Bay Rockets Qualify Three Individuals, Two Relays for OHSAA State Swim Meet at Cleveland Districts

CLEVELAND — Bay High School Swimming turned in a balanced, state-qualifying performance at the OHSAA District Tournament on Friday at Cleveland State, with the Rockets’ boys placing eighth and the girls finishing ninth in the team standings. Behind multiple podium swims and strong relay efforts, Bay advanced three individuals and two relays to the OHSAA State meet.

Junior Luke Filiatraut led the Rockets’ effort on the boys side, securing an automatic state berth in the 200-yard freestyle with a runner-up finish. Filiatraut backed up that performance with a fourth-place swim in the 100-yard butterfly, adding a second individual event to his state schedule. His ability to score in the top tier of both a mid-distance freestyle and a stroke event provided a significant boost to the boys’ eighth-place team result.

Senior Ollie Brown added veteran stability for Bay with two state-qualifying individual swims. Brown placed sixth in the 200-yard individual medley, then matched that level in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing sixth and advancing in both events. His performances in two demanding races that require versatility and technical precision helped solidify the Rockets’ scoring presence in the middle of the lineup.

On the girls side, sophomore Ruby Render delivered one of the key performances of the day. Render placed eighth in the 200-yard freestyle and 11th in the 100-yard freestyle, earning a state berth in the 100 free. Her ability to reach the finals in both events and secure a qualifying time in the shorter sprint contributed to the girls’ ninth-place team finish and gave Bay another individual entry for the state meet.

Bay’s relays proved to be a strength throughout the meet, particularly for the boys. The Rockets’ 200-yard medley relay of Filiatraut, Brown, John Allan and Ilias Ghaffari “continued their season dominance,” according to the coaching staff, by placing fourth and punching a ticket to state. The boys then added another qualifying relay when the 400-yard freestyle team of Filiatraut, Ghaffari, Sam Farrar and Brown finished seventh overall, securing a state berth in the meet’s closing event.

The Bay girls added depth to the overall team effort with a pair of podium relay results. The 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard freestyle relay, both featuring Render, Lily Wavak, Moriah Murtha and Emery Ziemnik, finished eighth in their respective events. While those relays did not advance to state, the top-eight finishes contributed important district points and capped a strong team showing for the Rockets’ girls squad.

With three individual qualifiers and two state-bound relays between the boys and girls teams, Bay heads into the OHSAA State meet with momentum and representation across multiple strokes and distances. The Rockets’ mix of upperclass leadership and underclass talent positions the program well as it transitions from a successful district performance to the season’s final stage.