Editor’s note: While the coronavirus has shut down spring sports, we thought we would look back at the area’s best athletes from the past decade, the 2010s.
In January, we gave you our All-Decade Boys and Girls Basketball teams, and last week, we looked at the top wrestlers from the past decade. Over the next 17 weeks — until fall sports (hopefully) begin — we’ll look at the other 17 sports that are sponsored by the IHSAA and give you what we feel were the area’s top athletes in each of those sports.
One requirement to be considered for these All-Decade teams is that the athlete must have competed at least half their careers (at least two years) in the years 2010-19 for in the sport for which they are being considered and must have finished their careers at an area school. So for example, 2011 graduates would be eligible for spring sports (since they would have competed in 2010 and 2011), but not fall sports (since they would have only competed in 2010).
Today, the All-Decade Girls Swimming team:
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Swimmer of the Decade: Myra Retrum, Columbus North (2012 graduate)
Retrum was a five-time individual state medalist and won four more state medals in relays with top-eight finishes over her final three years with the Bull Frogs. Those were highlighted by a pair of runner-up finishes in the 100-yard breaststroke her final two years.
As a sophomore, Retrum finished fifth in the 200 individual medley and 11th in the 100 breaststroke and swam on the sixth-place 200 medley and 13th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2010. She placed second in the 200 IM and sixth in the 100 breaststroke and swam on the fourth-place 200 medley and 11th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2011 before capping her career with a second in the 200 IM and seventh in the 100 breaststroke and swam on the seventh-place 400 freestyle and eighth-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2012.
The rest of The Republic’s All-Decade team, from oldest to youngest:
Kristin VanDeventer, Columbus North (2012)
VanDeventer won five state medals in individual events and three more in relays over her final three years. Four of those medals came her senior year when she finished third in the 200 freestyle and fifth in the 500 freestyle and swam on the seventh-place 400 freestyle and eighth-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2012.
VanDeventer finished eighth in the 500 freestyle and 10th in the 200 freestyle and swam on the 10th-place 400 freestyle and 13th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2010; and placed third in the 500 freestyle and fifth in the 200 freestyle and swam on the fourth-place 200 medley and 12th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2011. She went on to swim one year at Virginia and three years at Liberty.
Rachael Sollman, Columbus North (2013)
Sollman’s main contributions, at least at the state level, came in relays. She swam on the sixth-place 200 medley and 10th-place 400 freestyle relay teams in 2010; swam on the fourth-place 200 medley, 11th-place 200 freestyle and 12th-place 400 freestyle relay teams in 2011 and swam on the seventh-place 400 freestyle and eighth-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2012.
As a senior, Sollman was a state qualifier in 100 freestyle and swam on seventh-place 200 freestyle, 11th-place 400 freestyle and 14th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2013. A three-sport star in high school, she went on to run cross-country and track at Xavier.
Emma Wyke, Columbus North (2013)
Wyke finished 21st in the 100 backstroke and swam on the sixth-place 200 medley and 10th-place 400 freestyle relay teams in 2010; finished fifth in the 100 backstroke and swam on the fourth-place 200 medley relay and 11th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2011 and swam on the 10th-place 200 medley relay team in 2012.
Wyke capped her career by finishing 12th at state in 100 backstroke and swimming on the seventh-place 200 medley relay team in 2013. She went on to swim at Brown University.
Maddie Wyke, Columbus North (2015)
Emma’s younger sister, Maddie Wyke swam on the 10th-place 200 medley relay team in 2012; finished seventh in the 100 butterfly and swam on the seventh-place 200 medley relay team in 2013 and finished 12th in the 100 butterfly and 27th in the 200 freestyle and swam on the seventh-place 200 medley and 14th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2014.
As a senior, Maddie finished 14th at state in the 100 butterfly and swam on the third-place 200 medley relay and 14th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2015. She went on to swim at Ohio University.
Marah Bieger, Columbus North (2015)
Bieger swam on the 10th-place 200 medley relay team and finished 26th in the 200 IM in 2012; finished 10th in the 200 IM and 12th in the 100 breaststroke and swam on seventh-place 200 medley relay and 11th-place 400 freestyle relay teams in 2013 and finished 14th in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke and swam on the seventh-place 200 medley and 14th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2014.
Bieger capped her career by finishing seventh at state in 100 breaststroke and 12th in 200 IM and swimming on third-place 200 medley relay and sixth-place 400 freestyle relay teams in 2015. She went on to swim at West Virginia.
Alex Nusawardhana, Columbus North (2017)
Nusawardhana finished 21st at state in the 100 backstroke in 2015 and finished 14th in the 100-yard backstroke and swam on the 200 medley relay team that tied for 22nd in 2016.
As a senior, Nusawardhana finished 23rd in the 100 backstroke and swam on the 11th-place 400 freestyle and 19th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2017.
Darby Coles, Columbus North (2017)
Coles swam on the 16th-place 400 freestyle relay team in 2014; finished 25th in the 100 freestyle and swam on the sixth-place 400 freestyle and 14th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2015 and swam on the 200 medley relay team that tied for 22nd in 2016.
Coles wrapped up her career by finishing 17th in the 100 freestyle and 21st in the 50 freestyle and swimming on the 11th-place 400 freestyle and 19th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2017. She recently finished her junior season at Marshall.
Rachel Sabotin, Trinity Lutheran (2020)
Sabotin, who competed as part of a one- or two-girl team throughout her four years at Trinity, won five state medals in individual events. After finishing 10th at state in the 500 freestyle and 17th in the 200 freestyle in 2017; she placed fourth in the 500 freestyle and 10th in the 200 freestyle in 2018.
Sabotin finished seventh at state in both the 200 IM and 500 freestyle in 2019; then came in third at state in both the 200 IM and 100 butterfly at this year’s state finals. She plans to continue her career at Akron.
Olivia Morlok, Columbus North (2020)
Morlok swam on the 11th-place 400 freestyle and 19th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2017; finished 10th in the 500 freestyle and swam on the 24th-place 400 freestyle relay and 25th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2018 and finished eighth in the 500 freestyle and 15th in the 200 freestyle and swam on the 28th-place 200 freestyle relay team in 2019.
This season, Morlok finished sixth at state in the 500 freestyle; also swam on 23rd-place 200 freestyle relay and state-qualifying 400 freestyle relay teams. She plans to continue her career at Ohio University.
Betsy King, Columbus North (2020)
King swam on the 11th-place 400 freestyle relay and 19th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2017; finished 26th in the 100 freestyle and swam on the 24th-place 400 freestyle relay and 25th-place 200 freestyle relay teams in 2018 and finished 18th in the 100 freestyle and 19th in the 50 freestyle at state and swam on the 28th-place 200 freestyle relay team in 2019.
This season, King finished 15th at state in the 100 freestyle and 23rd in the 50 freestyle and swam on 23rd-place 200 freestyle relay and state-qualifying 400 freestyle relay team. She plans to continue her career at Ball State.
