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Adler leads GW boys to ninth championship in 12 years

Members of George Washington’s boys swim team pose with their state championship trophy.

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — George Washington boys swim coach Josh Hemsworth didn’t consider his team to be the favorite entering the state swim meet at Mylan Park Aquatic Center.

With a memorable showing from junior Ian Adler and some good fortune, the Patriots managed to claim their ninth state championship in program history and third in the last four seasons.

George Washington finished with 180 points to edge Bridgeport (172), which couldn’t quite overcome its 200-yard medley relay team being disqualified for an early exchange on the fourth leg.

“Shocking,” Hemsworth said moments after his team wrapped up the win. “We knew the boys had a fighting chance. They got blessed with a disqualification right off the bat and Bridgeport was who we expected to win it. That helped us right way to put the mindset for the boys to go ahead and go at it.”

The Indians had the top qualifying time in the 200 medley relay and were favorites to claim first in the event.

Adler’s two first-place finishes were instrumental for GW, which has won nine of the last 12 boys titles.

The junior won the 200 freestyle (1:46.18) and edged the Indians’ Luke Pinti in the 100 breaststroke (59.95-1:00.57).

“I performed as well as I possibly could and I’m proud of the performance in the individual events,” Adler said.

While those were GW’s two first-place finishes, the Patriots benefited greatly from their relay teams taking second in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle. Grant Ridenour, who had a second-place individual finish in the 200 IM at 2:05.90, was a part of both relay teams along with Adler. They were joined on the 200 medley team by Landon Bostic and Lafe Potters, while Wesley St. Jean and Zachary Groe were made up the other half of the 400 freestyle.

”Ian Adler was our team leader on the boys side and the boys looked up to him,” Hemsworth said.

Groe also took third in the 100 backstroke at 56.41.

Bridgeport got two first-place finishes from sophomore Bruce Keener, who won both the 200 IM (1:54.43) and 100 backstroke (50.93).

The Indians’ 400 freestyle team also finished first as Mason Titchenal, Phillip Malenich and Marcel Rodriguez joined forces with Keener to finish in 3:21.45.

“It comes with a little bit of a grain of salt in that Bridgeport got disqualified in that relay, but I’m super proud of the team that we were able to pull through and win the whole thing,” Adler said.

Like Adler and Keener, Huntington’s Henry Sheils won two events individually. Sheils, a sophomore, was tops in the 50 freestyle (22.15) and 100 butterfly (53.18).

Jefferson junior Chris Turner took the 100 freestyle at 49.24, while Hurricane freshman Bradley Boyd won the 500 freestyle at 4:56.99.

Hurricane also won the 200 medley at 1:40.49 and 200 freestyle at 1:31.14. Both of those teams featured JR Newman, Bradley Boyd, Reid Painter and Nathan Neville. 

Hurricane (120), Wheeling Park (101), and Huntington (100) rounded out the top five in team finish.