Southwest Ohio High School Classic: SwimmingWorld.TV Visits Largest High School Meet

CINCINNATI, Ohio, January 25, 2008. HIGH school swim meets are often eardrum-busting, throat-scratching circuses. Last weekend, SwimmingWorld.TV went to what's considered one of the biggest in the country: the Southwest Ohio High School Swimming and Diving Classic.

From the opening 400 medley relay on Day One to the concluding 400 freestyle relay on Day Two, Swimming World Magazine Publisher Brent Rutemiller put the viewer in the middle of the cheers and fast swimming that highlighted the 25th annual event. Click the button on the right to view the 29-minute video.

One of the first people interviewed was Brand Langford of Mason, who copied Olympic champion Amy Van Dyken's signature pre-race move of spitting into the pool. But Langford said "I didn't mean to do it. It was a habit I got into when I was younger."

Other winners interviewed include 400 IM champions Brent Hitchcock and Margaret Fish. Both swimmers won two events at the meet.

Sophomore Devinn Jones of Huber Heights Wayne set a meet record of 25.95 in winning the 50 fly. The filming of Jones' race includes running commentary by 1984 Olympic champion Rowdy Gaines, who came to Cincinnati to host a post-meet clinic.

Also in Cincinnati for the clinic was former American record holder Sabir Muhammad, who offered encouraging tips to 100 free winner Jim Barbiere of Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Rutemiller also found time to venture away from the deck to talk to Barbiere's father, Larry, a 1968 Olympian who said he gets more nervous watching his son swim than when he was an All-American at Indiana University, where Jim will attend in the fall.

Also featured are Pat and Jim Hudepohl, the parents of two-time Olympian Joe Hudepohl, who is a legend in the Cincinnati area, where he set national high school records.

Also attending the meet was 2004 Olympic gold medalist Dan Ketchum, an Ohio native who told Rutemiller he still gets in the pool, but only for recreation.

A report on more winners at the meet can be found here.

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