WESTLAKE – It was an obstacle Westlake had never faced in the 29-year history of the Southwestern Conference Swimming and Diving Championships: The loss of its coach at midseason.

Jim Walsh was forced to resign Monday due to health issues.

This past year, the 65-year-old Walsh battled through liver tumors, gall bladder surgery and heart arrhythmia. He was given a recent clean bill of health by a neurologist, but said he was told to resign anyway.

Walsh led Westlake to nine SWC titles – five girls, four boys – in seven years, more than any swim coach in conference history.

Despite the shakeup and with assistant Jessica Dye as their new coach, the Demons refused to be denied Saturday as the girls won their sixth straight SWC title and 18th overall and the boys won their fifth straight conference crown and eighth overall.

The Westlake girls won just one event – the 400 free relay – but their depth was too much for second-place Brecksville to handle. The Demons had six second-place finishes and four fourth places.

Westlake trailed by four points after nine events, but amassed 102 points in the last three events to beat the Bees, 299-261.

“Everyone pulled together,” Westlake senior Grace Pophal said. “We were scared for a while, but everyone knew what they had to do. Success hasn’t spoiled us. We knew we had to work for it.”

Pophal teamed with sophomore Lauren Choban, junior Heather Smith and junior Megan Splain to win the 400 free relay in 3:48.96.

“We were very disappointed when we first heard the news (about Walsh),” Pophal said. “But everyone pulled it together. Coach Dye has done an awesome job.”

Pophal contributed with second-place finishes in the 50 free (25.33) and 100 free (56.93).

“The kids really stepped up wherever we asked them,” said Dye, 27, who was a Twinsburg assistant for four years before coming to Westlake. “It’s a big meet for them, just with the tradition with Westlake swimming. They put a lot of pressure on themselves to focus to do well as the teams have done here in the past. They’re carrying on that pride and tradition.”

Junior Joe Craven led the Westlake boys. He won the 200 free (1:48.11) and 100 fly (52.95). He also teamed with seniors Bobby Knurek, Andrew Medoro and Tyler McFarland for an SWC record in the 200 free relay (1:32.53).

“It was a good meet,” Craven said. “Today were my season-best times. It wasn’t quite the performance I was hoping for, but I should be back on track for sectionals.”

Westlake finished with 307 points. Amherst was second with 296, equaling its best finish since 2000.

Amherst senior Dominic Pecze broke Craven’s 2009 100 fly record (54.90) with a time of 54.49.

“Joe’s a good friend,” Pecze said. “I had a good day. It’s just nice to have this type of day coming off a shoulder injury. It’s a good sign for the rest of the season.”

Pecze also led off two winning relays – the 200 medley (1:46.85) and the 400 free (3:28.62).

Andrew Machesky, Frankie Keeling and Tyler Moore joined Pecze on the medley relay. Wengerd, Keeling and Moore teamed with Pecze on the 400 relay.

Olmsted Falls junior Amanda Paliska had an outstanding meet. For the third straight year, she won the 200 IM (2:14.56) and 100 fly (1:00.04).

“I was so nervous. I could barely sleep last night,” Paliska said. “It’s a good accomplishment. Times were good today. I can’t wait for districts.”

Paliska is only the second girl in meet history to win the IM and fly events three times. Previously, Molly Kuhlman of Westlake won the 200 IM (1988-90) and Westlake’s Lisa Schuette took the 100 fly (1989-91).

“You don’t know what everyone else’s taper is like,” Paliska said. “You just have to swim your own race and do your best.”

Avon Lake swept boys and girls diving Friday.

Avon Lake senior Logan Crist won his second straight SWC title on his 11th and final dive, doing it with a school-record total of 451.35. North Olmsted senior Curtis Sampson was second (449.55). It was the second-closest final in meet history.

Avon Lake junior Morgan Srail pulled ahead of North Olmsted senior Tiffany Platko in the eighth round and went to win, 420.00-413.45

Contact Paul Heyse at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

Boys

Team scores: 1. Westlake (W), 307; 2. Amherst (AM), 296; 3. North Olmsted (NO), 197; 4. Berea (BE), 157; 5. Brecksville (BR), 152; 6. Avon Lake (AL), 133); 7. Midpark (M), 103; 8. Olmsted Falls (OF), 50

Final conference standings (Based on dual meet, championship meet finishes)

1. Westlake (7-0 dual meet), 16; 2. Amherst (6-1), 14; 3. North Olmsted (4-3), 11; 4. Brecksville (5-2), 10; 5. Berea (3-4), 9; 6. Midpark (2-5), 41/2; 7. Avon Lake (0-7), 4; 8. Olmsted Falls (1-6), 31/2

Individual results

200 medley relay: 1. Amherst (Pecze, Machesky, Keeling, Moore), 1:46.85; 2. North Olmsted, 1:47.60; 3. Westlake, 1:49.06; 4. Brecksville, 1:49.69

200 free: 1. Craven (W), 1:48.11; 2. St. Marie (W), 1:56.32; 3. Wengerd (AM), 1:57.78; 4. Denega (BE), 1:58.25

