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Sports

Solon's Michael Kreft Repeats as State Diving Champion

Kreft finishes his high school career on top with his second Division I state diving championship in two years

Solon High senior Michael Kreft knew it was not going to be easy to repeat as a Division I state champion in diving.

Kreft, who was second as a sophomore and state champion as a junior, proved worthy of being one of the participants featured on the program cover of the 84th Ohio High School Athletic Association swimming and diving championships at Canton's C.T. Branin Natatorium.

That was by collecting a meet-best 506.25 points for the state title, outscoring runner-up Troy Richert of North Royalton, who finished at 474.20.

"We like to keep it light," Kreft said. "I knew what I needed to do since he beat me at Viking," Kreft said of the big Christmas time meet held annually at Cleveland State University.

But from the beginning to the end, this meet belonged to Kreft.

The Comet diver, who was 12th in diving order among 24 participants, led at the first cut, scoring 218 points to Richert's 204.15 with third place at that point belonging to Hudson's Alex Obendorf with 202.70. The advantage increased to nearly 30 points with 363.65 to Richert's 336.50 when the field was cut to the final 16.

Only in his last dive of the morning, when he already knew Richert's final score, did Kreft not hit the top of the scoresheet. Only then did you see scores below 6.0 from any of the seven judges on a dive from Kreft.

"I knew what I needed," said Kreft, who will dive at the University of Notre Dame. Richert was sixth in diving order and finished his final dive before Kreft had his last time off the board at 12th. "I did a lot of things right but just missed a bit."

By that time, Obendorf, who was 20th in diving order, was still in third but well back of even Richert at that time.

Kreft, who began diving with the American Flyers program when he was 8, was aware of the few who have repeated as a state champion in the past.

"I saw the list and it wasn't very big," he said. "I knew it was going to be difficult to repeat."

Solon also had Doug Karn off the board in Canton where he finished 11th with 400.25. Points from Kreft and Karn allowed the Comets a jump start on the Division I boys' scoreboard that found Solon end up the day eighth with 88 points.

"We graduated a lot of seniors a year ago, so for this group to come here and finish eighth was outstanding," said Solon coach Mike Davidson.

In the water, the Comets had seniors Jamie Gallagher and Dan Telljohann each entered in two events and junior Alex Polishchuk in one event for the boys along with senior Annie Marquiss in two events for the Comet girls' team.

Gallagher reached the consolation finals of the 200 free, placing 14th with a time of 1 minute 43.95 seconds but missed the consolations in the 500 free with a 4:45.62 for 17th place.

Telljohann reached the Saturday consolation finals in both the 50 free and 100 free, taking 12th in the 50 with a 21.61 and 14th in the 100 with a 47.48 as Strongsville's Michael Meldon won both events.

Polishchuk failed to make the consolations of the 100 fly, placing 22nd with a 53.26.

Marquiss also swam the 50 free and 100 free for the Comets, getting 15th in the 50 free with a 24.37 and 13th in the 100 free with a 53.14. Again, those events were claimed by the same swimmer, as Dani Barbiea of Springboro was a double winner.

The Comet boys reached the championship finals of both the boys' 200 free relay and 400 free relay, taking fifth in the shorter of the two and placing seventh in the longer event.

Behind Telljohann, Polishchuk, senior Killian Wagner and Gallagher, the Comets had a 1:26.65 in the 200 free.That same foursome had a 3:11.55 for its seventh in the 400 free relay that clinched that eighth place team finish.

Solon was unable to get out of the prelims of the boys' 200 medley relay, placing 22nd with a 1:40.65 using sophomore Ryan Carson, Polishchuk, senior Tristan Wagner and Killian Wagner.

"This was an outstanding meet," said Davidson. "We had some great times at the district meet that were unable to get here."

The Comet girls tied for fifth in the 200 free relay with Cincinnati Turpin at 1:38.45 behind the efforts of juniors Kelsey McRill and Francesca Viotti and seniors Katherine Taylor and Marquiss.

In the 400 free relay, Solon reached the consolation finals and wound up 12th in 3:36.01 using freshman Anna Wong along with McRill, Taylor and Marquiss.

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