Backstroke that was 9th best in the country, but ended up going a 54 at the state meet to get out-touched by Miller. Blood was about as good as last year, finishing runner-up in the 100 Breaststroke and 3rd in the 200 IM. Marsteller was 3rd in the 100 Freestyle and 4th in the 200 IM. Blood and Slabe were part of their 200 Medley Relay team that won the state title, and all 3 girls were key to Ursuline blowing away the state record in the 400 Freestyle Relay. Their 3:23.19 time was a second better than the old record, 4th in the nation, and the key swim on it was Marsteller anchoring with a 49.5.

    Marsteller’s split was important because it basically forced the decision to make the all-star team 11 girls this year instead of the usual 10. Much of this had to do with Maddie Martin of Pickerington Central. Martin made her 4th straight all-star team after becoming just the 5th girl in state history to win the same event (100 Butterfly) for 4 straight years. The issue was that she had an ‘off-meet’ in Canton and was 2 seconds slower than her state record time in that 100 Butterfly. That combined with her 100 Freestyle not approaching her previous best times made it so the lower limit for making the all-star team was tighter than usual. Marsteller scored 31 points but is being granted a spot due to the fact that she was part of the winning team, and was the key swimmer on the record setting relay.

    The final swimmer to be mentioned is Gracie Long, sophomore from runner-up Upper Arlington. Making her 2nd all-star team in as many years, Long was runner-up in the 100 Freestyle, 3rd in the 200 Freestyle, and anchored UA to a relay win in the 200 Freestyle Relay. Her 49.8 time in the 100 Freestyle almost knocked off Kinney and was 12th best in the country this year.

2014

  • Alisabeth Marsteller
    Senior
    Cincinnati Ursuline
    • After taking down long-time reigning champion Upper Arlington last year, Ursuline has now started a streak of their own as they demolished the field this year, and much of it had to do with 3 girls: Marsteller, Sydney Lofquist, and Emily Slabe. With star Bridget Blood having graduated, nothing was guaranteed for Ursuline but Lofquist moving down from Dayton Oakwood and Marsteller’s emergence made the result a no-brainer from an early point in the meet. In fact, these three girls became the first trio of teammates to all win both of their respective individual events in the history of OHSAA swimming!

    Marsteller, whose efforts made it so there was an 11th spot on last year’s all-star team, improved drastically this year to claim the Gold Star in pretty convincing fashion. She won both the 200 and 100 Freestyle and was the fastest swimmer and anchor on their 1st and 2nd place 400 and 200 Freestyle Relay teams. After her teammates started the meet with a win in the 200 Medley Relay, Marsteller’s rise to stardom was quickly cemented as she destroyed the field in the next event, the 200 Freestyle. She posted a 1:46.78 that not only took down defending champ Zoe Thatcher, but also broke Whitney Myers’ twelve-year-old state record. That was the first time an Ohio girl has been under the 1:47 barrier, and it was the 5th best swim in the nation this year.

    Marsteller continued her onslaught on day 2 where she started the night winning that 100 Freestyle over another former champ in Gracie Long of Upper Arlington. Her 49.75 time was ranked 9th in the nation. She then anchored splits of 22.53 and 49.36 on Ursuline’s freestyle relays, and that final 400 Freestyle Relay leg was notable: Ursuline broke their own state record from last year by a full 1.3 seconds, swimming a 3:21.89 that was 4th best in the nation. Marsteller became the first girls’ swimmer to set an individual and relay state record since Upper Arlington’s Darcy Fishback in 2009.

    Ursuline’s other stars, Lofquist, Slabe, and Temarie Tomley, all had notable meets of their own. Lofquist won the 200 IM and 500 Freestyle with times of 2:00.13 and 4:46.63. Those were 14th and 10th in the nation, respectively. Slabe won her 2nd state title in the 100 Backstroke and 1st in the 100 Butterfly. Her 53.95 backstroke time was good, but she’d also swam a 53.35 earlier in the season that was 10th best in the nation this year, and a new state record! Tomley was 6th in both the 50 and 100 Freestyle but did her primary damage on relays. Her 200 Freestyle Relay leg was a 22.63, while her 400 Freestyle Relay leg of 49.53 was key in them getting the record. Slabe and Lofquist teamed up to win the 200 Medley Relay and then joined Marsteller and Tomley on the record setter to end the meet.

