Over 500 swimmers plus hundreds and hundreds of fan flock to Bluffton for weekend WOAL swim championships
By Jake Dowling, Icon intern
Ready, get set, swim! That command starts Friday at the Bluffton Community Swimming Pool.
This year, Bluffton hosts the Western Ohio Aquatic League meet championships. The event, will bring hundreds of fans and swimmers to Bluffton for the next two days.
"Warms-up is at 7 a.m. followed by festivities at 9 a.m. and swimming beginning around 10 a.m." said Liz Diller, one of the two Bluffton swim team coaches. "Normally we have a couple thousand fans here, so it adds up pretty quickly."
Diller said the competition will have eight teams. Those teams are:
o Bluffton
o Kenton
o Wapakoneta
o Westside
o Shawnee
o Van Wert
o Ada/Lost Creek
o Sherwood
"We will have about 500 swimmers altogether, maybe even more than that," she said. "Our team has about 70."
Compared to the size of other teams, Diller says Bluffton ranks right in the middle of the pack.
"There are two teams that are way bigger than us, but we have a decently sized team."
In addition, even though Bluffton is an up and coming team, Diller says there is always competition.
"We are definitely a growing program, we have a lot of young kids, but we compete really well, she says.
Bluffton team competitors at the league meet follows:
Friday
Events 1-38
8 and Unders
Allison Diller: #1 25 Free, #19 25 Fly
Anna Edwards: #1 25 Free
Emma Hartzler: #1 25 Free
Emma King: #1 25 Free, #19 25 Fly
Reagan Mittendorf: #1 25 Free
Makala Nye: #1 25 Free
Leiah Preston: #1 25 Free, #19 25 Fly
Kiera Rieman: #1 25 Free
Cate Rummel: #1 25 Free
Alexis White: #1 25 Free
Dyllan Worcester: #1 25 Free
Terron Boblitt: #2 25 Free
Ethan Bogart: #2 25 Free
Xavier Diller: #2 25 Free
Merrick Donaldson: #2 25 Free
Ben Hartzler: #2 25 Free
Maddox Kibele: #2 25 Free
Logan Nussbaum: #2 25 Free
Caleb Ream: #2 25 Free, #20 25 Fly
Ian Rieman: #2 25 Free
Garrett Shunacher: #2 25 Free, #20 25 Fly
Landon Worcester: #2 25 Free
9-10
Pearl Lewandowski: #3 50 Free, #21 50 Fly
Grace Myers: #11 100 IM, #21 50 Fly
Tayler Nowak-Valentine: #3 50 Free
Joscelin Reineke: #3 50 Free, #11 100 IM
Kaitlynn Rieman: #11 100 IM
Victoria Ross: #3 50 Free
Maria Spallinger: #3 50 Free, #11 100 IM, #21 50 Fly
Elizabeth Wright: #3 50 Free
Levi Hohenbrink: #4 50 Free, #22 50 Fly
Kenneth Lovett: #4 50 Free
Landen Luginbuhl: #12 100 IM, #22 50 Fly
Hunter Paxson: #4 50 Free
Jackson Wilson: #4 50 Free
11-12
Autumn Gesler: #5 50 Free, #13 100 IM, #23 50 Fly
Sarah Gillen: #5 50 Free, #23 50 Fly
Erin Hotmire: #5 50 Free, #13 100 IM
Olivia Schumacher: #13 100 IM
Karis Wilson: #5 50 Free, #23 50 Fly
Kaithlyn Wright: #13 100 IM, #23 50 Fly
Christian Groman: #6 50 Free, #24 50 Fly
Sumner Kibele: #14 100 IM, #24 50 Fly
Andrew Lovett: #6 50 Free
Jordan Siefer: #6 50 Free, #14 100 IM
13-14
Hannah Hartzler: #7 50 Free
Julianna Hotmire: #7 50 Free, #15 100 IM, #25 50 Fly
Connor Dawson: #8 50 Free, #16 100 IM
Cody Gesler: #8 50 Free
Misha Groman: #26 50 Fly
Cobie Mikesell: #8 50 Free, #16 100 IM, #26 50 Fly
Levi Mikesell: #16 100 IM, #26 50 Fly
Andrew Ross: #16 100 IM, #26 50 Fly
Cole Wilson: #8 50 Free
15+
Jessica Brockert: #17 100 IM, #27 50 Fly
Kylie Cartwright: #9 50 Free, #27 50 Fly
Kyla Dawson: #9 50 Free
Alissa Garmatter: #9 50 Free, #17 100 IM
Heather Hotmire: #9 50 Free
Audrey Marshall: #9 50 Free
