Liberty's record-setting Williams paces central Ohio at Division I boys state swimming
CANTON — Hudson Williams lives two hours from Branin Natatorium, the site of the state swimming and diving meet, but the Olentangy Liberty senior couldn’t be blamed if he considers the venerable facility his second home.
Williams has had some of his top moments there, including winning the Division I 50-yard freestyle as a junior and setting the pool’s 100 free record six weeks ago during the Northeast Classic.
During Saturday’s state finals, Williams put an appropriate bow on his high school career, sweeping the 50 and 100 free in state- and pool-record times of 19.55 and 42.98, respectively. The latter was 0.25 of a second faster than his Northeast Classic mark.
“I just come in every day and have my own mindset about how to improve myself and my races,” said Williams, a North Carolina State recruit who did not break 20 seconds in the 50 free until December. “I have goals and times I want to meet. I wanted to come in, break that record for my team and my family.
“I went fast at district and just wanted to be faster here. I am glad for that. All I can credit my improvement to is my coaches.”
Division I girls swimming: Dublin Jerome captures first title as Columbus area dominates state meet
Williams brought the Columbus area half of its four championships Saturday.
Upper Arlington senior Grant Gooding, a Louisville signee, won the 100 breaststroke in 53.54, 0.01 off the state record. He also finished second in the 200 individual medley (1:47.85) to Westerville Central’s Chase Swearingen (1:46.67), leading to the Golden Bears to their third runner-up finish in four seasons.
UA amassed 182 points, 105 behind a Cincinnati St. Xavier team that won its 14th championship in 15 years and 43rd overall.
“I wanted that state record but the 200 IM took it out of me,” Gooding said. “This year kind of feels the same as last but this is also my last high school race. I thought I might have a chance to crush that record but I was a little sore, so the race was a closer than I’d like.”
The Golden Bears also got fourth-place finishes from their 200 free (1:23.64) and 200 medley (1:31.53) relays and podium appearances for Reid Caswell in the 500 free (tied for fifth, 4:34.97) and 200 free (seventh, 1:41.22).
Boys diving: New Albany's Hamish Patel finishes second at Division I state meet
Swearingen, a junior who was second in the 100 butterfly (48.21) to a national-record time of 44.97 set by Toledo St. Francis’ Scotty Buff, said he swam to his first championship in memory of his father, Matt. Matt Swearingen died unexpectedly Dec. 18, leading Chase to skip most of the regular season and temporarily put a postseason run in doubt.
“I wasn’t even sure I’d swim in the state (meet) because I wasn’t totally there mentally, but my coaches helped me guide physically and mentally toward my goals,” said Swearingen, who took control of the 200 IM on the third leg. “I knew if I hung with everybody until the breaststroke, I’d be able to pick it up and win it all.”
Led by its runner-up 200 free (1:22.79) and 400 free (3:04.21) relays and Dean Sherrer’s third-place finish in the 100 free (44.94) and 200 free (1:38.66), Dublin Jerome finished third (158) for the second consecutive season.
Liberty was fourth (129), building secondary points from its third-place 200 free (1:23.26) and 200 medley (1:31.37) relays.
Other central Ohio boys swimmers who reached the state meet podium
200 medley relay: St. Charles (fifth, 1:31.98)
200 IM: Andy Lu, Jerome (fifth, 1:52.52)
50 free: Joshua Smith, New Albany (third, 20.5); Tuckor Lambert, Olentangy Orange (fifth, 20.77); Connor Florence, Thomas Worthington (sixth, 20.87); Austin Carpenter, St. Charles (seventh, 20.89)
100 fly: Smith (sixth, 49.9)
100 free: Lambert (fourth, 45.22); Florence (seventh, 46.17); Zach Barnes, Thomas (eighth, 46.41)
200 free relay: New Albany (fifth, 1:23.85)
100 backstroke: Matt Fralic, Thomas (fifth, 50.05)
100 breast: Carpenter (third, 55.3); Lu (fifth, 55.83); Owen Johanssen, Hilliard Davidson (sixth, 56.77)
400 free relay: UA (sixth, 3:07.28); New Albany (seventh, 3:07.8)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Liberty's Williams leads Columbus area at boys state swimming
