TRAC meet just the start for area's top swimmers

Some of top area swimmers will be at the first TRAC championships this weekend including (front, from left) Dan DiSalle, D.J. MacDonald, Matt Zimmerman, and Connor Trimble, all of St. Francis; (back, from left) Zhada Fields, Mikayla Murphy, and Emmy Sehmann, all of St. Ursula, and Rachael Dzierzak of Notre Dame. THE BLADE/DAVE ZAPOTOSKY Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Heading into the first Three Rivers Athletic Conference swimming and diving championship meet Friday and Saturday, some of the area's top performers will use the event as rehearsal for the season's stretch run.

The TRAC championships begins with diving competition at 4 p.m. Friday at Northview. The swimming will begin at 9:45 a.m. Saturday at the Greater Toledo Aquatic Club.

"We're excited about the TRAC meet because we get to represent St. Francis along with all the other [conference] sports," 12th-year Knights coach Keith Kennedy said. "In the past, when they did the All-City [all sports] trophy, it didn't include swimming. In the TRAC now there are other sports that are contributing to the point totals."

St. Francis finished as Division I state runner-up last season for the second straight time.

"I think we've got a shot at the state championship," Kennedy said. "It really depends on what the guys step up and do. Collectively, if they can pull it together, we have some really good seeds right now.

"All the stars need to align the right way, and all the athletes have got to be on. Who knows? It might be our day."

Back for the Knights are four swimmers who played a huge part in last year's state effort -- seniors Dan DiSalle, D.J. MacDonald, and Matt Zimmerman, and junior Connor Trimble.

Each swam a leg on at least one of the Knights' three state champion relay teams, with DiSalle swimming in both the 200-yard medley relay and 200 freestyle relay victories.

St. Francis senior Dan DiSalle celebrates a relay victory last year at the district. At the state meet, he was part of two championship relay teams. THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON Enlarge | Photo Reprints

DiSalle added to the team points, placing third in the 50 freestyle and fourth in the 100 freestyle. MacDonald, also a member of the winning 200 medley relay team, took fourth in both the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke.

"We've got a lot of freshmen coming up and a lot of good guys who can make state," DiSalle said, "and we still have our relay teams. We can definitely make a push at the runner-up spot. We just need to have the mind-set that we can do it.

"Individually, I hope to get the varsity 50 and 100 freestyle records, and I also hope to be a four-time state champ."

Zimmerman anchored the 400 freestyle relay win, and Trimble swam the second leg on the 200 freestyle relay at state.

This season, DiSalle has Ohio's best time in the 100 freestyle (46.77), and is rated sixth in the 50 freestyle.

The name DiSalle has long been intertwined with St. Francis swimming.

"My dad [Dan] and my four uncles [John, Chris, Joe and Eric] all attended here," DiSalle said. "There really isn't much pressure on me. There's a family tradition of participating at state."

MacDonald, who has already committed to a scholarship offer from Ohio State, has the state's third best time in the 100 breaststroke, and ranks eighth in the 200 IM.

"I'm glad I've gotten that [college choice] done because it takes the pressure off and I can sit back and enjoy my senior year," MacDonald said.

"For us to get state runner-up again is definitely a possibility. We have a really strong core group of guys. If we all swim to our potential, it should be good."

Zimmerman owns three top-five rankings among Ohio freestyle swimmers this season -- second at 100, fourth at 200, and fifth at 500.

"Coming in as a freshman, I was new to the sport," Zimmerman said, "and every year this school and this tradition brought new things to be and really pushed me to go to new levels. We have a really tight-knit group."

As for the relays, St. Francis ranks first this season in the state in the 200 (1:26.67) and 400 (3:08.85) freestyle, and third in the 200 medley relay.

Notre Dame senior Rachel Dzierzak swims a leg of the 200-yard individual medley at last year’s state meet. She took second in the 100 breaststroke. SPECIAL TO THE BLADE/PHIL LONG Enlarge | Photo Reprints

The question will be whether the younger members of the team can provide enough depth to win a state title.

The Knights hope to carry on the school's tradition of excellence.

St. Francis has won 45 of the last 46 district championships, finishing second only in 2008 to St. John's Jesuit. The Knights have won four state team titles and finished as state runners-up eight times.

Dzierzak aims for state title

Notre Dame senior Rachael Dzierzak remains one of the state's top Division I girls swimmers.

Dzierzak, who has committed to Ohio State, was the state runner-up last year in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.97), and placed eighth in the 200 individual medley.

"We have a good team and we're all really supportive of each other," Dzierzak said. "We all challenge each other.

"I want to win state in the 100 breaststroke, which is going to be tough with all the competition. I haven't really gotten my [targeted] times yet, so hopefully my taper will go good."

This season, Dzierzak's best 200 IM time this season ranks seventh in Ohio, while best 100 breaststroke effort ranks eighth.

Freshman trio pace Arrows

How far can St. Ursula's swimming team climb over the next three years led by a talented group of eight freshmen and seven sophomores?

That remains to be seen, but fourth-year coach Rich Szczepinski can easily measure how far the program has come.

When he took the job in 2008-09, St. Ursula had just 11 girls in the program. Currently, there are 43, and Szczepinski has been able to add a junior varsity squad.

At the head of the Arrows' greatly-improved lineup are three freshmen who are each already rated among Ohio's top five in their respective events.

Zhada Fields is ranked third in the state in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke, and rates eighth in the 100 freestyle.

"We don't really know yet how good we'll be because we're just starting out," Fields said. "It's a little different than like club swimming. But, it means a lot to us because we want to be the best team out there.

"Individually, I guess I just want to do really well in my main events, the 50 free and the 100 back. I want to drop a lot of time at the big meets."

Mikayla Murphy is ranked fourth in the 500 freestyle.

"We're hoping to win districts but everyone's got to be at their best," Murphy said. "We have a very deep team this year, and it's not just our freshmen. It's going to take everyone to win districts, and we're going to need that.

"We're excited about [the TRAC meet]. We're hoping to be the first to win that. But we'll have to bring our A-game."

The third promising freshman is Emmy Sehmann, who is ranked fifth in the 500 freestyle.

"I'm hoping to make state every year and, by my last year, possibly win an event at state," Sehmann said.

"The high school state meet is really a different environment," Szczepinski said. "This year's going to be a learning experience for them, but I think they're ready. I don't expect any deer-in-the-headlights look. I expect them to go out and perform."

Contact Steve Junga at: sjunga@theblade.com 419-724-6461, or on Twitter @JungaBlade.