KR boys build momentum for league meet

Cougars competing in CBC event today at Wright State.

Kenton Ridge High School senior John Littell had second-place performances in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke at the KR Invitational last week, helping the Cougars to a win. Staff Photo by Barbara J. Perenic

Barbara J. Perenic Kenton Ridge High School senior John Littell had second-place performances in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke at the KR Invitational last week, helping the Cougars to a win. Staff Photo by Barbara J. Perenic

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By David Jablonski, Staff Writer 11:26 PM Friday, January 27, 2012

SPRINGFIELD — Kenton Ridge swimming coach Heather Shaffer put the pressure on her boys swimmers before last week’s Kenton Ridge Invitational. She juggled the lineup a bit to help the team win the most possible points, and she gave pep talks to the swimmers before every event.

“We can do it,” she told them. “Just go your fastest.”

The Cougars made it happen, beating Catholic Central, Shawnee and five other teams for an impressive victory that gives them momentum heading into the Central Buckeye Conference meet at 5 p.m. today at Wright State University.

“They knew I wanted it,” Shaffer said, “and they delivered for me.”

A number of swimmers contributed to the victory. Sophomore Gabe Rastatter, who was the first Kenton Ridge freshman boy to qualify for the district meet in two events last year, won the 200 freestyle.

“(Shaffer) was really stressing it the week before,” he said. “She really wanted to win. We all had to do our best and try as hard as we could.”

Senior John Littell had second-place finishes in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. Littell became the second KR boy to ever qualify for the state meet last year. He placed 21st in the 100 breaststroke.

“I want to get back to state, and I want to place and make the final heat,” Littell said. “I didn’t swim that well at state last year. It was just the excitement. I need to calm down this year.”

Littell and Rastatter teamed with sophomore Jacob Snyder and junior Robbie Ashbaugh to win the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay. Those four swimmers own nine of the 17 school records — five individual records and four relay records.

Ashbaugh and sophomore Marcus Lykins are first-time high school swimmers this season, but both swam when they were younger. They took up swimming together to get in shape for baseball season.

“I probably wasn’t going to swim without Marcus,” Ashbaugh said, “and Marcus wasn’t going to swim without me.”

Rastatter helped convince Lykins to swim. Lykins said he swam with the Springfield YMCA SPY team from the age of 7 to 11. He still knew the strokes when he got going again this season, but it took him a while to catch up.

“I don’t know where I’d be without Mrs. Shaffer going hard on us,” he said.

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