    Besides Ursuline’s dominance, Hannah Stevens had a most impressive season. While she only finished as Ohio’s 2nd best in the 100 Backstroke and 3rd in the 100 Freestyle at state finals, she was swimming division 2 and didn’t have a chance to race the D1 champions. Whether or not she’d have been able to come through given the chance, she still posted best times this year of 53.73 in the 100 Backstroke and 49.73 in the 100 Freestyle. Those were the top times in Ohio and were ranked 12th and 8th, nationally.

    Finally, Upper Arlington notably beat the Marsteller/Tomley led Urusline 200 Freestyle Relay and to do that, it took a state record. Led by former 100 Freestyle champ Gracie Long and her all-star teammate Jenny Smith, they finished with a 1:33.87 that was 8th best in the nation. Smith was runner-up in the 200 IM and 4th in the 500 Freestyle while Long was runner-up in the 100 Freestyle and 5th in the 200 Freestyle.

2015

  • Sydney Lofquist
    Senior
    Cincinnati Ursuline
    • When looking at a swimmer's performance for the purpose of picking a winner for this, swimmeet.com’s Gold Star Award, there are always several factors that come into play. While elements like state records and national relevance are certainly regarded as important, this award at its core has always been based on a swimmer’s complete performance at the state meet, especially compared to their contemporaries, and that’s why this year’s winner is Sydney Lofquist.

    There were 4 girls contending for the award this year: Ashley Volpenhein, Hannah Whitley, Alexandra Wooden, and Lofquist, and at first glance, Mason sophomore Volpenhein and Springboro junior Whitley both look like they should have had a leg up on Lofquist. It was Volpenhein who led Ohio this year in national level points with 20 after she posted the best sprint times since Margo Geer. Her 49.34 in the 100 Freestyle was 12th in the nation and 2nd best in Ohio history, while her 22.35 time in the 50 Freestyle actually tied Geer’s state record and was ranked 4th nationally! Whitley’s meet was notable because she was state champion in the 100 Backstroke with a 52.92 time that handily beat Emily Slabe’s state record from last year by 0.43 seconds, giving her the 4th best time in the nation this year! Why then does Lofquist win the award? Primarily because unlike Volpenhein and Whitley, she was the champion in both of her events at the state meet, and still did so with some of the better times in Ohio history - but there’s more to it.

    When Canton’s Olympic-sized, dual-use pool opened up in 1975, it was absolutely state-of-the-art. Several big meets were held there over the years at all levels, and some fast pool records were set. By the 1990’s, however, there were always better options in Ohio from a speed perspective, and by the 2010’s, Canton had become a notably slower pool than even the district qualifying locations. While most swimmers don’t seem to mind since C.T. Branin Natatorium’s environment is unmatched, slight speed differences are noticeable. Volpenhein’s aforementioned times that resulted in 20 national level points were all done at the district meet in Miami University’s pool. Her state finals times in Canton ended up being ranked 13th and 20th in the nation, resulting in just 4 national level points. If Lofquist were to have swum her best at the District meet, who’s to say she wouldn’t have posted significantly better times than at state where her ranks were 8th and 17th? Just as an example, Jenny Forster, a swimmer who The primary thing differentiating Volpenhein and Lofquist, however, is the fact that Lofquist was champion in both of her events this year. It’s unfair to say Volpenhein ‘lost’ the 100 Freestyle (since she took down all of her Division 1 competition), but Alexandra Wooden of Division 2’s CCDS had a faster time at state (49.43 to 49.73). Wooden also won the 200 Freestyle with a 1:46.9 that was 2nd best in Ohio history, so if anything, maybe it should be Wooden and Whitley as the main competition for Lofquist when determining the Gold Star.

    Wooden and Lofquist were the only 2 girls this year to be Ohio champion in both of their events, but Lofquist’s national rankings were better, giving her the edge. Whitley vs Lofquist is a tad trickier. The Springboro junior setting the state backstroke record is certainly notable, and in some years, may have been enough to propel her to the top of the ranks, but the fact that her second event was nowhere near as good as her primary was a deciding factor for picking the Ursuline senior to win the Gold Star. Also, Whitley’s 2nd event, the 100 Butterfly, saw her post just the 2nd best time in the state this year. Her 54-mid was a good swim, but Lofquist’s 2nd event (the 200 IM) was done with one of the best times in state history (and she won it). That and Whitley wasn’t even the fastest 50 backstroker leading off the 200 Medley Relay this at state finals.

