Diving into Excellence: Highlights and Outcomes from the 2025 Southwest Ohio Swimming and Diving Classic

As temperatures (and some snowfall) dipped in Greater Cincinnati over the weekend, event records fell as thousands of swimmers and divers dove into the waters at Keating Natatorium during the 2025 Southwest Ohio Swimming and Diving Classic.

Here are the five most significant narratives from the weekend. Complete results can be located at swimmeet.com.

St. Xavier boys, Mason girls retain team championships

The St. Xavier Bombers continue to be the sole boys team to have claimed the Southwest Ohio Classic, defeating second-place Mason 566.5 to 413. Thanks to a comeback triumph in the 400-yard freestyle relay, Milford narrowly beat Moeller for third place while Ross secured the fifth position.

“The most notable aspect was how the team operated as a cohesive unit. Many members really rose to the occasion. They understood their tasks, faced the challenges head-on, and provided mutual support to achieve their goals,” stated St. Xavier head coach Dave Albert.

The Southwest Ohio Classic is renowned partly for featuring longer events typically contested at college competitions. One such event is the 1,650-yard freestyle. Junior Alex Nixon, who entered as the fifth seed, emerged victorious with a time of 16:11.93, surpassing his seed time by 31 seconds and outpacing Summit Country Day’s Jack Baker by 29 seconds.

Following a win in Saturday’s 200-yard freestyle relay, Tucker Charles, Jaeger Ellerman, Chase Grisi, and Sam DeMarco triumphed over Ross for a comeback win in Sunday’s opening event, the 200-yard medley relay. Although the Bombers clinched only five finals victories, at an institution rich in tradition, team victories are achieved through swimmers competing and finishing strong in every event.

For the Bombers and numerous other teams, this meet serves as a benchmark for their season. With a limited number of matches remaining, they intend to ensure they peak at the right moment. When asked what St. Xavier must do to claim its 45th state championship, Albert provided a straightforward answer.

“I will inform you in February.”

The Mason girls outperformed Ursuline to clinch their third consecutive Southwest Classic team title. The final difference was merely six points, 415 to 409, while St. Ursula, CHCA, and Sycamore comprised the remaining top five.

“This meet is always significant for our team, and they performed wonderfully. I believe they excelled against some excellent competition across the district,” remarked Mason head coach Mark Sullivan.

On Saturday, the Comets achieved second place in both the 400-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay. Bella Teply secured victories in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle, while Dana Fairbanks earned second in the 100-yard backstroke and third in the 400-yard individual medley. They commenced Sunday’s events with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay. Teply won the 100-yard freestyle and finished fourth in the 200-yard backstroke. Fairbanks recorded a runner-up finish in the 200-yard backstroke before the Comets ended the meet with a second-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

“Every girl played a crucial role in the team’s achievement this weekend; they all performed admirably,” Sullivan declared.

Mason is now focusing on extending its Greater Miami Conference title streak that has been ongoing since 2008, as well as defending its district championship. The Comets were runners-up in DI to Upper Arlington at the 2024 state meet. Sullivan mentioned that his team did not perform at their best against the Golden Bears in a dual meet a few weeks prior, but there’s a primary objective at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton every February.

“We have to swim fast,” Sullivan emphasized.

Jason Zhao, Addie Robillard return with determination

Two of Cincinnati’s swiftest swimmers spent the 2023-2024season away from the high school swimming venues but are back and eager to conclude their careers on a positive note.

Zhao, who clinched an individual state championship and two relay titles with Indian Hill in 2023, dedicated his junior year to honing his skills. He also spent some time abroad, securing gold medals at the World Junior Swimming Championships.

“There are definitely aspects of this that I’ve missed and some things that I had somewhat forgotten, so it feels great to return.

At the Southwest Classic, Zhao participated in all four 200-yard events and was a member of all four relay teams. He triumphed in the 200-yard freestyle with a new meet record of 1:37.41 and also secured first in the 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. Each of the Braves’ relay squads enhanced their season-best performances.

The strong duo of Zhao and Arjun Velayutham will undoubtedly aid the Braves in their quest for team titles during the postseason. Zhao’s primary strength lies in freestyle, but he is eager to contribute to the team in any capacity possible.

“Arjun and I are going to discuss that along with my coaches to determine the best combination of our events,” Zhao stated.

Robillard had one of her finest meets of the season, winning all four of her individual races and establishing two meet records. She shattered the 200-yard breaststroke record on Saturday with a time of 2:11.15, then broke the 100-yard breaststroke record on Sunday, finishing in 1:01.86.

Now swimming for Sycamore, Robillard began taking online classes at Ohio Connections Academy when her travels prevented her from attending school. Previously, she spent three years at St. Ursula, winning the 100-yard breaststroke state title as a freshman and sophomore, along with the 200-yard individual medley in 2023.

