Columbus St. Charles Preparatory School, led by the third-place showing of freshman Austin Carpenter in the 100-yard breaststroke, finished 12th in the Division I boys state swimming and diving championships on Saturday, Feb. 25 at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.

The Cardinals racked up 82.5 points in the meet, which was won by perennial power Cincinnati St. Xavier with 287 points. 

Carpenter also took seventh in the 50 freestyle in 20.89 seconds and swam on the fifth-place 200-yard medley relay team with Wyatt Julian, Andrew Zarick and Jack Keller and on the 13th-place 400 freestyle relay team with Julian, Jake Lloyd and Brad King. 

St. Charles sophomore Wyatt Julian begins the 100-yard backstroke in the Division I boys state final. Photo courtesy John Hulkenberg

St. Charles’ 200 freestyle relay team of Zarick, Lloyd, King and Keller finished 10th and Julian tied for 12th in the 100 backstroke in 51.45 seconds. 

In Division II boys, Columbus Bishop Watterson claimed 26th with 28 points and Columbus St. Francis DeSales was 55th with five points.

Bishop Watterson Jacob Rider starts the 100-yard backstroke in the Division II boys state meet in Canton. Photo courtesy John Hulkenberg
St. Francis DeSales freshman Luke DeFrancisco swims the backstroke leg in the 200-yard individual medley in the Division II boys state final. Photo courtesy John Hulkenberg 

Watterson sophomore Jacob Rider took fourth in the 100 backstroke in 51.78 seconds and sixth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:43.68. DeSales freshman Luke DeFrancisco was 12th in the 200 individual medley in 1:59.07.

Bishop Watterson senior Grace Rider swims the 100-yard breaststroke in the Division I girls state meet. Photo courtesy John Hulkenberg

Watterson scored 11 points to take 37th in the Division I girls competition. Senior Grace Rider led the Eagles with an eighth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.64.

In Division II girls, Newark Catholic totaled 18 points to finish 29th and Columbus Bishop Hartley was 39th with eight points.

Newark Catholic sophomore Isabella Pribonic competes in the 100-yard breaststroke in the Division II girls state championships on Feb. 24 in Canton. Photo courtesy John Hulkenberg 

Newark Catholic sophomore Isabella Pribonic placed sixth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:06.08. Hartley's 200 freestyle relay consisting of Alie Gunsorek, Maya Keane, Skylar Richards and Grace Goodwin took 13th.