Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Stratford High’s Clayton Bobo, Emma Stephenson Win State Swimming Titles; Three Relays Splashed into Finals

Emma Stephenson of Stratford competes in the Class 6A girls 100-yard butterfly during the Class 6A UIL State Swimming & Diving Championships at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018, in Austin. Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle Staff Photographer
The fastest freestyle swimmers in Texas attend Stratford High School.

That is the dramatic and true opening sentence for a Houston Chronicle news report about the state swimming meet held Feb. 16-17 in Austin.

Spartan senior Clayton Bobo took home his fourth and fifth individual gold medals, repeating as 50- and 100-yard freestyle champion. Junior Emma Stephenson won the 50-yard freestyle, adding a sixth-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly at Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center in Austin.

Stratford High swimmers were entered in only nine state events, but they excelled in each, finishing fourth in the boys division and 10th in the girls standings. The Spartans made it into the championship finals in three relays, resulting in medals in the boys medley and 200-yard freestyle relays.

“It is always fun to see a season of planning and hard work come to fruition the way that it did for our swim team last weekend,” Stratford’s swim coach, Michael Hoskovec, told the SBISD communications office this week.

“Swimming is always a sport that is very honest and if you work long enough, you will be rewarded. The Stratford Spartans also know they have a history of success and they look forward to being a part of that history at the end of each season,” Hoskovec also said.

“The guys did an amazing job, breaking three school records, and bringing home the highest big school conference finish in school history. They are a close group and it shows when they swim together. The girls exceeded expectations as well. That group is tremendously supportive of each other and swimming is a lot more fun when it is done with your friends,” he also said.

“As coaches, we are always proud to see the kids reach and exceed their goals, and our kids made all the time and effort spent along the way worth the while,” Coach Hoskovec added.

Bobo, who won his first state 50-yard medal as a sophomore, finished the sprint in 20.17 seconds and was the only swimmer to break the 20.30 mark, including a 20.26 in preliminaries that was the top seed by .39 seconds, the Houston Chronicle reports.

A Texas A&M University signee, Bobo held off fellow future Aggies swimmer Kaloyan Bratanov of Katy in the 100-yard freestyle, clocking a 43.93 to win by .32 seconds.

"Regardless of what happened, today was just about having fun," Bobo told Chronicle reporter Jack Marrion. "This is my last time getting to wear the 'S' on my cap, so I just wanted to take it all in, win or lose. I was just going to swim with a smile on my face, and the win made me smile a little bit bigger."

Stephenson swam a 23.04 in her 50 final, winning a close race with .11 seconds separating the first three finishers. She was the top seed entering the final with a 23.06, which was .30 better than any other preliminary swimmer.

Kyle Storemski won the consolation final in the 50-yard freestyle and led off the Spartans' silver medley 200 freestyle relay team. Cole Oliphant, Dean Rathgeb and Bobo completed a 1:24.14 to outrace district rival Klein. Max Zuanich, Rathgeb, Bobo and Storemski opened the meet with a bronze medal in the 200-yard medley relay, swimming a 1:32.83.

Stephenson, Olivia Lyster, Kara Moss and Morgen Reyna took fifth in the state in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:37.16. The same group placed 12th in the 400 free relay, the newspaper reports.

Stratford High State Swim Meet Results:
  • Girls 200 free relay, 5th, 1:37.16 (Emma Stephenson, Olivia Lyster, Kara Moss, Morgen Reyna)
  • Girls 400 free relay, 12th, 3:32.21 (Emma Stephenson, Olivia Lyster, Kara Moss, Morgen Reyna)
  • Emma Stephenson, 50 free, 1st, 23.04; 100 fly, 6th, 54.26
  • Boys medley relay, 3rd, 1:32.83 (Max Zuanich, Dean Rathgeb, Clayton Bobo, Kyle Storemski)
  • Boys 200 free relay, 2nd, 1:24.14 (Kyle Storemski, Cole Oliphant, Dean Rathgeb, Clayton Bobo)
  • Clayton Bobo, 50 free, 1st, 20.17; 100 free, 1st, 43.93
  • Kyle Storemski, 50 free, 9th, 20.98

Houston Chronicle sports reporter Jack Marrion compiled and published much of this article. Staff writer Jon Poorman also contributed to the report.
Read Houston Chronicle article


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