2024 COLUMBUS SECTIONALS

Ohio State ended Columbus Sectionals on Sunday the same way it began, with wins in all but two events at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.

Rising Buckeye junior Krista Marlin continued her tear with her fifth lifetime best in the past four days, a 200 IM victory in 2:14.60. She dropped almost a second off her previous-best 2:15.31 from last November, going almost two seconds faster than her 25th-place finish at Olympic Trials last month.

Marlin’s new lifetime best would have placed 14th in prelims at Trials and earned her a second swim in the semifinals. She already clocked personal bests in the 100 back (1:00.78) and 100 breast (1:10.49) on Saturday, 400 IM (4:47.05) on Friday, and 200 back (2:10.19) on Thursday.

Marlin took the women’s 200 IM title over Tennessee commit (’24) Emily Brown (2:16.89), who was within a couple seconds of her best time from 2022 (2:14.93). Brown returned later in the session to place 3rd in the 100 free (56.93) behind Ohio State standouts Kit Kat Zenick (56.02) and Teresa Ivan (56.29). Zenick was just a tenth off her Trials time of 55.92 that placed her 44th and within a second of her personal-best 55.05 from last June. Ivan touched about a second behind her personal-best 55.18 that she registered en route to 10th place at the European Championships last month.

In the men’s 200 IM, rising Ohio State senior Alex Metzler outdueled classmate Will Bansberg (2:03.99) with a winning time of 2:03.65, narrowly missing his personal-best 2:03.49 from his runner-up finish at last month’s Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet. Bansberg reached the wall more than a second off his lifetime best of 2:02.62 that placed him 44th at Trials last month.

Rising Northern Colorado sophomore Kyra Rabess triumphed in the women’s 1500 free with a personal-best time of 17:13.10. The Northern Kentucky Clippers 19-year-old knocked more than a second off her best time from May (17:14.73).

Rising Ohio State junior Mason Edmund emerge victorious in the men’s 800 free (8:13.35), well off his lifetime best of 8:00.26 from last July. He placed 44th at Trials last month in 8:12.18. Rising Ohio State sophomore Josh Bedford was next to the wall in 8:21.42, just a second off his personal-best 8:20.35 from last August.

Another fun Buckeye showdown took place in the men’s 100 free, where rising junior Evan Fentress (50.56) eked past rising senior Daniel Baltes (50.64) by less than a tenth of a second. Fentress is coming off a 39th-place showing at Olympic Trials last month with a personal-best 49.86. Baltes fired off a personal-best 49.88 last month before clocking a 50.24 at Trials the following week.

Rising Cincinnati junior Joleigh Crye captured the women’s 50 breaststroke crown in 31.51, dropping almost two tenths off her previous-best 31.70 from last November. Rising Ohio State senior Karl Helmuth claimed the men’s 50 breast title in 28.07, almost two tenths quicker than her previous-best 28.25 from last June.

The Buckeyes swept the 400 medley relays, with the women winning in 4:11.67 and the men triumphing in 3:44.25. Marlin (1:01.70 back), Reese Dehen (1:11.65 breast), Zenick (1:01.48 fly), and Ivan (56.84 free) combined for the women’s victory while Eli Stoll (57.70 back), Helmuth (1:01.98 breast), Fentress (53.48 fly), and Baltes (51.09 free) worked together for the men’s win.

President Joe Biden dropped out of his reelection bid Sunday, leaving Ohio’s delegates free to vote for whomever they wish for as the Democratic nominee.

But more realistically, Democrats will coalesce around a pick in the coming weeks. Biden is backing Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democrats’ presidential nominee. Harris would have certain advantages over other contenders, including access to campaign coffers and her name on the primary ballots.

More: Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race and endorses Kamala Harris: Live updates

“Technically, (delegates) are allowed to support whom they wish, but in reality, it’s probably not going to work out that way,” said state Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, the Ohio Democratic Party’s rules guru.

How many delegates does Ohio have?

Democrats have more than 3,900 pledged delegates and 749 automatic delegates, often called superdelegates. Ohio has 127 pledged delegates, who vote for president in the first round, and 16 “superdelegates.”

Biden won 3,896 delegates during the Democratic primaries.

Do Ohio delegates have to vote for Biden?

No. Biden won Ohio’s Democratic presidential nomination on March 19, but delegates are not required to vote for him after he dropped out.

“Biden is out. There might be some people who still decide to vote for Biden, but they are not mandated to vote for anybody,” DeMora said.

More: With Biden out, what does it mean for the ballot in Ohio?

What is an open convention?

An open convention occurs when no candidate has secured the majority of the pledged delegates to win on the first vote. Democrats face that reality now.

Biden’s endorsement of Harris could go a long way for Democrats in Ohio and elsewhere, but other presidential contenders can make their pitch to delegates.

If Harris could coalesce support quickly, Democrats could proceed with a virtual roll call vote they planned, in part, to ensure their pick made the Ohio ballot. But that scenario seems less and less likely.

Democrats told the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau Sunday that they expect to pick a nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago between Aug. 19 and Aug. 22.

Who are Ohio’s Democratic delegates?

Ohio’s delegates range from the party’s top politicians, such as Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and the state’s five Democratic members of Congress, to teachers, union members, high school students and more.

Out of the state’s 143 delegates, at least 90 are attending their first convention, according to the Ohio Democratic Party. More than 80 were picked with district-level elections of fellow Democrats.

The full list of delegates is here.

Jessie Balmert is a political reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

As Oregon continues to climb the recruiting polls, more talented prospects are set to visit Dan Lanning and his staff in Eugene, Oregon. Class of 2026 Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. Will visit Oregon on July 27.

Henry has been committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes since July 28, 2023, but he is still exploring other Power Five programs. LSU and Oregon have been working to flip the young standout’s commitment.

He will visit both Oregon and LSU in July.

The five-star recruit is the No. 1 prospect and one of only nine five-stars in the 2026 recruiting class, according to ESPN.  

Excellence runs in Henry’s family. His father, Chris Henry Sr. played in the NFL for four years. Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2005, Henry Sr. showcased tremendous talent with his speed, athletic ability, and strong hands. However, his career was scarred by off-field incidents and legal troubles, leading to multiple suspensions and a tragic death in 2009.  

Now, Henry Jr. is looking to continue his father’s legacy. The 6-6, 200-pound receiver posted 71 receptions for 1,127 yards and ten touchdowns during his sophomore season at Withrow High School. Henry will continue his high school career in California, following his decision to transfer to Mater Dei in January, where he will compete alongside and against a higher caliber of talent than he’s ever faced.   

Mater Dei boasts some of the nation’s top prospects, including Oregon commit Nasir Wyatt, Penn State commit Daryus Dixson, Alabama commit Chuck McDonald III, and plenty more.   

“It’s a day and night difference for Chris,” Mater Dei wide receivers coach James Griffin said. “The kid has everything. He’s just like his dad. He’s working his butt off to be elite like that every day.”   

Henry is not only practicing alongside some of the nation’s top prospects at his new high school, but he is also running routes with NFL players to improve his game further. G.O.A.T Farm Sports shared a video on social media of Henry running routes with Pittsburgh Steelers’ George Pickens, Tennessee Titans’ Calvin Ridley, and Atlanta Falcons’ Kyle Pitts  

“He would start at every college in America right now, and he still has two years remaining in high school,” Henry’s father’s former teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. “That’s how legit he is.”   

Henry’s athletic ability and his relentless work ethic make him a target for many programs around the country. Could his visit to Oregon be enough to flip his commitment from Ohio State?