Who is the best Swimmer in the state?

[Number1Spot77]

As you all know the state meet is this weekend and i was thinking before the meet actually started I want to know who you think is the best swimmer in the state of ohio? Who has the most talent? Who is going to score the most points for their team? Who is going to end up winning everything? Obviously we will know who the best swimmer is by the end of the meet, but anythoughts? Predictions?

[Fly4Fun]

As you all know the state meet is this weekend and i was thinking before the meet actually started I want to know who you think is the best swimmer in the state of ohio? Who has the most talent? Who is going to score the most points for their team? Who is going to end up winning everything? Obviously we will know who the best swimmer is by the end of the meet, but anythoughts? Predictions?

Margo Geer by far, no one even comes close. She is the best girl by far, and relative to boys she is the best as well.

Now just on the boys side I would say either Eric Huffman, Roman Willets, Ian Stewart-Bates or Erik Mai. Mai and Bates are more of long shots for this consideration Mai isn't nearly as dominant in his two events as Huffman or Wilets (which is also a tad ironic because Willets and Huffman although dominant stil have to swim against each other), and the same can be said for Ian Stewart-Bates. Unfortunately Ian won't have the chance to actually race Willets, but they both do swim the 200. I'd say the title for the best will be between Huffman and Willets and thankfully that'll happen in the 100 Free. I give Huffman the edge... but he did look awfully fast in sectionals and didn't drop much time at the District meet even though the OSU pool is a much faster pool than UA. Was Huffman's tapper too soon?

[thedutchman]

Agree Margo Geer.

[stxbomber999]

Margo Geer by far, no one even comes close. She is the best girl by far, and relative to boys she is the best as well.

Now just on the boys side I would say either Eric Huffman, Roman Willets, Ian Stewart-Bates or Erik Mai. Mai and Bates are more of long shots for this consideration Mai isn't nearly as dominant in his two events as Huffman or Wilets (which is also a tad ironic because Willets and Huffman although dominant stil have to swim against each other), and the same can be said for Ian Stewart-Bates. Unfortunately Ian won't have the chance to actually race Willets, but they both do swim the 200. I'd say the title for the best will be between Huffman and Willets and thankfully that'll happen in the 100 Free. I give Huffman the edge... but he did look awfully fast in sectionals and didn't drop much time at the District meet even though the OSU pool is a much faster pool than UA. Was Huffman's tapper too soon?

If Willets wins the 200 and Huffman wins the 50, like they are supposed to, then whichever one wins the 100 will be the best in my opinion.

[Fly4Fun]

If Willets wins the 200 and Huffman wins the 50, like they are supposed to, then whichever one wins the 100 will be the best in my opinion.

I agree.

I figured I'd throw out the names of Mai and Stewart-Bates just because they are two other potential 2 event winners. Both are less likely to win their events, but they are both obviously elite swimmers as well.

[stxbomber999]

Here is another question for you guys, who do you think will have the swim of the meet, and in what event? Swimmer of the meet at at state goes to who ever has the best swim, but the OHSAA swimmer of the year goes to whoever scores the most points, or whoever is most valuable to there team. IN recent years it has been the same person (Staab tying the national record got him both awards in 2007) but that is not always the case (in 2005 Chris Ash set the 100 breast state record and was swimmer of the meet, but KIt French, state champion in the 100 Free and Back was the OHSAA swimmer of the year.) I believe Eric Huffman has the best chance to pull off the best swim, because he looks like he may go under 20 seconds in his 50. So i think the winner between Huffman and Willets in 100 will win the OHSAA award, but i think Huffman looks like he is most likely to have the best single swim.

[Fly4Fun]

Here is another question for you guys, who do you think will have the swim of the meet, and in what event? Swimmer of the meet at at state goes to who ever has the best swim, but the OHSAA swimmer of the year goes to whoever scores the most points, or whoever is most valuable to there team. IN recent years it has been the same person (Staab tying the national record got him both awards in 2007) but that is not always the case (in 2005 Chris Ash set the 100 breast state record and was swimmer of the meet, but KIt French, state champion in the 100 Free and Back was the OHSAA swimmer of the year.) I believe Eric Huffman has the best chance to pull off the best swim, because he looks like he may go under 20 seconds in his 50. So i think the winner between Huffman and Willets in 100 will win the OHSAA award, but i think Huffman looks like he is most likely to have the best single swim.

Are there separate awards for girls and guys? I forget...

If there isn't than hands down both will probably go to Margo Geer. She'll break her own state records in both events in her division. She would have broken Jennifer Bradford's record in 50 in D1 and the D1 100 free record. She'll break the meet records in both events. She'll break the pool records in both events. She'll be close, to the National records for public schools (would probably get the Independent National records if she went to a private school).

She'll dominate her competition.

If there are separate awards I would say that Eric might have the most exciting events guys side, really it might come down to that 100 free with him and Willets which should be a great race.

