By Cort Reynolds

KENTON–The Bluffton Sardines summer swim team sits atop the eight-team West Ohio Aquatic League championship meet after a sunny day one of competition at the Kenton Municipal Pool.

Dominating Bluffton leads the overall standings, as well as the boys and girls team results, over Wapakoneta in each category. 

Overall, Bluffton leads second-place Wapak 1,317 to 1,060 points heading into the second and final day of swimming. Bluffton also leads the second-place Wapak Wave girls after the first day of competition, 578.5-530. The Sardine boys lead the Wapak males, 738.5 to 530. 

The Bluffton boys won three relay races Friday, while the Sardine girls won one relay event. 

Jackson Bowlus also touched first in the 15 and over age group 50 freestyle.

More than 500 swimmers competed on day one of the 41st annual Elks Invitational meet championships. The meet is for swimmers aged 5-18 who are members of a league team. 

Kenton is hosting eight teams from Ada, Bluffton, Findlay, Kenton, Shawnee Country Club, Wapakoneta, Westside and Van Wert.    

Events started at 9 a.m. on Friday, and is slated to resume Saturday morning before concluding around 3 p.m.    

Each year the championship meet rotates between the Bluffton, Kenton and Wapakoneta pools.  

 

Combined Team Scores 

1. Bluffton Swim Team 1,317 points

2. Wapakoneta Waves 1,060 

3. Westside Wave Swim Team 871 

4. Findlay YMCA Frogs 724 

5. Shawnee Country Club 689.5 

6. Kenton Area Swim Team 511

7. Ada Summer Swim Team 479.5

8. Van Wert YMCA Marlins 411 

 

Scores - Women 

1.Bluffton 738.5 points

2.Wapakoneta Waves 530 

3.Westside Wave Swim Team 470 

4.Shawnee Country Club 411 

5.Findlay YMCA Frogs 371 

6.Kenton Area Swim Team 323 

7.Ada Summer Swim Team 243.5 

8.Van Wert YMCA Marlins 218 

 

Scores - Men 

1. Bluffton 738.5 points

2. Wapakoneta Waves 530 

3. Westside 401 

4. Findlay YMCA Frogs 353 

5. Shawnee Country Club 278.5 

6. Ada Summer Swim 236

7. Van Wert YMCA Marlins 193 

8. Kenton Area 188

 

Top Bluffton finishers:

Boys 15 & Over 50 SC Meter Freestyle 

1 BLUF-EH 15 Bowlus, Jackson 25.77 20  

 

Girls 15 & Over 200 SC Meter Medley Relay 

Relay Team Finals Time 

1 A BLUF-EH 2:15.01 40 

Stechschulte, Izzy R 17  2) Diller, Allison C 18  3) Wilson, Macy M 17

4) Bowers, Avery 

 

BBLUF-EH3J2:25.67 

Mohr, Makenna P 15 2) Essinger, June B 15 3) Shank, Zoe K 16

4) Brown, Lena J 

 

Boys 15 & Over 200 SC Meter Medley 

1 A BLUF-EH 1:57.37 40 

Bowlus, Jackson T 152) Verb, Riley W 18 3) Schaublin, Grady D 17

4) Stahler, Landon A 16 

 

Boys 11-12 200 SC Meter Medley 

Relay Team Finals Time Points

1 A BLUF-EH 2:43.81 40 

Stechschulte, Logan R 12  2) Essinger, Levin D 12  3) Verb, Camden R 12

4) Roby, Ethan D 11 

 

2 B BLUF-EH 3:06.76 

1) Crosser, Bennett A 11  2) McGuire, Colton T 12  3) Stanfield, Aiden J 12

4) Fritsch, Max W 12 

 

Boys 9-10 200 SC Meter Medley Relay 

Relay Team Finals Time Points

1 A BLUF-EH 3:34.15 40 

Ungashick, Adrian T 9 2) Oberly, Grayson L 9  3) Verb, Calder L 9 

4) Shank, Roman P 9 

 

Boys 15 & Over 100 SC Meter IM 

2 Verb, Riley W 1:04.73 17  

 

Girls 15 & Over 50 SC Meter Freestyle 

2 BLUF-EH 17 Stechschulte, Izzy  28.87 17  

 

Boys 11-12 50 SC Meter Butterfly 

2 BLUF-EH 12 Verb, Camden 37.99 17 

3 BLUF-EH 11 Roby, Ethan  40.18 16  

 

Boys 15 & Over 50 SC Meter Butterfly 

2 BLUF-EH 16 Stahler, Landon  28.06 17 

3 BLUF-EH 17 Schaublin, Grady  28.57 16 

 

Girls 13-14 200 SC Meter Medley Relay 

2 A BLUF-EH 2:29.27 38 

1) Schneck, Lyla A 142) Geiser, Karden F 14 3) Diller, Kari E 134) Stechschulte, Ally M 14  

 

Boys 13-14 200 SC Meter Medley Relay Meet 

2 A BLUF-EH 2:17.61 34 

Eley, Caleb A 13  2) Shank, Mason D 14   3) Schaublin, Grant R 14

4) Ungashick, Aaron T 14 

 

Girls 8 & Under 100 SC Meter Medley 

Relay Team Finals Time 

2 A BLUF-EH 2:02.77 34 

1) Sutton, Beau L 72) Crosser, Carys H 7  3) Sterrett, Kendyl G 7  4) Byers, Ellery B 8 

3 B BLUF-EH 2:10.12 

1) Northrup, Tessa M 7 2) Hull, Carly M 7 3) Northrup, Pippa K 7 4) Lowry, Arya R 8  

 

Boys 11-12 100 SC Meter IM 

3 BLUF-EH 12 Verb, Camden R 1:22.24 17  

 

Boys 13-14 50 SC Meter Butterfly 

3 BLUF-EH 14 Shank, Mason D  31.60 16  

 

Girls 8 & Under 25 SC Meter Butterfly 

3 BLUF-EH 7 Crosser, Carys  25.32 16  

 

Boys 11-12 50 SC Meter Freestyle 

3 BLUF-EH 11 Roby, Ethan D 34.69 16 

4 BLUF-EH 12 Stechschulte, Logan R 35.17 15 

5 BLUF-EH 12 Essinger, Levin D 35.69 14  

 

Girls 13-14 50 SC Meter Freestyle 

3 BLUF-EH 13 Diller, Kari E 30.50 16  

 

Boys 13-14 50 SC Meter Freestyle 

3 BLUF-EH 14 Shank, Mason D 28.07 17  

 

Girls 13-14 100 SC Meter IM 

4 BLUF-EH 14 Schneck, Lyla A4 26.49 15