Swimming: Shawnee’s Seibert reaches top of podium at Classic

Grace Seibert may have saved her best for last.

The Shawnee senior has had solid performances at the Southwest Ohio High School Swimming & Diving Classic but had never made it to the top of the podium until Saturday.

Seibert, 17, won the girls 200-yard breaststroke with a 2:22.83 in the finals at Keating Natatorium. She edged out a trio of local rivals as Centerville’s Nora Fullenkamp (2:23.80) and Marie Docken (2:24.80) rounded out the top three.

Seibert is quick to share the credit with her fellow swimmers – including best friend Laramie Reed, of Springfield Northeastern, who placed ninth in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events.

“Growing up with these girls, training with them and swimming against them has made me a better swimmer,” Seibert said. “But I also want to beat them.”

Seibert faltered a bit in the 100 breaststroke final Sunday, swimming to a fourth-place finish while Fullenkamp won the title.

“I slipped on the starting block and kind of belly flopped into the pool,” Seibert said.

It was a lesson learned Seibert, who has her sights set on a fourth trip to the state meet.

“It will definitely make me focus more,” she said.

Seibert – whose time in the 200 breaststroke is 3 seconds faster than it was this time last year – hopes to improve upon her state runner-up finish in the 100-yard breaststroke. But despite her improved times, she knows it won’t be easy.

“I definitely need to get my technique where it needs to be so I’m not swimming sloppy,” the University of Cincinnati recruit said. “I also need to swim my race and not worry so much about what everyone else is doing.”

Twice the fun: Catholic Central twins Addie and Bridget Engel made a splash at their first Classic meet. The freshmen both placed in the top 10 in the 100 breaststroke with Addie placing eighth and Bridget finishing 10th. Addie was seventh in the 200 breaststroke while Bridget was 12th.

Senior success: Yellow Springs senior Olivia Chick spent much of her weekend on the award's podium as she placed third in the 100 freestyle (:52.24) and fifth in both the 50 freestyle (:24.55) and 100 backstroke (:57.82) events.

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