Panther Girls Qualify for State Swim Meet
Panther Girls Qualify
For State Swim Meet
It’s off to Canton and the state high school swim meet for a quartet of Euclid High swimmers – the four girls who’ve been the backbone of the Panther team this season.
Making a surprisingly big splash at the Division I District swim competition at Cleveland State’s Busbey Natatorium in late February were: senior Marisa Melchior, junior Emily Sweet, sophomore Andrea Bartel, and freshman Samantha (“Sam”) Lisy.
The four comprised the 400-yard freestyle relay team that earned a spot in the state meet as an “at-large” selection. Earlier in the season, they teamed up to break both the school and Lake Erie League record in the event.
Two of the swimmers also qualified for state in individual events. Andrea Bartel advanced in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 breaststroke, while Sam Lisy qualified in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke. In the 200 IM, Lisy and Bartel finished second and third at CSU.
“In the pool, they were swimming right next to each other during the race and pushing each other to go faster,” notes Panther swim coach John Elliott. “Each of them improved her best time in the event by about five seconds. The only girl who beat them was Firestone’s Katie Miller, who is probably the top swimmer in the state.”
Elliott, now in his ninth year as the Panthers’ head coach, was also enthused about Bartel’s second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke. “It was a great race,” he said, adding that the winner—Mayfield’s Alana Arnold—was a state champion in the butterfly when she competed for Hawken.
On the boys’ side, the Panthers’ Danny Essel qualified for the district meet in the 100-yard breaststroke, but did not advance to the state meet.
With three of his top girl swimmers returning next season, Coach Elliott is looking forward to more success in the future. Lisy, the freshman, is “a natural talent,” the coach says. “Sam has been swimming most of her life and has broken records at every level.”
By comparison, Bartel and Marisa Melchior—who has a partial scholarship to swim at Wright State University-- are relative newcomers to the sport. Marisa didn’t take up competitive swimming until high school. “She has a lot of potential,” the coach points out.
In the 400 freestyle relay at the district meet at CSU, the Panther girls finished within seven seconds of the winning quartet from Mayfield, but weren’t close enough to snag an “automatic” bid to state. They had to wait to learn that they were awarded an at-large spot.
For one of the swimmers, Emily Sweet, the news was particularly welcome. Last fall, as the star of the Panthers’ cross-country team, she had high hopes of qualifying for the state cross-country meet. However, an illness the day of the regional meet spoiled that dream.
“Emily has been a real strong performer in the relays,” Coach Elliott notes. “And she is very unselfish. She gave up the opportunity to rest for her individual events in order to be part of the relay team. Because she is also a runner, she doesn’t train year-round like the other three girls. We needed one more swimmer to step up and Emily has done a great job.”
###
PHOTO CAPTION: PHOTO 4 – Dropped off at Cheryl’s
RECORD BREAKERS – The Euclid Panther girls freestyle relay team has broken both school and league records this winter. From left: Coach John Elliott, Andrea Bartel, Emily Sweet, Marisa Melchior, and Sam Lisy. (Photo by John Sheridan)