Despite his second-place finish in the 500 freestyle, Chris Douville may still take a peek at the results this weekend.
"I don't know if it sunk in yet," the Alter junior said.
"It" was a second-place finish and first state trip for Douville. Like Miller, Douville had not qualified for the final heat with his sectional time of 4:53.02 but easily earned a spot on the podium with a district time of 4:36.46.
"I was really just trying to beat my brother's time," Douville said with a smile. "He's really been encouraging me this week."
Nick Douville, a three-time state qualifier, had a best time of "4:36-something" in the event. Chris planned to make a phone call to check on family bragging rights.
It's a family rivalry more than a decade in the making Friday night, only four hundredths of a second separated the friendly rivals as Alter junior Chris Douville edged Centerville senior Matt Grubb, :54.43 to :54.47, in the 100-yard backstroke at the boys sectional swim meet at the Washington Twp. Recreation Center. It was Douville's first time beating Grubb in that event. Both swimmers automatically qualified to the district with their first- and second-place finishes.
"It's always good to have good competition," Douville said. "I definitely had it tonight."
The Grubbs and Douvilles go back a bit. Older brothers Nick Douville and John Grubb competed against each other since they were children. Both qualified to the state swim meet in 2001.
"My brother and his brother were always racing," Douville said.
Proud mom Rosanne Douville has a picture of the big brothers together at a meet when they were just 8 years old.
"It really is a friendly rivalry — very friendly," Phil Douville, Chris' dad said with a smile. "Our families get along really well."
They have more in common than swimming. Their sons both earned sectional titles Friday. While Douville squeaked out a backstroke win, Grubb won the 200-yard individual medley (1:55.46). The Elks senior opened the meet with a share of the first-place Centerville finish in the 200-yard medley relay with teammates Andrew Mitchell, Drew Paddock and Brian Heinbaugh in 1:40.81.
Grubb already has family bragging rights with a seventh-place finish at state last year and the school backstroke record, which previously belonged to his brother.
"He's a great brother, very supportive," Grubb said. "He told me, 'if anyone's going to beat my record, I'd want it to be you.' "
• Alter senior Mark Febus had a jam-packed cheering section. The Febus family, including both sets of grandparents, filled two rows of bleachers to cheer for the Knights senior in his final district bid.
Febus didn't disappoint, winning the 100-yard freestyle (:49.31). He went into the event seeded third.
"If I did all the stuff I needed to, I figured I had a chance at second," Febus said. "I was relieved when I saw I won."
Febus also qualified to the district in the 50-yard freestyle, placing third (:22.78).
The top two individual placers from each sectional site automatically qualified to the district with the next 24 fastest individuals qualifying at large.