WOOSTER — Wooster won its seventh consecutive Ohio Cardinal Conference girls swimming title, matching the boys program with its 18th conference crown.
Meanwhile, Ashland’s Madi Meeting won a pair of individual championships. The sophomore took first in the 100 butterfly (1:01.99) and the 100 backstroke (1:01.35).
“My backstroke time was where I wanted it to be, but my 100 fly was a little different. My tempo felt off,” Meeting said. “It’s good to be pushed by good competition.”
Mansfield Senior’s Macey Wade was the area’s other individual champ. The senior won the 1-meter diving event with a score of 373.15.
Boys
Cooper Watters and his Lexington teammates slayed the giant.
Watters won a pair of individual events as the Minutemen claimed the Ohio Cardinal Conference championship Saturday at Wooster’s Ellen Shapiro Natatorium.
The OCC title was the fourth for the Minutemen and first since 2021. Wooster won the past three OCC crowns and 18 in the conference’s 22-year history.
“We knew it was going to be a close meet,” said Lex assistant Melisa Stone Waters, who was chosen the OCC’s boys Coach of the Year. “Our kids have worked really hard this year and I think battling all season helped us today.
“We haven’t had a lot of meets this season. We haven’t raced for almost two weeks because of the weather, so it was good for us to race today against good competition.”
Watters’ son, Cooper, won the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle events. The junior was also a member of Lex’s winning 200 medley relay team and the runner-up 400 freestyle relay unit.
“I feel like I’m in a really good place mentally and physically,” Cooper Watters said. “Last year I was struggling because my grandmother passed away at this time of the year and I struggled a lot at the OCC meet.
“This year I have the right mindset. The whole team does.”
Cooper Watters teamed with Joe Hathaway, Trey Nickoli and Oden Bell to win the 200 medley relay, the meet’s first event, in 1 minute, 42.23 seconds. He then won the 200 free, the first individual event in 1:52.83. He won the 500 free in 5:04.89.
Nickoli, last year’s Division II state meet bronze medalist in the 100 breaststroke, dominated his signature event. The senior won in 1:00.51, more than seven seconds ahead of runner-up Anthony Sibilia of Wooster.
“I dropped some time in my breaststroke from last year’s OCC meet,” said Nickoli, who was also second in the 200 individual medley. “It’s always good to see time dropping. I’m right where I want to be.”
The area’s only other OCC individual champ on the boys side was Ashland’s Owen Lemon. The senior won the 1-meter diving event with a score of 420.55.