Abby Turner, Casadie DiBetta, Jarrett Bolinger Captain Third All-Valley Swim Team
This year’s All-Valley Swim Team may be the most interesting one yet.
Half of the team consists of swimmers who made the list a season ago as they continued their impressive careers.
In fact, five of the members from this year’s squad have made all three All-Valley teams.
Eight more swimmers to earn All-Valley accolades are only sophomores this year and four more are just freshmen, so it’s only fitting that a freshman and sophomore be named captains of the team.
Abby Turner
Wheeling Park
Captain
One word describes Wheeling Park’s Abby Turner — FAST.
The sophomore could not be slowed down in the water this year as she was victorious in the 50 and the 100 at the state swim meet, where she set a school record and was named to the State Tournament Team.
“Abby has really grown into swimming pretty well,” Park coach Pat Durkin said. “She was definitely a leader on the team this year and it’s an honor to have her be an All-Valley captain.”
Turner was part of the 200 medley and 200 relay teams that garnered runner-up honors at the state meet, which helped the Patriots’ girls’ team earn a bronze medal and another school record.
On her way to Morgantown, Turner swam the fastest time in the state at the regional, where she turned in a time of 54.63 in the 100.
Along with her impressive showing at state, the sprinter claimed the gold at OVACs in the 50 and 100 freestyles, while helping to capture the top spot in the 200 relay, as well.
Casadie DiBetta
St. Clairsville
Captain
St. Clairsville coach Ernie Banks received a great addition to his already talented swim team this season in the form of freshman standout Casadie DiBetta.
DiBetta was lightning in the water as she raced through the Ohio postseason to claim Division II state runner-up in the 100 breaststroke.
As well as she did in the breaststroke, she also managed to qualify for three more events at the state meet.
On her way to a silver medal at state, DiBetta captured Buckeye 8, OVAC and sectional titles in the breaststroke and finished second in the district.
She also played a key role in the 200 medley relay team that won OVAC, sectional and district titles, before swimming in the state meet.
Jenna Bopp
Wheeling Park
Jenna Bopp is a mainstay for the Park girls’ swim team.
The sophomore continued to impress as she placed second in the state in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:06.92 mark.
At regionals, her 100 breaststroke time of 1:08.22 was the fastest in the state.
She also qualified for state in the 200 IM.
Bopp was also a key cog in the 200 medley relay team that finished second at state with a time of 1:53.22 and set a school record of 1:44.22 in the 200 relay to place second at state. The 200 relay team won the OVAC title, as well.
Kayla Fogle
Martins Ferry
Another returning member of the All-Valley team comes out of Martins Ferry.
Kayla Fogle continued her outstanding career doing it all for the Purple Riders.
The junior finished runner-up in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly at the Buckeye 8 meet and helped her 200 medley and 400 relay teams medal at the OVAC competition.
She also dazzled at sectionals, earning second place honors in the IM and third in the 100 butterfly.
Lauren Garan
Wheeling Central
The list of sophomores to make All-Valley can not be completed without this Central standout.
Lauren Garan put the finishing touches on an outstanding campaign with fourth- and sixth-place finishes in the 100 and 50 freestyles, respectively, at state.
She was also named to the all-tournament team at the district meet as she placed second in the 100 and third in the 50.
Sarah Heilman
Wheeling Park
Sarah Heilman will go down as one of the greatest to ever hit the water at Wheeling Park.
She finished off her remarkable prep career with a state title in the 100 backstroke.
She also earned runner-up honors in the 200, setting a new school record of 1:56.65.
Heilman helped lead the 200 medley and 200 relay teams to second-place finishes at state.
The senior added regional titles in the 200 and 100 backstroke, an OVAC title in the 100 backstroke and an OVAC title with the 200 relay team.
Heilman won her fourth OVAC championship in the 100 butterfly, as well.
Veronica Mann
Brooke
One year in the books and she’s already made the state meet.
Look out for next year as Brooke freshman Veronica Mann placed sixth in the 500 at state and second at regionals.
Maggie Marody
St. Clairsville
St. Clairsville’s Maggie Marody makes her second straight appearance on the All-Valley team after a remarkable sophomore campaign.
She compiled Buckeye 8, OVAC, sectional and district championships ,in both the 200 and 500 freestyle races.
Marody also qualified for the state meet in the 500 and the 400 relay.
Kylie McKeegan
St. Clairsville
The list goes on for St. Clairsville swimmers who made the All-Valley team.
Kylie McKeegan came on the scene this year for Banks and the Red Devils and quickly left her mark.
The freshman won both the 500 and 100 freestyles in the Buckeye 8 and was a key part of the medley relay squad that placed fourth at the state meet.
McKeegan also placed in the 50 and 100 freestyles in the OVAC and qualified for the district meet in both.
Olivia Moyer
St. Clairsville
Freshman Olivia Moyer quickly crossed many things off of her to-do list in her first season at the high school level.
