Spencer Aurnou-Rhees has competed in high-level U.S. and international swimming events while still in high school, but one achievement that had been missing from his impressive resume was a state championship.

The Columbus St. Charles Preparatory School senior checked that box on his list of accomplishments late last month when he won not one, but two titles at the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 25-26 at Branin Natatorium in Canton.

“It really is an incredible meet,” Aurnou-Rhees said. “I’ve been to a few even at the international level, but the Ohio high school state championships is truly a special meet, and it is one of the most exciting ones out there.”

Aurnou-Rhees was not the only state swimming champion from a diocesan high school. Columbus St. Francis DeSales senior Brady McInerney duplicated fellow Central Catholic League swimmer Aurnou-Rhees’ effort with two state titles of his own in Division II.

In Division I competition, Aurnou-Rhees won the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 1 minute, 46.03 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 44.52 seconds. He also swam on St. Charles’ 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams along with Ben Stevenson, Jack Keller and Ryan Alfred that finished fifth in each race.

The two first-place individual finishes and the fifth-place results in two relays propelled St. Charles to seventh in the final Division I team standings with 113 points, nine behind sixth-place Upper Arlington. Beavercreek claimed the team title with 211.5 points.

Spencer Aurnou-Rhees wears his medals from the state meet.    Photo courtesy St. Charles Preparatory School 

Aurnou-Rhees had raced at the state meet previously but never had climbed to the top step of the podium as a race winner until this year. In the COVID-affected season of 2021, he took second in the 100 free and finished third in the 200 free. Those two state medals and the two this year gave him six in his high school career, and he’ll graduate from St. Charles this spring with a number of school records.

“I was so grateful that all my dedication and sacrifices paid off, and was ecstatic to have finally reached one of my biggest goals of winning state championships,” Aurnou-Rhees said. “It was a dream come true.” 

Aurnou-Rhees’ success extends beyond the high school pool. Last year, he qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials and clocked a personal-best time of 2 minutes, 2.43 seconds in the 200-meter individual medley. Then, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 10, he traveled to Berlin and Budapest, Hungary, as a member of the U.S. Junior National team.

And his swimming days are far from over. He’s headed to the University of Texas-Austin in the fall to swim for the Longhorns, the top-ranked team in NCAA Division I this season, and more national and international meets lie ahead.

Brady McInerney

McInerney also will be swimming in college starting next fall at the University of Kentucky after winning the Division II 100-yard freestyle at the state meet for a second straight year with a time of 45.07 seconds and adding a second victory in the 50 free in 20.65 seconds.

“Going into the season, my goal was definitely to repeat winning the 100 freestyle, and also winning and then winning another event, the 50 free,” McInerney said. “And then on top of that, I was like really hoping a relay or two would make it to state, and we were finally able to do that.”

In McInerney’s individual races, he said, “Once the finals came around, I relied on friends, family, my coaches God. I just prayed and hoped for the best.”

After falling on ice and breaking an ankle during the season, McInerney recovered and became the first DeSales swimmer to win multiple state titles. He qualified for the state meet all four years during his high school career.

In January, he walked around for about a week after a fall on ice before a chip fracture was diagnosed. For three weeks, he was limited in his training in the pool, unable to execute flip turns and or kick with his legs.

When he was cleared to return to competition, he wore tape around the ankle until the sectional, district and state meets began. The ankle still was sore and a little swollen for the sectionals, but it improved for the districts and then the state championships.

“It gave me a little anxiety going into the state because I didn’t know if I’d be in good enough shape,” McInerney said. “But I trusted my training and I knew I had a super, amazing support system behind me helping do as well as I could.” 

Thanks to McInerney’s two state titles, DeSales finished 19th in the team standings with 40 points.

McInerney, who started swimming at age five in Westerville and then advanced to club swimming while playing others sports before eventually choosing to focus the pool rather than basketball as a high school freshman, will leave DeSales this spring with three state titles and the satisfaction of knowing he contributed to the school’s overall athletic success.

“It’s a close-knit group throughout the entire school, and it feels like a family,” McInerney said. “When I came here, I didn’t really know who I was a person and wasn't like the most confident person. And throughout these past four years, I've been able to find who I am as a person and gain confidence through the support I’ve had, making new friends for the rest of my life, and having teachers and coaches who have helped me so much. I can’t thank them enough.

“At a Catholic school like DeSales, being able to become closer with God has helped me so much. DeSales has helped me in ways that like I can't can even like put into words.” 

The diocese’s two state champions -- McInerney and Aurnou-Rhees -- swim for different high schools but have competed on the same team since grade school for New Albany Aquatics Club.

“We’re really good friends and we’ve been on the same relays in club swimming,” McInerney said.

And both swimmers are likely to run into each other again in national meets and also starting next fall as NCAA Division I college athletes.

“It’s going to be a whole new experience for me next year at Kentucky,” McInerney said. “I’m going to be swimming against much better competition and I’m really excited. I’m just blessed to be able to have that opportunity to swim in Division I and compete against the best in the country.”