Sorg becomes first Rocket swimmer to win state title

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

In a storied history that spans three decades, Oak Harbor’s boys and girls swim teams had never had a state champion – not on a relay, and not for an individual.
Now that drought is over as Rocket sophomore Austin Sorg won the championship in Division II in the 100 yard butterfly in 48.06 seconds.
On top of that, Sorg was fifth in the 500 freestyle in 4:39.62.
For his efforts, Sorg was named the Division II Performer of the Meet.
In the 200 medley relay, Sorg teamed with Tyler Johannsen, Spencer Heintz and Nathan Warnke to finish seventh in 1:39.49.
In the 400 free relay, Warnke, Sorg, Johannsen and Brennan O’Neill finished 10th in 3:18.48.
Warnke was 16th in the 100 free in 49.29.
As a team, Oak Harbor was 10th in the state with 75 points. Shaker Heights’ Hathaway Brown won with 347 points.
“As a team, I think everyone did their part to get us that high in Division II, and everyone had great swims at Canton,” said Sorg. “Everyone did their part and knew what they had to do, and we got it done.”
In the 100 fly, Sorg was in third place toward the finish, but he kicked it into another gear and won the championship.
“The only thing I saw was the kid next to me who was in front of me at the time, and I thought, I’m not going to lose to this guy. I don’t want to lose,” said Sorg. “I remembered that for the last 10 yards of the race. I put my head down and finished and won.
“Once I got to about 13, I realized that I didn’t want to get my butt kicked by these guys every time I race. At 14, I was at the top of my age group. I went from a nobody to this guy that is actually kind of good. Now, at 15, I’m a guy everyone wants to beat now.”
Sorg shared a special moment with his mother, Rocket boys and girls coach Andrea Sorg, who had tears streaming down her face.
“I was watching – with a little over a lap, I stopped cheering and just kind of stood there and watched. When he was coming towards us, he took a couple of breaths in a row, which I didn’t want, but he had a look on his face, and I thought he had it in the bag,” said Andrea Sorg. “He just didn’t want to lose. Those breaths he took helped in the end – he didn’t breathe for the last 10 yards or so.
“(After he was) celebrating in the water, he came over and gave me a hug,” Andrea Sorg said. “I’m very grateful to have shared that moment with him.”
Austin Sorg, who was the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division Most Outstanding Performer as a freshman, has been swimming for nearly his entire life and has competed at major events leading up to his days in high school. “He has been swimming competitively since he was 5. At the age of 9, he had his first Junior Olympic tournament,” said Andrea Sorg. “He’s always been an upper-level swimmer but was never one to win anything. When he turned 14, the summer junior camp was the first time he ever won anything at that level when he won the 100 meter butterfly.”
Andrea Sorg talked about the team’s performance.
“They did incredibly well. We knew we had a chance to medal in the medley relay. They were tied for the prelims in eighth place. The top eight are the only ones that can medal. I think they won by 0.3 of a second. In the finals, they managed to move up one spot and finished seventh. We were very pleased.
“Austin had a great meet; he didn’t quite do as well in the 500 as we had hoped. Tyler Johannsen is just a freshman, and Nathan Warnke had a good meet. Spencer Heintz is a senior — I call him a brilliant airhead, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. He overthinks, overworks, but with the best intentions; he’s always been there every day, working hard, doing everything we ask, helping with swimming lessons. He is all-around an amazing person – he has been a leader.”
The team has morning practices from 5:30 to 7 a.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
“It’s open to everyone who can come, but it’s just like another practice to get in and work your butt off,” Austin Sorg said. “I just have to keep climbing the ladder, working hard in practice and trying to get better every day.”