    In conclusion, Lofquist’s 4:44.40 in the 500 Freestyle and 1:59.91 in the 200 IM were combined for the best national average of any swimmer at state this year, and her results were 2nd and 6th best in Ohio history, also best in Ohio. To top it off, she was champion in both of her events (for her division and all of Ohio), something Volpenhein and Whitley can’t say, making Lofquist, in this writer’s humble opinion, the most deserving swimmer this year.

    The only other girl that will be mentioned is Grace Anne Long of Upper Arlington. While not in contention for the Gold Star (she finished as Ohio’s 3rd best swimmer in the 100 and 200 Freestyle), Long makes her record-tying 4th straight all-star team and for the first time since her freshman year, was part of the winning team. Long was UA’s best swimmer for 4 straight years, and in that time, she’s posted some of the best times in state history. She was under the 50-second barrier several times in that 100 Freestyle, and even graduates with some relay state records. Finally, she got to go out on one of the most positive notes ever, leading off UA’s state title 400 Freestyle Relay team en route to the state team title.

2016

  • Ashley Volpenhein
    Junior
    Mason
    • After perhaps getting a tad snubbed when it came to the Gold Star last year, Ashley Volpenehin was a no-brainer decision here in 2016, and that’s even with another girl setting a state record.

    Volpenhein was phenomenal in the sprint events, posting top national times both at the district and state meet this year and this time, she topped it off with a double-state title performance in that 50 and 100 Freestyle. Her best time of 22.45 in the 50 Freestyle was 2nd best in the country, while her state preliminary time of 48.96 in the 100 Freestyle was 5th best nationally and 2nd best in Ohio history. She joins Margo Geer in the coveted 48-second club, and she even had one of the fastest medley relay splits in state history with her 24.2 butterfly leg to open the meet. At the end of day 2, Volpenhein anchored Mason’s state title winning 400 Freestyle relay with a 48.69 and her first 50-split was a 22.9, making her the first swimmer in state history with such a distinction. Her 31 national level points are 3rd most since 2004 (1st and 2nd belong to Geer) and that makes her 1 of just 14 girls in OHSAA history to score over 30 national level points in a season. Perhaps the most important part to Volpenhein, however, was the team battler that Mason had with Upper Arlington. While UA retained their D1 and combined division state titles in the end, Mason actually had the most swimming points (UA had the runner-up diver this season) and their 2nd place finish was the team’s best ever.

    Volpenhein winning the award with such ease should speak volumes because there were still 2 other girls this season who won both of their events at the state meet. Junior Hannah Gresser of Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit and junior Katie Trace of Upper Arlington were fantastic in their own right. Gresser won both the 200 IM and 100 Breaststroke and both of her times were top 18 in the nation. In fact, her 100 Breaststroke time took down Ashley Specht’s state record as she went a 1:01:52 to beat the mark by almost a half-second. That time was ranked 12th in the country this year. Gresser was also part of CFWJ’s D1 champion 200 Medley Relay team that had a time just behind Hawken’s D2 winner. Trace was the 200 and 500 Freestyle state champion for team champion Upper Arlington. Her 200 Freestyle time of 1:47.11 was ranked 11th nationally and she was also a big part of the relay scene, anchoring their 200 Freestyle Relay to a state title.

    The only other girl to be mentioned this year is Hannah Whitley of Springboro. The senior wasn’t quite as fast as her 52.9 record from last year in the 100 Backstroke, but she still posted a fast 53.38 that was 8th best in the country this season. One final thing to note is that since 3 girls scored the maximum 40 points at the state meet, the drop-off in point scored was sudden so there were just 9 swimmers who scored 30 or more state points (usually the all-star threshold). 3 girls scored 29 points (Lauren Heller, Payton Keiner, Hannah Foster) and Heller was chosen for the final all-star spot because she was part of Hawken’s state champion 200 Medley Relay team and was key to Hawken’s run at the state crown this year.