She collected the Buckeye 8 and sectional titles in the 100 butterfly and the backstroke and helped the 200 medley relay team pick up OVAC, sectional and district titles to advance to state.
Moyer also garnered runner-up honors in the 100 butterfly and backstroke at OVACs.
Brenna Planey
St. Clairsville
The fourth freshman to make the All-Valley team from the St. Clairsville girls’ team is Brenna Planey.
With a resume that some would be happy to have in a career, she amassed in one season.
Planey finished runner-up in the 200 and 500 at the Buckeye 8 meet and captured second in the 200 at OVACs.
Her part in the medley relay can’t be overlooked either, as the team won sectional and district titles to qualify for state.
Laura Siler
John Marshall
The future is bright for John Marshall sophomore Laura Siler, who has already accomplished so much.
This year, Siler reached the state tournament after a third-place finish in the 100 at regionals and capped her season with a 12th place spot in the 50 at state.
She was named Elks Athlete of the Month for her performance in the 50 and 100 races at OVACs.
Boys
Jarrett Bolinger
Martins Ferry
Captain
Time flies when you’re winning titles.
Nobody knows better than Jarrett Bolinger, who makes his third appearance on the All-Valley team.
Bolinger won the OVAC and Buckeye 8 championships in the breaststroke and 100, while claiming the 100 sectional title and finishing second in the breaststroke.
His outstanding campaign earned him a spot in the Division II state meet for the 100 breaststroke.
Adam Balcar
St. Clairsville
The St. C. boys team was just as strong as the girls.
A big reason why? Adam Balcar.
In his final season with the Red Devils, the senior finished second in the butterfly and third in the 200 at the Buckeye 8 meet.
He was made a major impact on the success of the 400 relay team that paced fourth at districts.
Ethan Banks
St. Clairsville
Ethan Banks has been a part of every All-Valley team in his tenure at St. Clairsville.
His junior season, he continued the tradition after winning Buckeye 8 and sectional titles in the 200 IM and 500.
He was third in each event at OVACs and placed fourth and seventh in the 200 IM and 500 at the district meet.
Ethan Beale
Martins Ferry
Martins Ferry coach Nick Levi is going to miss this senior.
Ethan
Beale
wrapped
up his prep swim career qualifying for four events in the district meet and scored in the 200 and the medley and 400 relays.
He was also runner-up at the Buckeye 8 meet in the 400 relay and placed third in the 200 medley and 100 butterfly.
Alexander Dague
Wheeling Park
Talk about finishing strong. In the week leading up to state, Alexander Dague broke a 100 breaststoke record that was 33 years old, before placing second in the state days later.
Dague helped the 400 relay team take third place in the state, breaking another Wheeling Park record.
He was also a member of the 200 relay team that was third in the state and the 200 medley team that was sixth in West Virginia.
Max Kellas
Wheeling Park
Although the Park boys are graduating a lot of talented swimmers this year, sophomore Max Kellas is a bright spot for the future.
He capped his solid campaign off with a ninth place finish at state in the 100 butterfly and helped the 200 medley relay team place sixth.
Devenand Kuttan
Wheeling Park
Making his first appearance on the All-Valley team, Park junior Devenand Kuttan earned it.
Kuttan took home a pair of seventh-place finishes at state in the 200 medley and 100 backstroke.
He also helped the 200 medley relay team finish sixth.
Caleb Lucas
Wheeling Park
Records are meant to be broken and Park senior Caleb Lucas has made it a hobby.
At the state meet, Lucas shattered his own school record in the 100 with a second-place finish of 49.16.
He was also a member of the 400 relay team that broke a school record at state and a member of the 200 relay team that placed third.
Matthew Marling
St. Clairsville
In his junior year, Matthew Marling set the tone for his senior year.
He helped the 200 medley relay team break the school record and he earned all-district in the 100 freestyle.
Ethan Robey
Brooke
Ethan Robey is on pace to earn an All-Valley spot all four years if he keeps swimming at this level.
The Brooke sophomore is a repeat member of the team after placing sixth in the 500 and 12th in the 100 breaststroke at state.
He also helped the 200 medley relay team place eighth.
Charles Schellhase
Wheeling Park
Years from now, people will still be talking about the accomplishments of Park senior Charles Schellhase.
After winning the 500 state title last year, he collected runner-up honors in both the 500 and 200 at state this year –both breaking his own school records.
He was a member of the 400 relay team that broke a school record at state and the third place 200 relay squad.
Schellhase also won the 200 IM OVAC title and was a member of the OVAC champion 200 relay team.
Nathan Yost
St. Clairsville
Adding to the barrage of sophomores on the All-Valley team, Nathan Yost is a name that will be heard for years to come.
He is a Buckeye 8 champion in the 200 and 100 backstroke events and was second and third at OVACs in the backstroke and 200, respectively.
Yost qualified for the districts in both and helped the medley team break a school record.
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