200 IM: 1. Knurek (W), 2:07.11; 2. O’Rourke (AL), 2:08.13; 3. McFarland (W), 2:08.43; 4. Keeling (AM), 2:11.10

50 free: 1. Mackey (W), 22.13; 2. Ainger (BR), 23.29; 3. Moore (AM), 23.61; 4. Berkey (BE), 24.10

Diving: 1. Christ (AL), 451.35; 2. Sampson (NO), 449.55; 3. Nicolay (M), 337.20; 4. Renkel (W), 315.10

100 fly: 1. Craven (W), 52.95; 2. McFarland (W), 56.06; 3. Kotchman (BR), 57.31; 4. Keeling (AM), 1:00.10

100 free: 1. Mackey (NO), 48.37; 2. Pecze (AM), 50.51; 3. Knurek (W), 51.66; 4. Ainger (BR), 51.79

500 free: 1. Denega (BE), 5:09.35; 2. O’Rourke (AL), 5:12.92; 3. St. Marie (W), 5:13.45; 4. Wengerd (AM), 5:21.09

200 free relay: 1. Westlake A (Knurek, Medoro, Craven, McFarland), 1:32.53 (MEET RECORD, old record 1:32.95 set in 2009 by Westlake); 2. North Olmsted, 1:35.18; 3. Avon Lake, 1:38.61; 4. Westlake B, 1:39.08

100 back: 1. Pecze (AM), 54.49 (MEET RECORD, old record 54.90 set in 2009 by Craven); 2. Kotchman (BR), 58.29; 3. Scalli (AM), 58.67; 4. Lamorgese (W), 1:01.10

100 breast: 1. Moore (AM), 1:06.38; 2. Helzel (W), 1:06.50; 3. Jammal (NO), 1:07.36; 4. Machesky (AM), 1:08.19

400 free relay: 1. Amherst (Pecze, Wengerd, Keeling, Moore), 3:28.62; 2. Brecksville, 3:35.41; 3. Berea, 3:37.18; 4. Westlake B, 3:37.94

Girls

Team scores: 1. Westlake, 299; 2. Brecksville, 261; 3. Olmsted Falls, 247; 4. North Olmsted, 227; 5. Berea, 184; 6. Amherst, 102; 7. Avon Lake, 49; 8. Midpark, 26

Final conference standings (Based on dual meet, championship meet finishes)

1. Westlake (7-0 dual meet), 16; 2. Brecksville (6-1), 14; 3. Olmsted Falls (4-3), 101/2; 4. North Olmsted (4-3), 91/2; 5. Berea (4-3), 81/2; 6. Amherst (2-5), 7; T7. Avon Lake (0-7) and Midpark (1-6), 3

Individual results

200 medley relay: 1. Brecksville (Savage, Trudeau, Wilczewski, Zart), 1:56.62; 2. Westlake, 1:56.68; 3. Berea, 1:58.42; 4. Olmsted Falls, 2:01.55

200 free: 1. Kolis (BE), 1:57.98; 2. Dregalla (OF), 2:01.80; 3. Troyer (NO), 2:02.33; 4. Ott (NO), 2:02.33

200 IM: 1. Paliska (OF), 2:14.56; 2. Splain (W), 2:17.82; 3. Chinchilla (NO), 2:21.36; 4. Smith (W), 2:21.75

50 free: 1. Savage (BR), 25.02 (TIES MEET RECORD, record first set in 1998 by Rocky River’s Beth Colacurcio); 2. Pophal (W), 25.33; 3. John (OF), 26.57; 4. McKee (M), 26.64

Diving: 1. Srail (AL), 420.00; 2. Platko (NO), 413.45; 3. Wade (BE), 369.35; 4. Nicolay (OF), 356.65

100 fly: 1. Paliska (OF), 1:00.04; 2. Splain (W), 1:02.53; 3. Loushin (AM), 1:04.01; 4. Smith (W), 1:05.51

100 free: 1. Savage (BR), 55.13; 2. Pophal (W), 56.93; 3. Varga (NO), 58.88; 4. Will (NO), 59.38

500 free: 1. Troyer (NO), 5:21.14; 2. Dregalla (OF), 5:29.70; 3. Liddy (OF), 5:35.67; 4. Chinchilla (NO), 5:38.38

200 free relay: 1. Brecksville (Savage, Schlabig, Trudeau, Zart), 1:44.56; 2. Olmsted Falls, 1:44.64; 3. North Olmsted, 1:48.50; 4. Berea, 1:50.39

100 back: 1. Kolis (BE), 1:01.70; 2. Choban (W), 1:05.51; 3. Knudsen (AM), 1:06.55; 4. Prexta (W), 1:06.88

100 breast: 1. Trudeau (BR), 1:12.19; 2. Knezevich (BE), 1:12.79; 3. Kranz (BE), 1:14.19; 4. Remster (AM), 1:16.67

400 free relay: 1. Westlake A (Choban, Smith, Pophal, Splain), 3:48.96; 2. North Olmsted, 3:53.25; 3. Olmsted Falls, 3:59.61; 4. Westlake B, 4:04.72

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