Swimming: Grandview’s Furbee wins 2 titles … again
Friday, February 23, 2024
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Tree of Life’s Angie Wyand (front center) and Grandview’s Carrie Furbee (front left) get off the blocks in the 50-yard freestyle during the Division II state tournament Feb. 23 at Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium. Photo: Michael Rich
Carrie Furbee couldn’t stop smiling after the day she had at the Division II state swimming meet. And it was a big, wide smile.
It was the kind of smile that’s only worn after a great achievement.
The Grandview junior won two state titles on Feb. 23 at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.
She won the 50-yard freestyle at 23.02 seconds and followed with gold in the 100 free at 50.06.
“Getting first four times in those events is a great feeling especially knowing I have next year to look forward to,” Furbee said. “I did put a little pressure on myself because I had those goals in mind in my training. So, it’s definitely a relief and it feels so good to win both of those.”
Furbee, an Ohio State commit, bested her times from last year – 23.06 in the 50 and 51.37 in the 100 where she became the first from Grandview to win a state title.
“I’ve been going for sub-22 and sub-50 (seconds),” Furbee said. “But to race those times here and be so close is something that I can be happy about for now.”
Columbus Academy won the only other central Ohio title – the 200 free relay. Andy Li, William Duan, Mircea Butnairu and William Harpster won the race in 1:27.01.
It was the first title for the Vikings since Jacob Eismann won the 100 backstroke and anchored the 400 free relay first-place team in 2018.
Tree of Life’s Angie Wyand (front) and Grandview’s Carrie Furbee (behind) react after the 50-yard freestyle at the Division II state tournament on Feb. 23 in Canton. Furbee won her second consecutive state title in the event, while Wyand was second. Photo: Michael Rich
The top scoring teams in the area both mirrored last year’s placement.
The Academy boys finished third with 125 points behind winner Hunting Valley University School (274) and the Bexley girls were fourth with 141 points behind champion Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown (347).
Harpster led Academy with a second-place finish in the 100 free (45.96) and a third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke.
“I was pretty tired this morning,” Harpster said. “But this was the last swim meet of my high school career, so I had nothing to lose. I just got after it.”
Li, Butnariu, Duan and Harpster also finished second in the 200 medley relay (1:36.09).
Millie Evans and Bethany Spangler led the Lions. Evans finished second in the 100 fly (54.39), but needed medical attention after the race because she was hyperventilating.
But she came back to help the 200 free relay team finish fifth (1:39.33).
“I think she just forgot to breathe a little bit more than she’s used to,” Lions coach Sandy Sliwowski said. “She recovered quickly, though. It was nice to see her work through that and still and be on the 200 free relay team right after that.”
Wellington’s Cameron Petitt competes in the 500-yard freestyle during the Division II state tournament Feb. 23 at Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium. Photo: Micheal Rich
Evans and Spangler were both on the 200 medley relay team that took fifth.
Spangler made the podium in four events. She also took fifth in the 200 free (1:53.75), seventh in the 500 free (5:06.03) and was sixth as a part of the 400 free relay team (3:36.92) that finished sixth.
Granville’s Lydia Sturgeon made the podium in four events – the 200 medley relay (third, 1:47.34), 200 free (sixth, 1:54.19), 100 free (sixth, 52.26) and the 200 free relay (sixth, 1:39.82).
Tree of Life’s Angie Wyand finished second in the 50 free (23.62) and eighth in the 100 free (52.50).
While the second race was a disappointment after finishing with the fourth-best time in the preliminary (51.52), it was still a good final meet for her high school career.
“Overall, I think it was a good day – there were definitely ups and downs for sure,” said Wyand, a Denver commit. “With the 100 – that was not the time I wanted to go out on at all. It wasn’t a terrible time, but it was still bad. I know there’s still more in me – I just have to put all the pieces together to get there.”
Wellington’s Cameron Petitt was second in the 500 free (4:31.42) and third in the 200 free (1:40.36) and Worthington Christian’s Austin Hickok was second in the 50 free (20.81) and fourth in the 100 butterfly (50.18).
“I gave everything I had in every race and that’s all I can really ask for regardless of how I did,” said Petitt, a junior.
Columbus Academy’s William Harpster reacts after finishing second in the 100-yard freestyle at the Division II state tournament on Feb. 23 at Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium. Photo: Michael Rich