Survive and advance is the postseason mantra, and Eastlake North did exactly that Saturday at the OHSAA Division I sectional at Mayfield — turning a pressure-packed meet into a ticket to another week of the season.

The Rangers qualified for the district meet in two relays and six individual swims, with Caden Reyes leading the charge in four events and Amir Mahraz and Christopher Pawlowski each moving on in three.

“It is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” Pawlowski said. “Our whole team went in with expectations of making it to this level, and meeting that is a huge relief.”

Reyes, a sophomore, delivered one of the strongest all-around performances of the day. He helped both relay teams advance and added individual district berths in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke, placing third in the backstroke in 58.63 and sixth in the freestyle with a 53.23.

The Rangers’ 200-yard medley relay — Reyes, Pawlowski, Mahraz, and Nathan Milam — punched its district ticket with a sixth-place finish in 1:45.64. The same quartet returned in the 200 freestyle relay and went even faster, taking fifth in 1:37.90.

Mahraz also moved on in the 100 butterfly, while Pawlowski secured his individual spot with an eighth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke, touching in a lifetime-best 1:05.84.

“My best race for sectionals was probably the 100 breast,” Pawlowski said. “We as a team did very well in our relays, but my personal performance left something to be desired going into districts, while in the 100 breast, I hit a lifetime PR.”

On the girls’ side, freshman Kaylynn Pawlowski continued her breakout season by qualifying in two events. She placed third in the 100 butterfly (1:01.16) and added a sixth-place finish in the 100 backstroke (1:04.96), sending both swims on to districts.

Milam was part of both qualifying relays for the Rangers, helping provide the depth that kept Eastlake North advancing event after event.

For Pawlowski and the Rangers, the focus now shifts from simply getting through to getting faster.

“I was satisfied with the medley relay split I put down,” Pawlowski said. “But I know I can go faster and need to next week for districts to match what the team did at sectionals.”

With multiple swimmers carrying momentum — and several already posting season- or lifetime-best swims — the Rangers will head to districts with their season still very much alive and their expectations intact.

Survive and advance is the postseason mantra, and Eastlake North did exactly that Saturday at the OHSAA Division I sectional at Mayfield — turning a pressure-packed meet into a ticket to another week of the season.

The Rangers qualified for the district meet in two relays and six individual swims, with Caden Reyes leading the charge in four events and Amir Mahraz and Christopher Pawlowski each moving on in three.

“It is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” Pawlowski said. “Our whole team went in with expectations of making it to this level, and meeting that is a huge relief.”

Reyes, a sophomore, delivered one of the strongest all-around performances of the day. He helped both relay teams advance and added individual district berths in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke, placing third in the backstroke in 58.63 and sixth in the freestyle with a 53.23.

The Rangers’ 200-yard medley relay — Reyes, Pawlowski, Mahraz, and Nathan Milam — punched its district ticket with a sixth-place finish in 1:45.64. The same quartet returned in the 200 freestyle relay and went even faster, taking fifth in 1:37.90.

Mahraz also moved on in the 100 butterfly, while Pawlowski secured his individual spot with an eighth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke, touching in a lifetime-best 1:05.84.

“My best race for sectionals was probably the 100 breast,” Pawlowski said. “We as a team did very well in our relays, but my personal performance left something to be desired going into districts, while in the 100 breast, I hit a lifetime PR.”

On the girls’ side, freshman Kaylynn Pawlowski continued her breakout season by qualifying in two events. She placed third in the 100 butterfly (1:01.16) and added a sixth-place finish in the 100 backstroke (1:04.96), sending both swims on to districts.

Milam was part of both qualifying relays for the Rangers, helping provide the depth that kept Eastlake North advancing event after event.

For Pawlowski and the Rangers, the focus now shifts from simply getting through to getting faster.

“I was satisfied with the medley relay split I put down,” Pawlowski said. “But I know I can go faster and need to next week for districts to match what the team did at sectionals.”

With multiple swimmers carrying momentum — and several already posting season- or lifetime-best swims — the Rangers will head to districts with their season still very much alive and their expectations intact.

WILLOUGHBY--Eastlake North and Willoughby South split a tightly contested swimming dual meet Friday at the West End YMCA, with South doing just enough across both lineups to claim the combined victory, 158-152. 

South won the girls' meet, 91-69, while North countered by taking the boys' side, 83-67, creating a back-and-forth meet that stayed undecided until the final relays. 

