Another year, another combined top-three showing at this month’s Greater Columbus Swim League Championship by the Delaware Aquatic Racing Team Stingrays.
The DARTS, making their 46th showing in the GCSL showcase, saw the Juniors (6U, 8U and 10U) finish third with 1,390 points and the Seniors (12U, 14U and 18U) close fifth with 759.
Standouts included Owen Wion and the boys 18U 200 medley relay team (John Wion, Tommy Redmond, Owen Thomas and Caleb Moore).
Owen Wion set a GCSL record en route to winning the boys 14U 100 meter individual medley in 1:02.91. The previous record, 1:03.24, was set by Plain Township’s Tim Collins in 2004.
Owen Wion’s effort of 33.26 seconds in the 50-meter breaststroke also picked up first-place points and set a league record, bettering the mark of the DARTS’ own Ben Dunham set back in 2019 by a fraction of a second.
He also won the 50 backstroke.
The relay team set a new GCSL standard, too, winning its event in 1:50.27. The previous league mark, set by a team from Gahanna in 2008, was 1:51.06.
Other champions included Ella Materkowski, Naami Fisher-Barr, Taylor Heydinger and Vida Markward, who combined to win the girls 8U 100 freestyle relay; Leah Nebraska, who won the girls 18U 100 IM and 50 butterfly; Kara Glesenkamp, who took the top spot in the girls 18U 50 breaststroke; and John Wion, who won the 50 backstroke.
The girls 18U 200 freestyle (Nebraska, Becca Rauh, Natalie Fiant and Mia Saksa) and 18U 200 medley (Saksa, Glesenkamp, Nebraska and Rauh) relay teams also swam away with GCSL titles.
The DARTS’ combined score of 2,366 was good enough for third overall among the seven teams in action. Delaware’s Jack Florance Pool hosted the diving portion while the swimming events took place at Highlands Park Aquatic Center in Westerville.
The Plain Township Aquatic Club Gators took the top spot with 2,789 points while the Northwest Swim Club Tiger Sharks nabbed runner-up honors with 2,487.50.
The Stingrays had 156 swimmers and divers this season. The Seniors were 3-1 in dual meets while the Juniors finished 2-2.
