Did the plant also have root rot? I lost several tomatoes this year to a disease that was new to me, called Southern Stem Blight. Mine also had the brown stem ring but no white goo in the water test. I determined it was Southern Stem Blight. You do have it in Ohio.
https://u.osu.edu/miller.769/2017/06/
It is very prevalent in SC, and our extension agents here recommend planting tomato plants with a 4 x 4 or 6 x 6 aluminum foil piece wrapped around the lower stem, burying half of the aluminum foil and leaving half exposed. I'll do that next year, but didn't this year.