Girls Swim to 16th Straight State Title; Boys Are State-Runner Up
Hawken's boys and girls swim teams both brought home state titles to honor the end of Coach Holtrey's amazing 45-year Hawken career.
Hawken's boys and girls swim teams both brought home state titles this weekend to honor the end of Coach Holtrey's amazing 45-year Hawken career.
Competing at Branin Natotorium in Canton Friday and Saturday, the girls finished as state champions for the 16th straight year -- the 24th state title in the team's history. After being edged out in the Division II District Finals last weekend, the girls had their work cut out for them. But they finished the state meet triumphantly with 217 points ahead of Gilmour with 193 points. Crile Hart '17 (200-yard individual medley) and Claire Doerr '16 (500 freestyle) both won individual state titles.
For Hart, it was a special moment. "For it to be Jerry's last year and his last class of freshmen, it's an amazing feeling to make him satisfied," said Hart in an audio interview for the News-Herald. Amazing, indeed, as Crile's mother, Jane Esselstyn '83, swam for Holtrey's first girls swim team, also winning an individual title, hers in the 100 backstroke. "We're your bookends," Esselstyn told Coach Holtrey. "My whole family came in for Jerry's tribute. He's been a member of our family and it's so great to be a part of his long, strong, mighty, fun, empowered legacy," she commented.
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Competing at Branin Natotorium in Canton Friday and Saturday, the girls finished as state champions for the 16th straight year -- the 24th state title in the team's history. After being edged out in the Division II District Finals last weekend, the girls had their work cut out for them. But they finished the state meet triumphantly with 217 points ahead of Gilmour with 193 points. Crile Hart '17 (200-yard individual medley) and Claire Doerr '16 (500 freestyle) both won individual state titles.
For Hart, it was a special moment. "For it to be Jerry's last year and his last class of freshmen, it's an amazing feeling to make him satisfied," said Hart in an audio interview for the News-Herald. Amazing, indeed, as Crile's mother, Jane Esselstyn '83, swam for Holtrey's first girls swim team, also winning an individual title, hers in the 100 backstroke. "We're your bookends," Esselstyn told Coach Holtrey. "My whole family came in for Jerry's tribute. He's been a member of our family and it's so great to be a part of his long, strong, mighty, fun, empowered legacy," she commented.
The boys swim team finished the state meet in second place with 185 points behind Dayton Oakwood with 214 points. The 200 medley relay team of Henry Senkfor '14, Elijah Spiro '14, Stephen Pioro '15, and Quinn McHale '14 won a state title. “Pioro did a great job on fly and got us the lead and then McHale held on. It was a just a great job by everyone,” Senkfor said in an article by Gus Chan for Cleveland.com. “We knew we had a chance coming in.” The team had hoped to bring home a state title for Coach Holtrey's last season, but did a tremendous job placing second. The last state titles won by the boys team were in 1988 and 1989.
Talking to Chris Lillstrung of The News-Herald, Holtrey reflected on the last meet of his career. “(I’ll remember) the crowd, all the swimmers screaming down at the end for their team, and me standing watching the swimmers, trying to push them on by waving my hands and arms,” Holtrey said. "I felt a lot of pressure, and I tried not to tell the girls how I felt. I just said, ‘If you do your best, we’re going to be in the meet.’ And they did, so everything turned out great.”
Read more about the exciting competition from cleveland.com, and the The News-Herald. Click for complete state results, videos, and audio interviews.
Talking to Chris Lillstrung of The News-Herald, Holtrey reflected on the last meet of his career. “(I’ll remember) the crowd, all the swimmers screaming down at the end for their team, and me standing watching the swimmers, trying to push them on by waving my hands and arms,” Holtrey said. "I felt a lot of pressure, and I tried not to tell the girls how I felt. I just said, ‘If you do your best, we’re going to be in the meet.’ And they did, so everything turned out great.”
Read more about the exciting competition from cleveland.com, and the The News-Herald. Click for complete state results, videos, and audio interviews.
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Early Childhood, Lower, and Middle Schools, 5000 Clubside Rd, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
Birchwood School of Hawken, 4400 West 140th Street, Cleveland, OH 44135
Upper School, PO Box 8002 (12465 County Line Rd), Gates Mills, OH 44040
Mastery School of Hawken, 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
Gries Center, 10823 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106
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