CANTON–Two things are almost certain when February rolls around.
A groundhog will tell us how many more weeks of winter we’ll endure and the Hawken girls’ swim team will add to its state title collection.
Earlier this month, Punxsutawney Phil told us we’d likely have an early spring and on Friday the Hawks won their 22nd straight Division II state title and 29th overall.
Hawken finished the meet with 399 points while Hathaway Brown finished in second with 217.
The Hawks won four individual state titles with the 200-yard Medley Relay team of Jessica Eden, Sydney Bare, Lauren Musbach and Bainon Hart, and Tori Culotta repeating as state champs.
The 200-yard relay team finished the race in 1:44.22 while Culotta won the 500-yard Freestyle in 4:52.11.
Eden also won the 200-yard Individual Medley in 2:01.12 and the Hawks’ 200-yard Freestyle Relay team of Maggie Mallett, Ella Gilson, Hart and Eden took home the state title in 1:34.43.
The Hawks finished second in the 400-yard Freestyle Relay with a time of 3:30.26. Hart, Mallett, Musbach and Gilson competed in that event.
Hawken’s other state placers included Culotta (2nd in the 200-yard Freestyle—1:50.93), Gilson (4th in the 200-yard Freestyle—1:53.74 and 7th in the 100-yard Freestyle—52.63), Hart (5th in the 200-yard IM—2:05.64), Bare (8th in the 200-yard IM—2:08.08 and 3rd in the 100-yard Breaststroke—1:02.52), Mallett (7th in the 50-yard Freestyle—23.99 and 7th in the 100-yard Butterfly—57.25), Eden (2nd in the 100-yard Backstroke—55.94), Sylvia Stewart-Bates (6th in the 200-yard IM—2:06.61 and 2nd in the 500-yard Freestyle—4:45.14), Claire Pophal (3rd in the 500-yard Freestyle—4:56.17), Julia Johnson (4th in the 500-yard Freestyle—4:58.90), Lena Sylvan (8th in the 100-yard Backstroke—58.67), and Ariana Khan (11th in 1-meter Diving—385.35).
Other Chagrin Valley Conference state placers included Kirtland’s Kaley Ream, who finished sixth in the 100-yard Butterfly (56.68) and seventh in the 500-yard Freestyle (5:07.50), Chagrin Falls’ Kate LaMonica, who placed fifth in 1-meter Diving (419.10) and Beachwood’s Amanda Leizman, who was eighth in diving (406.30).
The CVC was well-represented in the B Finals.
Orange’s 200-yard Medley Relay team of Katie Hollington, Kate Halloran, Lily Klinginsmith and Anna Klinginsmith placed 13th (1:53.28) and that same group placed 15th in the 400-yard Freestyle relay (3:43.74). Lily Klinginsmith also finished 12th in the 200-yard Freestyle and 12th in the 100-yard Butterfly.
Chagrin Falls’ 200-yard Medley Relay team of Libby Bare, Madi Machado, Isabella Klug and Ellen Guddy placed 16th.