2017

  • Miranda Donley
    Senior
    Columbus School for Girls
    • On the team side of things, Upper Arlington beat Mason by the slimmest of margins at both the division 1 and combined scoring levels, giving them their 3rd straight team title. That means that besides Ursuline’s run in 2013 and 2014, Upper Arlington has been the overall girls’ champ every single year since 2006!

    From an individual standpoint, this was as straightforward a season as we’ve perhaps ever seen. Miranda Donley was hands-down the best girls’ swimmer in Ohio this year, winning the 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, and 200 Freestyle Relay. She saved her best for last, swimming a championship time of 22.49 in the 50 Freestyle and 49.41 in the 100 Freestyle. Those were the 5th and 8th best times in the nation this year, respectively, and that 50 Freestyle was the 3rd fastest time in Ohio history. Perhaps the highlight of the meet for her was being a part of that state title winning 200 Freestyle Relay team that set a new division 2 state record. She also anchored their 400 Freestyle Relay team and finished the season with more national level points (25) than all other girls combined (20).

    The ease of Donley’s pick is significant because it wasn’t as if there were no other impressive performances in Ohio this year. Crile Hart of Hawken and Allison Bloebaum of Mason both won multiple individual events, so for them to not have really been considered for the Gold Star should speak volumes to how good Donley was. Hart, now a 3x all-star, was champion in the 200 IM and 100 Backstroke. Her 200 IM time of 1:59.58 was 11th best in the nation and set a division 2 state record. Bloebaum led Mason this year at the state meet over her teammate and former Gold Star winner Ashley Volpenhein. Bloebaum was champion in the 200 and 500 Freestyle while Volpenhein finished 3rd in both the 50 and 100 Freestyle. While Volpenhein wasn’t quite on her best times, she still had a 49.46 in the 100 Freestyle this year that was 12th best in the country.

    The final swimmer of mention is Megan Glass of Ursuline. The sophomore had an impressive breakout performance where she won the 100 Butterfly and finished 4th in the 200 IM. Her 53.34 time in that 100 Butterfly was 9th best in the country this year and tied Maddie Martin’s state record.

2018

  • Cora Dupre
    Junior
    Cincinnati Mariemont
    • Despite being a smaller school that’s been division 2 from the start, Mariemont High School has seen what some may call unusual bursts of success over the last 50 years from a swimming perspective. They’ve had national champions and record setters (Bob Alsfelder at both the high school and college level); their girls’ team is always among the best in division 2; and they’ve even had an Olympic gold and silver medalist (Nick Thoman). One thing a Mariemont swimmer has never done, however, is win the Gold Star award - that is until now.

    Cora Dupre was the pretty easy choice for the best girls’ swimmer in Ohio this year after one of the best sprinting performances the state has seen. She blew away the fields in both the 50 and 100 Freestyle, both with nationally ranked swims. Her 22.56 time in the 50 Freestyle was ranked 11th in the nation and makes her the 4th fastest girl’s swimmer in Ohio history in that event. Her 100 Freestyle best time of 49.17 was 7th best nationally this year which was 3rd best in Ohio history. Those 18 national level points were easily the most in Ohio this year among girls, and her ‘easy’ winning of the Gold Star occurred during a year with several other notable events.

    First of all, congrats to the Mason girls’ team who overcame several rivals from the last few years to win their first ever girls’ team title. They were led by Allison Bloebaum, a now 3x all-star who successfully defended her own state titles in both the 200 and 500 Freestyle. Mason outpaced a talented North Canton Hoover team who was setting relay state records, and the always deep Hawken girls’ team to win both the division 1 and combined team crown.

    Speaking of North Canton Hoover, they had 2 girls make the all-star team this year, both being sprinters. Amanda Palutsis and Paige Timken swapped spots in both the 50 and 100 Freestyle with Palutsis finishing 2nd and 4th and Timken being 3rd in both. Their highlight’s, however, came from leading their team to victories in both freestyle relays. The 200 Freestyle Relay ended up being a 1:32.3 that blew away the old state record and was ranked 4th in the nation this year!