Sierra Osborne: #9 50 Free, #17 100 IM
Delaney Reineke: #17 100 IM, #27 50 Fly
Maddison Wilson: #9 50 Free, #27 50 Fly
Nathan Davis: #10 50 Free
Joshua Garmatter: #18 100 IM, #28 50 Fly
Saturday
Events 39-78
8 and Unders
Allison Diller: #49 50 Free
Anna Edwards: #39 25 Back
Emma Hartzler:
Emma King: #39 25 Back
Reagan Mittendorf:
Makala Nye: #39 25 Back
Leiah Preston: #59 25 Breast
Kiera Rieman: #39 25Back, #59 25 Breast
Cate Rummel: #49 50 Free, #59 25 Breast
Alexis White: #39 25 Back, #49 50 Free
Dyllan Worcester: #49 50 Free
Terron Boblitt:
Ethan Bogart: #40 25 Back, #60 25 Breast
Xavier Diller: #40 25 Back
Merrick Donaldson: #50 50 Free, #60 25 Breast
Maddox Kibele:
Logan Nussbaum: #40 25 Back, #50 50 Free
Caleb Ream: #40 25 Back
Ian Rieman: #40 25 Back
Garrett Shunacher: #40 25 Back, #50 50 Free, #60 25 Breast
Landon Worcester:
9-10
Pearl Lewandowski: #41 50 Back, #51 100 Free
Grace Myers: #41 50 Back
Tayler Nowak-Valentine: #41 50 Back
Joscelin Reineke: #61 50 Breast
Kaitlynn Rieman: #41 50 Back, #61 50 Breast
Victoria Ross: #41 50 Back, #51 100 Free
Maria Spallinger: #41 50 Back, #51 100 Free
Elizabeth Wright: #41 50 Back, #61 50 Breast
Levi Hohenbrink: #42 50 Back
Kenneth Lovett: #42 50 Back, #52 100 Free
Landen Luginbuhl: #62 50 Breast
Hunter Paxson: #42 50 Back, #52 100 Free
Jackson Wilson: #42 50 Back, #52 100 Free
11-12
Autumn Gesler: #43 50 Back, #53 100 Free
Sarah Gillen: #63 50 Breast
Erin Hotmire: #53 100 Free
Olivia Schumacher: #43 50 Back, #63 50 Breast
Karis Wilson: #43 50 Back, #63 50 Breast
Kaithlyn Wright: #53 100Free, #63 50 Breast
Christian Groman: #44 50 Back
Sumner Kibele: #64 50 Breast
Andrew Lovett: #44 50 Back, #54 100 Free
Jordan Siefer: #54 100 Free
13-14
Hannah Hartzler: #45 50 Back, #55 100 Free, #65 50 Breast
Julianna Hotmire: #55 100 Free, #65 50 Breast
Connor Dawson: #46 50 Back, #56 100 Free, #66 50 Breast
Cody Gesler:
Misha Groman: #56 100 Free, #66 50 Breast
Cobie Mikesell: #46 50 Back, #56 100 Free
Levi Mikesell: #66 50 Breast
Andrew Ross: #46 50 Back
Cole Wilson: #46 50 Back, #66 50 Breast
15+
Jessica Brockert: #67 50 Breast
Kylie Cartwright: #47 50 Back, #57 100 Free
Kyla Dawson: #47 50 Back, #67 50 Breast
Alissa Garmatter: #47 50 Back
Heather Hotmire: #47 50 Back, #57 100 Free
Audrey Marshall: #47 50 Back, #67 50 Breast
Sierra Osborne: #57 100 Free
Delaney Reineke: #67 50 Breast
Maddison Wilson: #57 100 Free
Nathan Davis: #48 50 Back, #58 100 Free
Joshua Garmatter: #48 50 Back, #58 100 Free, #68 50 Breast
Stories Posted This Week
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
- Senior Center ready for annual garage sale, Feb. 27-Mar. 3
- Fredrick “Fred” W. Evans served in the U.S. Army
- Ashes to Go on March 5
- Ticket reminder for BHS boys basketball semi-final on Feb. 26
- ODNR urges caution during spring wildfire season
- Registration opens for Ropp Triplett Business Plan Competition and classes
- Phillips named as new head of LACRPC and WORPO
- Blanchard Valley Hospital makes World’s Best Hospitals list
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
- Bluffton mayor asks residents to turn in KKK flyers, denounces hate message
- Public Hearing on proposed vacation of a portion of Vine St.
- Annette "Sue" Sprunger helped establish Bluffton Community Daycare
- Community Foundation awards $770K in grants
- Letter: S.H.A.N.N.O.N. Service Club of Bluffton is disbanding