Back to Branin

They’re back.

The Indians missed out on the state finals in 2022. That came after a spectacular 2021 that saw an All-Ohio relay and a freshman state qualifier.

Now a junior Teigen Fortkamp earned a double trip to the state finals individually and is part of a relay that could repeat that All-Ohio accomplishment.

Audra Bubp, Joelle Kaup, Paige Guggenbiller and Fortkamp of Fort Recovery High School will compete in the 200-yard medley relay, with Fortkamp also taking to the water in the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle in the OHSAA Division II Swimming and Diving State Finals.

The state finals begin preliminaries at 5 p.m. Thursday at Canton’s C.T. Branin Natatorium. The top 16 finishers in each event move on to compete again Friday, with the top eight in the championship race and the next eight in the consolation finals.

Fortkamp, who was 18th in the 50 freestyle as a freshman but fell short of the state finals last season, is seeded 14th in the 100 backstroke as she returns to the state finals this year. Her third-place district time of 59.04 was just six hundredths off of her career best.

The time puts her 0.23 seconds ahead of 16th-seeded Alaina Pizarro of Hakwen School. She is 0.8 seconds behind No. 2 seed Leah Guess of Marlington.

FRHS coach Mindy Bubp noted that Fortkamp had almost no rest at the district meet between competing in the 200 freestyle relay and swimming the 100 backstroke.

“So I’m hoping she can go in well-rested and really swim a good 100 backstroke race,” said Bubp, adding that she believes Fortkamp’s freshman experience at the state finals will help calm nerves. “She’s gonna have to go in and swim her fastest. I’m hoping she can do that.”

Fortkamp, Bubp, Kaup and Guggenbiller are also just on the outside looking in when it comes to a consolation finals berth in the 200 medley relay. They are the No. 18 seed at 1:53.12, just 0.7 seconds behind 16th-seeded Shawnee.

That said, the relay has come a long way this season. Bubp noted that Kaup was turned into a butterflyer, Guggenbiller is in just her second year swimming and Bubp changed her stroke. The result was an eight-second time drop from last season’s district meet — 2:01.78 — and breaking the school record of 1:53.28 set by Alexis Bubp, Paige Fortkamp, Sophie Timmerman and Cassy Martin. (The first two names on that list are sisters to the current squad.)

The team will focus on tightening up starts even more — Bubp said they were conservative in the sectional before getting aggressive at the district meet — in an effort to shave time and have a chance to return to the pool Friday.

“We’ve done a lot of tapering, but these girls have continually surprised me every step of the way,” she said. “Had you told me they were going to be swimming at the beginning of the season where they are today, I would have said, ‘Well, that’s a really big stretch.’ So I think these girls can come in and swim their best and see if they can’t drop enough time to see if they can’t get into the finals.”

Fortkamp is the No. 21 seed for the 50 freestyle after placing fifth in the district meet at Bowling Green State University. Her seed time of 24.55 puts her just 0.2 seconds behind No. 16 seed Hannah Nagel of Napoleon.

“With the 50 free, it’s anybody’s game,” said Bubp. “You go in and get a really good start and a really good turn … It’s just whoever can put together the two fastest laps.”

The coach is excited to have athletes back at the state finals after missing out a year ago. The Bubp sisters, Mindy’s daughters, and Fortkamp sisters teamed for 16th place in the 200 freestyle relay in 2001.

Bubp said any opportunity to experience the state finals — the biggest high school meet in the pool with the largest spectator capacity (1,700) in the state — is special.

“It’s a crazy number of people and kids who are just nuts about swim,” she said. “It’s an experience. …

“We have this incredible swim experience and the kids get to spend time together. It’s just a neat way to finish the season.”