    3rd in the Gold Star rankings this year is Dakota Elliott, a senior from Upper Arlington. She finished as 200 IM state champion and 3rd in the 500 Freestyle. Her 200 IM time of 1:58.78 was 12th best in the country this year and 3rd best in Ohio history. Next is Hannah Bach, a junior from Broadview Heights. Her only scoring swim at the state meet this year was the 100 Breaststroke, but she put on a show, becoming the only girl to set an individual state record this season. Her 1:00.75 time in that event was ranked 6th in the nation.

    Finally, Megan Glass, a junior from Cincinnati Ursuline notably repeated as state champion in the 100 Butterfly, but for some perspective on how fast swimming is improving across the nation, Glass’ best time this year of 53.51 was just off her state record 53.34 from last year, but while that 2017 time was 9th best in the nation, this swim by Glass ended up being ranked 19th!

2019

  • Cora Dupre
    Senior
    Cincinnati Mariemont
    • For the second straight year, Cora Dupre is the winner of the Gold Star and while last year was an easy decision, this was one of the most dominant seasons in the history of Ohio swimming.

    First of all, she won the 100 and 200 Freestyle, switching back from the 50 Freestyle last year. She was the only double-event winner this season, and since she won the 50 Freestyle last year, she becomes just the 6th girl to win 3 separate individual events at the state meet during their tenure joining some of the best names in state history: Beth Washut, Alison Fealey, Tami Ransom, Whitney Myers, and Jenny Forster.

    Most impressively, though, Dupre becomes the first girls’ swimmer ever in the state to score nationally (Top-16 national ranking) in 4 different events, and she just happened to be top 10 in all of them. Her championship times in the 100 and 200 Freestyle were 48.96 and 1:45.91 which gave her the 3rd and 6th best national times in those events this year. The 100 Freestyle swim was tied for 2nd best in state history while the 200 Freestyle set a new state record! Her 200 Freestyle Relay leadoff time in the 50 Freestyle was a 22.63 that gave her the 9th best 50 Freestyle swim in the country this year, and she even had an in-season 500 Freestyle time of 4:47.50 that was 10th best nationally! Those 45 national level points are the most in state history for a girl. Along with being the fastest 200 Freestyler in state history and 2nd best 100 Freestyler, she graduates also having the 4th fastest all-time 50 Freestyle.

    After Dupre, there were 3 girls who finished 1st and 2nd in their individual events, and the leader of that group was also the leader of the winning team this year. Parker Timken makes her 2nd straight all-star team after leading North Canton Hoover to its first ever girls’ team title (combining divisions 1 and 2). Mason actually won the division 1 girls’ team title for the second straight year but if it weren’t for a diver finishing 14th, Mason and Hoover would have tied! Timken was the 50 Freestyle champion and had the runner-up 100 Freestyle time for Ohio girls this year. Not only that, she was the primary swimmer on 2 Hoover relays (200 Medley and 200 Freestyle) that ended up as the 4th and 3rd best in the nation this year. That 200 Medley Relay set a new state record meaning Timken graduates as part of 2 state record relays (along with her 2018 200 Freestyle Relay). Her 22.59 in the 50 Freestyle was ranked 7th nationally this year and 5th best in state history, and she had an impressive 49.7 in the 100 Freestyle as well.

    Third in our Gold Star rankings is Megan Glass, a senior from Ursuline. Glass, the state record holder in the 100 Butterfly, broke her own state mark (tied) with a 53.31 time that was 14th best in the country this year. She also was the division 1 champion in the 200 Freestyle, finishing with the 2nd best time in the state to Dupre. Next, Felicia Pasadyn, a Brunswick senior makes her 2nd all-star team after a state title in the 100 Backstroke and runner-up finish in the 200 IM. Her 100 Backstroke time of 53.31 was 13th best in the nation this year and one of the best in state history.

    Perhaps underrated this year is Hannah Bach of Brecksville who won her 2nd straight state title in the 100 Breaststroke. Like last year, she won with a state record time, but it was arguably one of the greatest state records in Ohio history. After the state mark had been at 1:01 for several seasons, Bach dropped it to a 1:00.75 last year, and then lowered it an incredible 1.5 seconds this season to a 59.29! That was the 3rd best swim in the country this year but that was Bach’s only state scoring event.