Alder stand-out swimmer Eli Stoll claims state title

Eli Stoll has cemented himself in Jonathan Alder history as the school’s first swimmer to win a state championship.

It did not, however, come without its challenges.

The JA junior is chomping at the bit after finishing on top in the boys 100-yard backstroke during the recent Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division II boys swimming state championships.

Stoll competed alongside seven other participants in the finals and claimed championship honors by finishing with a time of 48.47 seconds.

According to the OHSAA, the D-II state record for the 100 backstroke is 48.29 and was set by Matthew Marquardt of Cincinnati Seven Hill back in 2016.

Stoll participated in two events at the state event.

He finished second in the boys 200 backstroke with a clocking of 1:50.33.

Cincinnati Indian Hill’s Gibson Holmes claimed the state title with a time of 1:46.34.

The season for Stoll started roughly two months ago. His goal heading into competition was to win the state title after coming up short last year in the 100-meter backstroke.

He finished as the 2021 runner-up.

“This year, I wanted to leave it all out in the pool,” Stoll told The Marysville Journal-Tribune. “Last year was good, but it wasn’t what I wanted.”

In the midst of last year’s public health crisis (COVID-19), most of Ohio’s pools were forced to close.

That made it difficult for Stoll to properly train in his element.

However, he trained as best as he could.

“Last year was really tough because all of the pools were closed,” Stoll said. “I basically had to train on dry land for most of the season and working on my technique on land is very hard.”

Stoll immediately began training for what would be his championship after pools reopened. Trusting his skill set, the junior wanted to cement his beliefs by continuously working on the small details of his craft.

“This year I knew I had it… I just wanted to make sure of it,” Stoll said.

With no pool closures to speak of, this year still presented some challenges. During the season, Stoll took five college visits, making it hard to practice fully in the pool.

“I had five trips and they were week-after-week,” he said. “I would come back and train for two days and go right back to the next trip.”

Stoll noted he continued to practice on dry land during those stretches.

There was a sense of relief for Stoll after winning the state title.

He was overcome with joy after realizing he came out on top.

“It was amazing,” Stoll said. “I’ve been working really hard for this and when I saw the scoreboard, it was just a really good feeling.”

Stoll has been a student of the swimming since he was eight years old, making all the hours spent worth the while.

He said his friends and family were “really happy” to see him reach his goal of becoming a state champion.

“I’d been talking to my parents and coaches about how I wanted this title,” Stoll noted. “It was a really good feeling to look up and see they were all happy about it.”

Stoll also received the support of the Alder student body for his accomplishment.

Although he reached his goal, Stoll is still hungry for recognition.

His goals, while similar, involve defending his state title, while also breaking the state record set Marquardt.

“I always feel that I have to set another goal for next year,” said Stoll. “I can’t just end it on this.”