Swimmer of the year would be a tough call. Might be Willets or Huffman. But if some how a team miraculously upsets St. X and has a swimmer that wins 2 events than that swimmer would probably get the award.

[xbomberd08]

They are two separate sports so there are two separate awards.

[Amazin']

I agree.

I figured I'd throw out the names of Mai and Stewart-Bates just because they are two other potential 2 event winners. Both are less likely to win their events, but they are both obviously elite swimmers as well.

Might want to throw Albers in too then. he is second in both his events (200 IM, and 100 breast). He will go faster this week, because of shaving and suiting up. Thoughts? :shrug:

[ImPartial]

Might want to throw Albers in too then. he is second in both his events (200 IM, and 100 breast). He will go faster this week, because of shaving and suiting up. Thoughts? :shrug:
Might want to throw in Whitaker seeded first and second.
Might want to throw in Meisner, McKee, Abeysinghe. But now we are moving from "heavily favored in two events" to "has a chance to win two events."

[stxbomber999]

Might want to throw in Whitaker seeded first and second.
Might want to throw in Meisner, McKee, Abeysinghe. But now we are moving from "heavily favored in two events" to "has a chance to win two events."

Agreed.

The only ones who are "heavily favored in two events" are Huffman and Willets, which is kind of ironic cause they are swimming against each other in an event. They are favored in the 200 and 50 respectively and the 100 is a tossup.

The 100 breast and 200 IM have too many people who could possibly win those to say someone is favored in them both.

[Fly4Fun]

Agreed.

The only ones who are "heavily favored in two events" are Huffman and Willets, which is kind of ironic cause they are swimming against each other in an event. They are favored in the 200 and 50 respectively and the 100 is a tossup.

The 100 breast and 200 IM have too many people who could possibly win those to say someone is favored in them both.

I completely agree. I wouldn't say Mai is the favorite in either event. But he qualified 1st in both and has a shot to finish 1st and will definitely be one of the top swimmers.

Good luck to everyone.

[delontewest1]

Michael Phelps is pretty good.

[xbomberd08]

It seems like Huffman is going to have a better meet than Willets, unless Willets tapers better and beats him in the 100.

[Fly4Fun]

It seems like Huffman is going to have a better meet than Willets, unless Willets tapers better and beats him in the 100.


I'm a little thrown off by how fast Huffman went at the sectional meet. Either he was amazing at sectionals/districts and is tappering for the state meet or the training was messed up and started hitting his taper at sectionals and doesn't really have too much to improve on. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

[thedutchman]

Word is that he had some suit issues at the district meet.

[Fly4Fun]

Word is that he had some suit issues at the district meet.

His prelim times seem to suggest that he was tapered for sectionals and seems to be holding strong at least. His 100 Free time has dropped about .4 since sectionals, but his 50 free time is slightly slower, 20.31 to 20.36.

All still are incredibly fast times, so more power to him if he has been able to maintain his speed despite being a bit too rested for sectionals.

[xbomberd08]

Well Eric Huffman (50fr/100fr), Joe Albers (200im/100br), and Sandy Whitaker (100fl/100bk) all won both of their events. That said, Huffman probably has the most impressive winning times at 20.41 and 44.35, though his best times during tournament were 20.31 and 44.28, and he also split a 19.73 anchoring the 200MR. I would vote Huffman as best swimmer this year.

[Number1Spot77]

Well Eric Huffman (50fr/100fr), Joe Albers (200im/100br), and Sandy Whitaker (100fl/100bk) all won both of their events. That said, Huffman probably has the most impressive winning times at 20.41 and 44.35, though his best times during tournament were 20.31 and 44.28, and he also split a 19.73 anchoring the 200MR. I would vote Huffman as best swimmer this year.

SUre huffman did do all of those things but think about this... Albers swam the 200 IM on preliminaries and did not even have any competition and was probably only semi trying and went a 1.51.6 so probably could have been faster...

[thedutchman]

SUre huffman did do all of those things but think about this... Albers swam the 200 IM on preliminaries and did not even have any competition and was probably only semi trying and went a 1.51.6 so probably could have been faster...

So when his time went up in the finals to 1:52.35, that's when he was trying?

[xbomberd08]

SUre huffman did do all of those things but think about this... Albers swam the 200 IM on preliminaries and did not even have any competition and was probably only semi trying and went a 1.51.6 so probably could have been faster...

If you want to talk about competition, Huffman won the 100 free in prelims by 1.36 seconds, a HUGE margin. Albers had the twice the distance to beat his competition and only won by a margin of 1.56, which is still a large margin, but a 1.36 margin in a 100 is a lot more impressive than a 1.56 margin in a 200.

At finals Huffman won the 100 free by .6, still a large margin, while Albers won the 200 IM by a mere .14.

I'm not trying to slam on Albers, but you cannot compare his swims to that of Huffman's.

[Wunderkind]

Maxim Litvinov

Everyone knows that....