On the girls’ side, South’s depth showed early and often. 

The Rebels opened the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay as Casey Heil, Ava Shearer, Emma Shearer, and Riley McDaniel touched first in 2:08.90. Ava Shearer followed with an individual victory in the 200 freestyle (2:17.39) and later swam a leg on the 200 freestyle relay and placed second in the 100 butterfly. Emma Shearer added a win in the 200 individual medley (2:40.88) and also swam on the winning 200 free relay, while McDaniel captured the 50 freestyle (28.52), won the 100 breaststroke (1:22.16), and contributed to both relay victories. 

North answered behind Kaylynn Pawlowski, who swept the 100 butterfly (1:03.29) and the 100 backstroke (1:06.97) and anchored the winning 400 freestyle relay with Elena Messemer, Emily Avery and Callie Roberts (4:33.60). Sophia Janik added a distance win for the Rangers in the 500 freestyle (7:09.62), while Emmie Rausch earned South another individual victory in the 100 freestyle (1:06.23) before swimming later in relays. 

The boys’ meet leaned North’s way early with a win in the 200 medley relay, as Caden Reyes, Christopher Pawlowski, Amir Mahraz, and Nathan Milam combined for a 1:53.85. Reyes later doubled up individually by winning the 100 freestyle (54.28) and the 100 backstroke (1:05.10), while Milam added points in the 1-meter diving competition with a score of 137.55 and also swam on the medley and freestyle relays. 

South responded with a strong showing in the middle events. 

Vincent Ballard won both the 200 freestyle (2:00.66) and the 50 freestyle (24.00) and anchored two winning relays. Owen Bliss captured the 200 individual medley (2:12.73) and the 100 breaststroke (1:07.63) while also swimming on both freestyle relays. Max Dunham added a win in the 500 freestyle (5:42.80) and teamed with Christian Rausch, Bliss, and Ballard to take the 200 freestyle relay (1:41.85). Cameron Sterk contributed an individual victory in the 100 butterfly (1:00.31) before joining Bliss, Dunham, and Ballard on the winning 400 freestyle relay, which closed the meet in 3:49.94. 

In the end, South’s relay success and girls' depth proved decisive in the combined scoring, while North’s boys lineup showed its strength with multiple individual and relay victories in a meet that went down to the final events.

• FULL RESULTS

INDIVIDUAL EVENT WINNERS

GIRLS

• 200-Yard Medley Relay: South (Casey Heil, Ava Shearer, Emma Shearer, Riley McDaniel) 2:08.902
• 200-Yard Freestyle: Ava Shearer (South) 2:17.39
• 200-Yard Individual Medley: Emma Shearer (South) 2:40.88
• 50-Yard Freestyle: Riley McDaniel (South) 28.52
• 100-Yard Butterfly: Kaylynn Pawlowski (North) 1:03.29
• 100-Yard Freestyle: Emmie Rausch (South) 1:06.23
• 500-Yard Freestyle: Sophia Janik (North) 7:09.62
• 200-Yard Freestyle Relay: South (Emme Pellegrini, Riley McDaniel, Ava Shearer) 1:57.55
• 100-Yard Backstroke: Kaylynn Pawlowski (North) 1:06.97
• 100-Yard Breaststroke: Riley McDaniel (South) 1:22.16
• 400-Yard Freestyle Relay: North (Elena Messemer, Emily Avery, Callie Roberts, Kaylynn Pawlowski) 4:33.60

BOYS

• 200-Yard Medley Relay: North (Caden Reyes, Christopher Pawlowski, Amir Mahraz, Nathan Milam) 1:53.85
• 200-Yard Freestyle: Vincent Ballard (South) 2:00.66
• 200-Yard Individual Medley: Owen Bliss (South) 2:12.73
• 50-Yard Freestyle: Vincent Ballard (South) 24.00
• 1-Meter Diving: Nathan Milam (North) 137.55
• 100-Yard Butterfly: Cameron Sterk (South) 1:00.31
• 100-Yard Freestyle: Caden Reyes (North) 54.28
• 500-Yard Freestyle: Max Dunham (South) 5:42.80
• 200-Yard Freestyle Relay: South (Christian Rausch, Max Dunham, Owen Bliss, Vincent Ballard) 1:41.85
• 100-Yard Backstroke: Caden Reyes (North) 1:05.10
• 100-Yard Breaststroke: Owen Bliss (South) 1:07.63
• 400-Yard Freestyle Relay: South (Owen Bliss, Cameron Sterk, Max Dunham, Vincent Ballard) 3:49.94

Caden Reyes saved his biggest moment for last, touching the wall first in the 100-yard backstroke to punctuate Eastlake North’s third-place finish at the final Western Reserve Conference swimming & diving championships on Saturday, while the Rangers’ girls placed sixth overall.