“During the year away, I concentrated intensely on trials and exploring my potential in breaststroke and IM,” remarked Robillard.

She harbors significant aspirations for this season. Her aim is to establish the state record in both of her signature events. The current 100-yard breaststroke record stands at 59.29 seconds, set in 2019 by Brecksville’s Hannah Bach. Meanwhile, the 200-yard individual medley record was established by Upper Arlington’s Emily Brown at the 2024 state championships (1:57.27). Based on this weekend’s timings, Robillard is currently within five seconds of both records.

“That would truly be something special to achieve in my senior year,” Robillard expressed.

Taylor Bacher, Julia Shafer are set to create more history for CHCA

The duo of seniors has propelled the Eagles to top-10 finishes at state for the past three years and are poised to cap off their high school journeys impressively.

In her individual competitions, Bacher secured an eighth-place spot, two second-place finishes, and a victory in the 200-yard butterfly. Not only did she come close to setting the meet record in the butterfly, but she also achieved a four-peat in the event at the Southwest Classic. This is a remarkable accomplishment that only a few swimmers have ever achieved, regardless of the event.

“This year felt incredibly good considering what I’ve been through. No one could predict what the outcome would be, even whether I would be able to swim right now, so it was exhilarating and genuinely gratifying to achieve that despite all the challenges I’ve faced,” Bacher expressed.

Bacher experienced a concussion in the fall. Although she still endures headaches occasionally, swimming has been a positive highlight for her.

Shafer, the 2023 DII 200-yard individual medley state champion, clinched top-three finishes in three of her individual events, including a personal best in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:23.77.

“Every competition is improving this year, and we’re especially excited for state. With our new relay featuring three standout freshmen this year, we have a solid opportunity to reach high on the podium again,” stated Shafer.

Bacher and Shafer typically participate in the same relays for the Eagles. This weekend was no exception as they contributed to all four relays reaching the “A” final. Three relays secured spots in the top four. While a single swimmer cannot secure an entire relay win, it’s challenging to underestimate the Eagles with their two stars diving off the blocks.

“It’s enjoyable. We motivate one another. We know how to initiate a relay,” remarked Bacher.

CHCA ranked fourth place in the girls team standings this weekend, trailing behind Mason, Ursuline, and St. Ursula. Head coach Don Rielag believed this was an excellent indication for his team as they enter the final phase of the season.

“We have a strong conference including Summit (Country Day), Seven Hills, ourselves, and (Cincinnati Country Day). There are plenty of skilled athletes from Purcell (Marian) and Roger Bacon. Our conference showcases strong performances. However, the leading teams were all Division I teams, and achieving fourth place is incredible. It’s fantastic for us. I’m genuinely thrilled for these athletes,” Rielag expressed.

Which swimmers established Southwest Ohio Classic meet records?

Alongside Zhou and Robillard’s new meet records, here are additional swimmers who clocked remarkably fast times at Keating Natatorium.

Maya Schweikert added a school record to her accolades by winning the 100-yard backstroke in 53.28 seconds on Saturday. She also claimed victory in the 200-yard backstroke on Sunday, clocking in at 1:57.24, just about one second short of her previous meet record set in 2023.

The Ursuline relay team consisting of Norah Smyth, Alyssa Uhlman, Melia Eckman, and Grier Gordon achieved meet records in three out of four relays this weekend. They commenced Saturday’s finals with a time of 3:47.04 in the 400-yard medley relay, concluded Saturday by clinching the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:34.42, and finished the meet on Sunday with a time of 3:26.65 in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The Mason girls completed a comprehensive overhaul of the girls relay records as Fairbanks, Teply, Anna Erickson, and Julia Gregory kick-started Sunday’s finals by winning the 200-yard medley relay in 1:43.2.

Which divers made waves at the Southwest Ohio Classic?

Anderson’s Bella Basford continued where Natalie Reising finished last year, triumphing in the girls diving competition with a score of 408.85.

A significant contributor to Mason’s girls team title was its scores in diving events. Isabella Giraldo, who secured eighth place at the 2024 state championships, achieved second place with an 11-dive score of 382.8. Corinne Hartmann finished in seventh place with 355.5 points, while Tori Hillman landed in 16th with a score of 314.75 points.

Milford had an outstanding day on the diving boards as Patrick Eminger achieved first place in the boys competition with a score of 455.05, surpassing Walnut Hills’s Hoyt Noble’s score of 432.7. Jacob Eminger placed sixth with 314.55 points. Audrey Fox provided the Eagles with a second medalist by securing third place in the girls competition with 378.65 points.

Completing the top five in the girls competition were Bellbrook’s Mia Nazarenus (371.9) and St. Ursula’s Alexis Mendenhall (363.8).

In the boys competition, Sycamore’s Simon Huth (421.15), Mason’s Juju Nkhumane (388.6), and Oakwood’s Nick Pennington (320.85) rounded out the top five.