FHS swim teams enter NLL championships

Findlay High's swim teams will be one of the new guys in the Northern Lakes League swim meet this week, but FHS coach Jason Chomic feels the Trojans can make a big splash in the final standings. "This is our first conference championship in the NLL and with the new divisional format, I think it is going to create a fantastic meet," Chomic said. "The NLL is a great opportunity for us that offers us a very competitive atmosphere. Our athletes have worked very hard this season and I believe it will pay off this weekend." Perrysburg (boys) and Anthony Wayne (girls) are the defending NLL champions in swimming. With the disbanding of the Three Rivers Athletic Conference and the expansion of the NLL, Findlay and former TRAC members Fremont Ross, Toledo Whitmer and Oregon Clay will now be battling Perrysburg, Anthony Wayne, Sylvania Northview, Sylvania Southview, Bowling Green, Springfield and Napoleon for team and individual honors. Findlay's girls won a TRAC championship in 2017. That portion of the meet was usually dominated by Fremont Ross, Toledo St. Ursula and Toledo Notre Dame. Perennial Northwest Ohio power Toledo St. Francis won every TRAC boys swim championship, often by triple-digit margins over the second-place team. "With the TRAC (Three Rivers Athletic Conference) we kinda knew how things were going to play out," Chomic said. "With the NLL, each team is competitive and will factor into the outcome." The meet gets under way today with the diving competition at Fremont Ross. And Chomic is hoping Findlay entrants like Anderson Reimer, Brian Guthrie and Megan Guthrie can get the Trojans off to a fast start. "I don't want to understate how much our divers have stepped up this year and the role they are going to play," Chomic said. "Not every program has diving; they have always provided us with a quality start that our swimmers will need to carry into the weekend." The swimming portion of the NLL meet will be held Saturday at Bowling Green State University. In head to head competition this season, Findlay's boys did well against the projected top teams in the NLL, beating Perrysburg and almost knocking off Anthony Wayne. "Beating Perrysburg head to head was a major accomplishment for our boys," Chomic said. "That really set the tone for us and we have continued that momentum. You can see that momentum in practice and at meets with the level of energy our boys have every day. Anthony Wayne is leading the (Buckeye) Division and the league, and is looking to regain its championship. However, in our dual meet we swam with them and we lost by a few points. "This weekend is going to be a great opportunity for us. It will be a full team effort and I think we are really going to show a lot of people how good we are, and how much we have improved from the beginning of the season." Team-wise, Findlay appears strongest in the freestyle events, with Jake Best, Matt Weber Sam Dolan, Nicholas Kasiborski having scored well in earlier meets in the 50-, 100-, 200- and 500-yard individual events as well as the relays. Claire Kemmere, a state qualifier in the 200 and 500 frees last year, leads the FHS girls team, along with Taylor Hudson (100 backstroke) and Ava Weissling. "Our strength as a team is our freestyle events and swimmers," Chomic said. "But we have a lot of versatile athletes that we can move around. Having the ability to plug athletes into any event is a major bonus for us." HOCKEY Findlay High's hockey team, riding a recent wave of success that included a 2-1 overtime win over Toledo Sr. Francis that vaulted the Trojans into first place in the Northwest Hockey Conference standings, will head to Pennsylvania this weekend to take part in the Meadville Bulldog Tournament. The Trojans, 16-8-1 and ranked No. 6 in the most recent state poll, will open the tournament Friday against six-time Pennsylvania state champion Peters Township. On Saturday, Findlay will play the McDowell Trojans in one game and three-time state champ Erie Cathedral Prep in another. Results of Friday and Saturday games will, determine the parings for Sunday's championship and consolation games. GIRLS BASKETBALL Findlay's girls basketball team will be looking to get back on the winning track and chalk up a key Buckeye Division win as well when the Trojans travel to Perrysburg today in a Northern Lakes League matchup. Coming off a cross-over game loss to Fremont Ross, Findlay is 8-3 overall, Perrysburg is 9-4 and both teams are 1-2 in NLL Buckeye Division games. Findlay will host Wapakoneta in a Saturday matchup. The girls basketball matchup of the week will be today at Liberty-Benton where the Eagles will host Arcadia in a key Blanchard Valley Conference showdown between two teams that are 2-0 in league play and tied atop the BVC standings. Arcadia has won three straight games and is 10-1 overall. L-B has won five straight and is 9-2. Elsewhere, Findlay High's wrestling teams will be on the road with the boys team competing in the Maumee Bay Classic Friday and Saturday and the girls team taking part in the Arcadia Invitational on Saturday. Also, Findlay's gymnastics team will be at the Worthington Kilbourne Tournament, one of the state's biggest prep gymnastics events outside of the state tournament. BOWLING Sportsman Lanes UNITED METHODIST LEAGUE High game: (men) Gary Waltermire 235; (women) Deb Badertscher 183. High series: (men) Stone DeMuth 574; (women) Karen Wisner 487. MORNING GLORIES LEAGUE High game: Kathy Sayre, Jac & Do's Arlington, 190. High series: Sayre 532. SUNSETTERS LEAGUE High game: Debby Schade, Pete's Auto Service, 183. High series: Schade 496. PRIME TIMERS LEAGUE High game: (men) Richard Rider 243; (women) Wilma Elliott 180. High series: (men) John DeMuth 574; (women) Deb Franks 477. Schedule Wednesday's Events PREP WRESTLING Ada at Fostoria PREP BOWLING Fremont Ross at Findlay Schedule Thursday's Events GIRLS BASKETBALL Findlay at Perrysburg Arcadia ta Liberty-Benton (BVC) Arlington at Carey Ada at Allen East Convoy Crestview at Bluffton Cory-Rawson at Elgin Elmwood at McComb Vanlue at Pandora-Gilboa St. Marys Memorial at Ottawa-Glandorf Van Buren at Riverdale Leipsic at Columbus Grove Genoa at Fostoria North Baltimore at Waynesfield-Goshen PREP SWIMMING Findlay at NLL Meet (diving)