“I can’t even put it into words,” Reyes said. “The feeling when I touched the wall and realized that I would be the last winner of that event meant everything to me. I was filled with so much excitement that I did a celebration in the water.”

Reyes won the 100 backstroke in 58.05, accounting for one of North’s top point totals in a boys’ race won by Mayfield with 455 points. Kenston was second with 289, while North followed with 248.5.

The sophomore also added a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle (1:59.31) and was part of two relay teams that scored critical points. He led off the second-place 200-yard medley relay with Christopher Pawlowski, Amir Mahraz, and Nathan Milam (1:45.63), then swam the opening leg of the fifth-place 200-yard freestyle relay alongside Pawlowski, Mahraz, and Milam (1:39.66).

“When I finished the race and looked at the board to see my place and time,” Reyes said, “I saw that I not only won but went a personal best. I was very satisfied with that time, but I still felt that I still could have been faster.”

Reyes said the medley relay stood out among his non-winning events, especially because of the collective effort.

“Out of the other events that I placed in, excluding the one that I won, my best would be the 200-medley relay,” he said. “Not only did I go a personal best in the 50 back, which is what I am most proud of and never thought I would see on that board, but what makes it better is that everybody else in the relay swam some of their best times.”

North’s boys also received scoring performances from Mahraz, who placed fourth in the 100-yard butterfly (1:00.95), Pawlowski, who was fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.84), and Milam, who finished second in 1-meter diving (128.50). The boys' 400-yard freestyle relay of Angel Mercado, Joseph Gash, Gideon Tumby, and Collin Grinstead placed fourth (4:39.16).

On the girls’ side, North totaled 190 points to finish sixth in a meet won by Mayfield with 497 points.

Kaylynn Pawlowski led the way by winning the 100-yard backstroke (1:04.29) and placing second in the 100-yard butterfly (1:00.87). She also swam on the fourth-place 200-yard medley relay with Lucibella Hinde, Emily Avery, and Elena Messemer (2:12.26), and the fifth-place 200-yard freestyle relay with Hinde, Avery, and Sophia Janik (2:01.03).

The Rangers’ girls closed the meet with a sixth-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay as Messemer, Melanie Okerwall, Giorgia Tenani, and Callie Roberts touched in 5:08.12.

With the postseason approaching, Reyes said the progress he’s made this winter has him confident heading into the most important stretch of the season.

“My coach and I have discussed a plan for the most beneficial outcome of the season,” Reyes said. “My best times from last year are all broken before the start of this postseason run, which gives me the most confidence on major improvements this season.”

The 2026 Western Reserve Conference swimming and diving championships continue on Jan. 3 at Cleveland State University, bringing together defending champions, proven scorers, and emerging underclassmen across a deep two-day meet.

With multiple returning event winners and several top seeds hovering near conference records, both team races and individual titles are set to be tightly contested.

Here’s a look at each swimming event:

GIRLS EVENTS

200 Medley Relay

Kenston enters as the top seed at 1:53.60, but Mayfield and Chardon bring championship experience into the opening event. Chardon won this relay in 2025, while Kenston finished second and Mayfield third. The conference record of 1:49.12 is within sight of Kenston’s seed, and clean exchanges could put pressure on that mark early.

200 Freestyle

Janet Rockenberger (Chardon) leads the psych sheet at 1:59.89 after winning the event last year. She is joined in the top three by Riley McDaniel (South) and Madeline Cresho (Chardon), who placed fifth a year ago.

200 Individual Medley

Briella Hewitt (Chardon) returns as the defending champion and top seed at 2:12.44 after winning this event in 2025. Scarlet Del Vecchio (Mayfield), last year’s runner-up, sits second, while Lila Barnes (Chardon) is seeded third after placing fifth last season. Hewitt’s seed time puts the long-standing 2:09.28 conference record within realistic striking distance.

50 Freestyle

Rylie Fisher (Chardon) is seeded first at 25.25 after winning the 50 free in 2025. Lily White (Mayfield), the runner-up last season, is seeded second again, followed by Madison Minich (Kenston), who finished fifth. Fisher remains the closest swimmer in the field to the 24.26 conference record.

