They come from different hometowns and attend different high schools.
Katie Miller and Danielle Margheret are more acquaintances than friends, but the two juniors have two things in common: Both are high achievers in the classroom and in the swimming pool.
Firestone’s Miller and Walsh’s Margheret were the only area female swimmers to win a state title last season.
They are both looking to swim faster for another state title later this month at the state championship meet at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.
“These are two good young ladies with a lot of talent,” Walsh coach Wally Lutkus said. “Both are successful student-athletes with high grade-point averages and both have qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in June in Omaha, Neb.”
Miller won the Division I 200-yard individual medley title last season in a career-best time of 2 minutes, 0.62 seconds.
Margheret won the Division II 100-yard breast stroke title in a career-best time of 1:02.74.
Firestone remains in Division I, while the Walsh girls will compete in Division I this season. The sectional meet is this weekend at the University of Akron. The district meet is at Cleveland State University the following week and then the state meet.
Getting under 2:00?
Miller’s top time during the high school season in the 200 IM is around 2:05, and her top time in the junior nationals was around 2:01.
“Katie is excited to swim and excited to race,” Firestone coach Cindy Virdo said. “She is stronger than she was at this time last year. She has been training hard. If anyone is close to her, that is when she is at her best.”
Miller also placed second in the state in the 500 freestyle in 4:49.02. Virdo said she will not compete in that event this postseason, and instead will focus on the 200 IM, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.
“I trust that I have worked hard and that I have done that I what I needed to do,” Miller said. “My teammates have helped me get farther.
“By the time I get to the state meet, it is all about having fun. Getting under 2 [minutes], it would be nice, but this year we are going to go out there and have fun. We have a great group of girls and hopefully they can get to state and have a lot of fun together.”
Miller, who lives in Copley and turned 17 on Tuesday, has a 4.9 cumulative GPA on a 5.0 scale at Firestone.
“Katie is being highly recruited by several Division I schools, and the beautiful thing is she is so versatile,” Virdo said. “She can swim several events very well. She is going to be a college coach’s dream. She does it all in the pool and does it all in classroom.
“Ohio State offered her a scholarship, and Auburn, Stanford and Texas have shown interest. You name the college, I have probably talked to them already. It’s early in the process. We are going to get through the Olympic Trials first and then go from there.”
Miller has qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 butterfly.
“I am excited for the Olympic Trials,” Miller said. “It is an opportunity that comes around once every four years. To have a cut come around right before an Olympic year is pretty special.”
Under a minute?
Lutkus said Margheret’s main goal is to get 1:01 in the 100 breast stroke, but that 1:00 is always a possibility.
“Danielle is faster than she was last year, and our whole idea is to get up and go faster than 1:02,” Lutkus said. “We hope the speed stays with her as we go towards the state meet.”
Margheret’s top time this season is a 1:03.91 on Dec. 17 at the Viking Invitational at Cleveland State.
“She was unshaved and not tapered for that time,” Lutkus said. “At this time last year she was never under 1:06.
“My goal for her is to get down to the 1:01 area. 1:01 anything would be great. She has her eyes set on breaking 1:02 and hopefully we can do that.”
Margheret, who lives in Solon and is 16, has a 3.9 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale at Walsh.
“This season is going good,” Margheret said. “I try to go by the motto that it is hard to get on top, but once you are on top it is even harder to stay there. I am trying to push myself even harder than I ever have. I am trying to get myself to go faster times and kind of racing myself.
“I definitely want to get the best time at state this year. My goal has always been to get the state record. I would hold the DI and DII record.”
Margheret has qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 100 breast stroke and is close in the 200 breast stroke.
“I am mainly going for the experience,” Margheret said. “I know there are two fantastic breast strokers that will be there and competing. I want to train for the experience, have a good showing and look forward to the next four years.”
Ivy League schools such as Cornell, Brown, Yale and Dartmouth are among several schools recruiting her. She said she has a list of 21 colleges.
Lutkus, 67, has collegiate coaching experience after serving as an assistant coach at Dartmouth for 14 years, as a co-coach at Cornell for one year and then as coach at Kent State for three years and Colby (Ma.) for one year.
He is in his 14th year as Walsh’s coach and 26th overall as a high school coach.
“Basically what the Ivy League schools are looking for is someone who is a good student-athlete, and at this point I know she has gotten a look from a lot of great schools,” Lutkus said. “It’s her decision. I don’t want to get in the way of that.
“She is a very talented individual. Last year she sang the national anthem at the state meet and then won a state title. She is in the show choir and takes a lot of AP classes too.”
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/.
