CANTON — Firestone senior swimmer Jonny Marshall stood atop the podium as a state champion Saturday night for the third year in a row at C.T. Branin Natatorium.
Marshall earned his spot on top once again by winning his third consecutive state title in the Division I 100-yard backstroke in a school-record time of 46.31 seconds.
Marshall , a University of Florida recruit, just missed Carson Foster's 2019 state- and pool-record time of 46.28.
Firestone swimming coverage: Firestone swimmer Jonny Marshall heads into final OHSAA state meet seeking more titles
Marshall smiled and flexed his muscles as he got out of the pool and made his way to the podium.
"My whole family is here and there are a lot of alumni here," Marshall said. "It's my brother's birthday today. George Marshall's birthday is today, February 25th. A big shoutout to him. He turned 14 today."
Marshall's time Saturday topped his previous state final times of 46.74 as a junior and 47.41 as a sophomore .
"Jonny executed the game plan and I am proud of him," Firestone coach Cindy Dial said.
Firestone swimming coverage: More Firestone swim pool, school records fall with senior Jonny Marshall in the water
Marshall's friend and future Florida teammate, Toledo St. Francis de Sales senior Scotty Buff, finished second in the 100 backstroke Saturday for the third year in a row. Buff recorded a time of 46.71, besting his times as a junior (46.88) and a sophomore (47.48).
Buff's Saturday also included a victory in the 100 butterfly in a pool-, state- and national-record time of 44.97 seconds.
Marshall opened Saturday's meet with a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle for the second year in a row. He posted a school-record time of 1:35.93 behind Cincinnati St. Xavier junior Thackston McMullan, who won in 1:35.86.
Hudson swimming coverage: Hudson district champion swimmers 'excited' headed into OHSAA Division I state meet
Hudson seniors Vittorio Cappabianca and Carrie Caniglia each finished eighth in their final state meet. Cappabianca was eighth in the boys 200 individual medly in 1:53.97 and Caniglia was eighth in the 50 freestyle in 23.97.
Elsewhere in the boys meet, Jackson junior Luke Vickers was second in the 100 breaststroke (54.87), Medina senior Brayden Morford was seventh in the 100 backstroke (50.54) and eighth in the 200 freestyle (1:43.92) and Jackson junior Ezra Herring was eighth in the 100 butterfly (50.04).
Green swimming coverage: Green swimming state qualifiers Olivia Elgin, Sydney Peterson 'lead with their work ethic'
Green senior Olivia Elgin earned the best placement of a girl from the Greater Akron area with a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle in 51.20.
Wadsworth junior Madelyn Schnelzer was fourth in the 100 butterfly in 55.93.
Other notable area girls were Aurora senior Alayna Brooker (100 breaststroke, fifth, 1:04.26); Firestone senior Tera Brilmyer (200 IM, sixth, 2:06.62); Jackson sophomore Nina Shulik (500 freestyle, sixth, 5:03.74 and 200 freestyle, eighth, 1:52.69) and North Canton Hoover senior Annabelle Nixon (100 freestyle, seventh, 51.87) and freshman Anna Helmuth (100 breaststroke, seventh, 1:04.59).
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Firestone senior Jonny Marshall wins third swimming state championship