100 Butterfly

Briella Hewitt (Chardon) leads the psych sheet at 58.45 after not swimming this event at last year’s meet, while Ava Shearer (South) returns as the defending champion but is seeded fifth. Emily Isabella (Mayfield), the 2025 runner-up, is seeded third. Hewitt’s time places her less than a second from the conference record of 57.78.

100 Freestyle

Julia Malatesta (Mayfield) returns as the defending champion and top seed at 55.87. Rylie Fisher (Chardon), who placed third last year, is seeded second, followed by Lily White (Mayfield), the fifth-place finisher in 2025. Malatesta’s seed keeps the 53.01 record within range.

500 Freestyle

Rockenberger leads again after finishing second in the 100 free and winning the 200 free last year. Riley McDaniel (South), fourth in 2025, and Libby Selby (Mayfield), third last year, round out the top three. The conference record may stand, but Rockenberger is positioned for another high-scoring swim.

200 Freestyle Relay

Chardon, the 2025 champion, enters as the top seed at 1:45.06. Kenston and South follow, while Mayfield — last year’s runner-up — is seeded fourth. Chardon’s depth gives it a narrow edge, but the top four teams remain closely grouped.

100 Backstroke

Carly Grande (Mayfield) returns as the defending champion and top seed. Emily Eads (Chardon), who finished second last year, is seeded third, while Clara Cook (Mayfield), fourth in 2025, sits just outside the top three.

100 Breaststroke

Julia Malatesta (Mayfield) leads the field after winning this event last season and enters seeded at 1:07.31, just off the conference record. Ava Shearer (South), third in 2025, and Giuliana Walters (Kenston), fourth last year, are seeded second and third.

400 Freestyle Relay

Chardon, the defending champion, again holds the top seed and will be challenged by Mayfield, South, and Riverside. Chardon’s relay depth gives it a strong chance to close the meet with another title.

BOYS EVENTS

200 Medley Relay

Kenston is seeded first, but Mayfield — the defending champion — sits close behind. Chardon, last year’s runner-up, is also firmly in contention.

200 Freestyle

Aidan Carter (Mayfield) leads the psych sheet after finishing second last year and winning the 500 free. Vincent Ballard (South) and Caden Reyes (North) follow, with Reyes returning after a third-place finish in the 50 free.

200 Individual Medley

Casey Cullivan (Mayfield) enters as the top seed, but Daniel Fleck (Riverside), last year’s champion, is seeded second. Owen Bliss (South), fourth in 2025, sits third, making this one of the most competitive races on the boys’ side.

50 Freestyle

Toby Rogers (Chardon) leads the field at 22.28 after finishing first in the 100 backstroke and second in the 100 free last year. Adam Glowczewski (Mayfield) and Gavin Goldstein (Mayfield), who finished first and second in this event in 2025, are seeded second and third.

100 Butterfly

Brayden Marker (Chardon) leads the psych sheet after placing third last year. Jack Bennett (Chardon), fourth in 2025, is seeded second, followed by Cameron Sterk (South), who finished fourth last season.

100 Freestyle

Rogers (Chardon) returns after placing second in 2025 and enters as the top seed. Daniel Fleck (Riverside), third last year, is seeded second, while Adam Glowczewski (Mayfield) rounds out the top three.

500 Freestyle

Carter (Mayfield) returns as the defending champion and top seed, followed by Sam Lanning (Kenston), third in 2025, and Vincent Ballard (South), seeded third.

200 Freestyle Relay

Mayfield, the 2025 champion, is seeded first at 1:31.88 — faster than the existing conference record — setting the stage for one of the meet’s most anticipated races. Chardon and Kenston are the primary challengers.

100 Backstroke

Caden Reyes (North) leads the psych sheet after finishing third last year. Connor Ward (Kenston), fourth in 2025, sits second, with Cameron Sterk (South) seeded third.

100 Breaststroke

Max Semenov (Mayfield), third in 2025, is seeded first, followed closely by Casey Cullivan (Mayfield) and Liam May (Riverside). This event features three proven scorers separated by less than two seconds.

400 Freestyle Relay

Chardon and Mayfield, last year’s top two finishers, are separated by less than a second on the psych sheet. Kenston also returns a top-three relay, setting up an interesting relay.

Boys/Girls Diving

Mayfield’s Kamilla Fekete and Austin Szafraniec won the diving championships on Friday at Mayfield High School.

• Complete Psych Sheets