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Firestone junior Katie Miller was one of several athletes honored Monday at the Akron Touchdown Club Winter Sports Banquet. Miller was named the girls swimmer of the year.

CANTON, Ohio – You might think that a defending state champion would coast through the Northeast Classic Invitational swimming prelims and save herself for the finals Saturday night at C.T. Branin Natatorium.

That assumption would be false.

Juniors Danielle Margheret of Walsh Jesuit and Katie Miller of Firestone are relentless in their pursuit of improved preparation and better technique.

The Northeast Classic attracted nearly 80 high schools from across the state and brought a combined 1,000 swimmers to two facilities for the first half of the meet.

After competing in prelims at the University of Akron’s Ocasek Natatorium, both Margheret and Miller were engaged in specific discussions with their respective coaches.

The topics were varied.  Margheret was striving to refine her stroke mechanics with the help of coach Wally Lutkus.  Miller was reviewing her pre-race routine with the aid of coach Cindy Virdo.

“The little details, they make a big difference,” said Miller, the defending OHSAA Division I state champion in the 200-yard individual medley (2:00.62).

Her success at C.T. Branin Natatorium – site of the OHSAA Championships -- continued in the Northeast Classic finals when she won two individual titles and helped set a meet record in Firestone’s victory in the 400 freestyle relay (3:34.47).

“I’m on two great relays this year with three other tremendous girls and we all get excited to race,” Miller said.

The Falcons’ mighty foursome includes senior Jill Stoneburg, senior Emily O’Brien and sophomore Natalie O’Brien.

Miller also won the 200 freestyle (1:50.66) and the 100 backstroke (55.35, meet record).

“A lot of it is just staying relaxed, because sometimes I think too much before I get up and swim in big meets,” she said.  “With the 100 back, my heart rate needs to be up before I swim, so we’re experimenting with how long I need to warm up. Then a lot of it is working the little details like my underwater kick and my turnovers.

“So, when I get to big meets, I don’t have to think about it. It just happens.”

You might say Miller is a champion in part because of her attention to detail.

Margheret is the defending OHSAA Division II state champion in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.74) and still she welcomes feedback, while continuing to refine her stroke.

“There’s always something you can get faster with -- that you need to fix,” she said. “Even world record holders have things to work on.”

Margheret won the 100 breaststroke (1:04.32) on Saturday night by more than three seconds over runner-up Laura Murphy of Hudson.  She split 30.37 over her first two lengths and proved to be dominant.

She also competed in the 200 medley relay (sixth place) and reached the consolation finals in the 200 IM and the 200 free relay.

“I like to try to kind of get my rhythm right (during the prelims) and my hands in the right position and know what I can do for finals,” she said. “I’m just not pulling enough.  For my breaststroke I was just slotting my hands back instead of pulling, so I’m not getting that extra umph and I’m relying on my kick too much.

“At this point, I’ve started dropping pretty big amounts (of time). I’m just trying to get back in that area so I am ready for sectionals.”

Margheret set a state meet record last February when she won state as a sophomore.

Northeast Classic

Boys Results (yards)

200 medley relay: 1. St. Ignatius, 1:36.62. 4. Strongsville, 1:39.41.

200 freestyle: 1. Mitch Alters (North Canton Hoover), 1:43.20, 2. Mitchell Delventhal (Strongsville), 1:44.78, 5. Andrew Appleby (Cuyahoga Falls), 1:46.27, 6. Ben Boshkos (Walsh Jesuit), 1:48.73.

200 IM: 1. Derek Hren (St. Ignatius), 1:53.39, 3. Jimmy Dagley (Hudson), 1:55.28, 5. Graham Burnell (CVCA), 2:00.88.

50 freestyle: 1. Nathan Christian (St. Ignatius), 21.78, 3. Mike Pavlak (Wadsworth) 22.00, 8. Jon Davis (Revere), 22:57.

100 butterfly: 1. Erik Risolvato (Lima Shawnee), 49.60.

100 freestyle: 1. Jimmy Dagley (Hudson), 46.65, 2. Mark Belanger (Firestone), 46.83, 4. Andrew Appleby (Cuyahoga Falls), 48.12.

500 freestyle: 1. Austin Quinn (Chagrin Falls), 4:43.93, 3. Mitchell Delventhal (Strongsville) 4:53.57.

200 freestyle relay: 1. North Canton Hoover, 1:25.95. 4. Hudson, 1:29.22.

100 backstroke: 1. Mark Belanger (Firestone), 52.10, 4. Ian Simpson (Strongsville), 55.53, 6. Joey Reilman (Walsh Jesuit), 56.03, 8. Mike Pichette (Strongsville), 56.94.

100 breaststroke: 1. Derek Hren (St. Ignatius), 56.73, 6. Mike Pavlak (Wadsworth), 1:00.33, 8. Ben Boshkos (Walsh Jesuit), 1:03.53.

400 freestyle relay: 1. St. Ignatius, 3:13.78, 5. Hudson, 3:19.17.

Girls Results (yards)

200 medley relay: 1. Strongsville, 1:48.47, 4. Firestone, 1:52.10, 6. Walsh Jesuit.

200 freestyle: 1. Katie Miller (Firestone), 1:50.66, 4. Alex Poitinger (Revere), 1:58.24, 6. Brenda Prifti (Copley), 2:00.56.

200 IM: 1. Morgan Belli (Gahanna Lincoln), 2:06.04, 4. Natalie O’Brien (Firestone), 2:13.13, 6. Emma Gresser (Revere), 8. Emily Arther (Hudson).

50 freestyle: 1. Chase Kinney (Massillon Jackson), 23.25, 2. Madison Myers (Copley), 24.16, 4. Molly Washko (Strongsville), 24.33, 7. Maggie Harris (Revere), 25.13, 8. Morgan Lydic (Cuyahoga Falls), 25.19.

100 butterfly: 1. Liz Harty (Dublin Scioto), 58.45, 7. Emily O’Brien (Firestone), 59.63, 8. Emma Gresser (Revere), 59.87.

100 freestyle: 1. Chase Kinney (Massillon Jackson), 50.79, 4. Connie Gan (Hudson), 53.98.

500 freestyle: 1. Joan Thompson (Shaker Heights), 5:02.02, 2. Natalie O’Brien (Firestone), 5:12.77, 3. Alex Poitinger (Revere), 5:17.19, 4. Paige Kelly (Hudson), 5:19.46, 6. Sammi Hargis (Strongsville), 5:22.84.

200 freestyle relay: 1. Granville, 1:37.59, 2. Strongsville, 1:38.17, 4. Hudson, 1:40.87.

100 backstroke: 1. Katie Miller (Firestone), 55.35, 2. Madison Myers (Copley), 56.89.

100 breaststroke: 1. Danielle Margheret (Walsh Jesuit), 1:04.32, 2. Laura Murphy (Revere), 1:07.56.

400 freestyle relay: 1. Firestone (Miller, Stoneburg, E. O’Brien, N. O’Brien), 3:34.47 (MR), 2. Strongsville, 3:36.12, 7. Hudson, 3:44.10.