Houg to state in three swim events

VW independent sports/submitted information

BOWLING GREEN — Friday was a busy day for the Van Wert swim team at Bowling Green State University as the boys put together a very strong showing by placing seventh as a team at the OHSAA Division II swim meet.

Sam Houg qualfied for state in three different events. He placed third in the 50 yard freestyl, then broke the school record with a time of 21.84 and finished sixth in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 49.27. He’ll compete at state in both events, and he qualified as a member of the 200 yard freestyle relay team with Robbie Gamble, Andrew Laudick and Owen Scott. The quartet finished in fourth at districts with a time of 1:31.57, which is a new school record. It’s also the first time since 2011 that Van Wert has sent a relay team to state.

Gamble is also state-bound in the 50 yard freestyle after placing sixth at district with a time of 21.97. Laudick finished 14^th in the same event with a time of 23.04 and 15^th in the 100 yard backstroke (1:00.04).

The 200 yard medley relay team of Laudick, Scott, Houg and Gamble placed eighth overall with a time of 1:43.26, which broke the school record by 2.5 seconds.

The boys will swim Thursday night at the State Swim Meet in Canton for preliminaries. The finals are on Friday.

The Van Wert girls’ swim team saw their season come to an end at the Division II districts on Friday.

Haley Chiles finished 24^th in the 200 yard freestyle (2:11.54) and 30^th in the 100 yard freestyle (1:00.46). Olivia Ashbaugh placed 25^th in the 50 yard freestyle (27.10) and 31^st in the 100 yard freestyle (1:00.84). Chiles, Ashbaugh, Noelle Byrum and Lilie Mull placed 21^st in the 200 yard freestyle relay (1:54.58) and Chiles, Mull, Chiles and Katie Kramer finished in 18^th place in the 400 yard freestyle relay (4:17.83).