The same story has been hashed out time and again over the last 26 years.
The Carmel High School girls swimming and diving team has cornered the hardware market over the last three decades, claiming every state title in the sport since 1987. Twenty seven of the 38 total team state title trophies given in the sport have gone in the Greyhounds’ trophy case.
Ranked No. 1 once again heading into the 2012-13 campaign’s postseason, Carmel is one of five teams in the Noblesville Sectional ranked in the top 35 of the latest Indiana High School Swim Coaches Association poll, followed by No. 14 Westfield, the host and No. 15-ranked Millers, No. 18 Western and No. 35 Maconaquah.
All four participating Howard County Schools will partake in sectional action tonight at Noblesville, where action will kick off at 5:30 p.m. The top eight individuals from tonight advance to the finals, while places nine through 16 advance to the consolation rounds. The finals and consolations are set for Saturday at 9 a.m.
“It’s a very tough sectional, but it’s good for our kids to see that level of competition,” Kokomo coach Donita Walters said. “Not many states have this level of competition, and we get to see it right away in the sectional. We sometimes get frustrated by it, but it’s still good for the kids to see it.”
Western heads into the sectional as the highest-ranked team in the area, and is equipped with the area’s current most accomplished swimmer in junior Summer Brown.
Brown enters the postseason with the third-fastest time in the state in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:50.88. She is the defending sectional champion in that event, where she went on to finish fifth in the state.
Brown also enters sectional waters holding the fifth-fastest time in the state in the 100 freestyle at :51.50, an event she placed third in during the sectional a season ago. Her time was good enough to make the state cut, and she wound up placing seventh at the state finals. She is seeking her third straight appearance in the state finals.
“I think Summer has an advantage going in this year,” Western coach Brad Bennett said. “It’s more comfortable for her in just the way everything lays out over the next couple days. She’s looking to be able to go down there, swim her times, make the state cuts and get in. That’s the No. 1 goal, to make it through to state. A sectional championship would be icing on the cake. She trains with this part of the season in mind all year long.
“The sectional is a big meet. Everyone else doesn’t like this — and me too — swimming against Carmel and Noblesville, but these are the same girls Summer swims against in state. So, she has an advantage over the rest of the state, because she’ll get a chance to see them before the state finals.”
Katie Brown added a 13th-place finish in the 200 individual medley in sectional action last season for Western.
Walters has a trio of swimmers in Alyson Rohlfing, Jessica Simmons and Jessica Gates who are hoping to advance to Saturday.
Rohlfing finished 10th last season in the 100 backstroke, and added a 13th-place showing in the 100 freestyle.
Gates finished 16th in the 500 freestyle a season ago, while Simmons is looking to be among the top 16 this time around in the 200 IM.
“We’ve been talking all week that it’s going to take absolute lifetime best [times],” Walters said. “You can’t hold back. You have to give 110 percent [tonight]. The girls look great and have responded well to the taper. We’re dealing with some sickness, some flu, so we may not swim at full strength and may have to alter some relays, but the girls who may fill in are stepping up. I’m pleased with the effort we’ve made to fill those holes.
“We’re excited to be part of that atmosphere. There is a lot of talent down there, so we’ll see what our ladies can do.”
Mid-Indiana Conference-champion Northwestern had its most success in the relay events a season ago.
The Tigers finished fourth in two relays last season. The foursome of Beth Wilson, Addie Roth, Ashton Martin and Savannah Gamester took fourth in the 200 medley relay, but lost Wilson to graduation.
The team of Martin, Mollee Mygrant, Karla Martinson and Britanny Jocius finished fourth in the 400 free relay, but lost Jocius to graduation.
Roth added an 11th-place finish in the in the 200 IM a season ago.
Audra Isaac is the top postseason performer back from a season ago for Eastern. She took 10th in the 50 free in sectional action, and added a 12th-place showing in the 100 butterfly.
The area also boasts two of the state’s best divers. Maconaquah’s Alex Vincent is ranked 18th in the latest IHSSCA poll. Vincent finished second in the sectional a season ago.
Tipton’s Tori Crail is the state’s 22nd-ranked diver. She took fourth in sectional action last season.
Sports
Related Photos
-
IN CONTENTION: Kokomo’s Jessica Gates, seen here swimming a freestyle event in her team’s meet with Cass this season, finished 16th in last season’s sectional in the 500-yard freestyle. She will look to improve upon that performance in tonight’s sectional preliminary round at Noblesville High School.
-
ON THE MOVE: Western’s Danielle Pate competes in the 200-yard individual medley during a meet this season. She finished 11th in the Mid-Indiana Conference meet in that event on Jan. 19 as the Panthers finished fourth as a team.
Discussion
Girls swim teams enter postseason waters
- Sports
-
-
Northwestern takes down West Lafayette
Northwestern played a very solid game on both offense and defense in defeating West Lafayette 8-5 in the opening round of the IHSAA Class 3A Peru Baseball Sectional Thursday night.
-
10 area athletes advance to boys track state finals
Austin Roark’s first season as the head boys track and field coach at Eastern High School just keeps getting better and better.
A week after guiding the Comets to their first sectional title since 1998, Roark will join six of his athletes at next weekend’s IHSAA state finals after advancing out of Thursday’s Kokomo Regional at Walter Cross Field. -
Eastern dominates Taylor in softball
GREENTOWN — The third time turned out not to be the charm for the Taylor softball squad as Eastern improved to 3-0 on the season over its backyard rival Wednesday night, ousting the Titans from the Class 2A Eastern Sectional 15-0 in five innings.
-
Barnes sets Taylor's career hits record
Taylor baseball standout Logan Barnes made his final game at George Phares Field one to remember.
Barnes pitched four solid innings to lead Taylor past Monroe Central 9-3 Tuesday. In addition, he went 2 for 3 at the plate, pushing his career hits total to a school-record 142. -
Kats drop heartbreaker
When the postseason arrives, emotions surge like a roller-coaster. One minute, it’s a long uphill, then a wild series of events offer a barrage of frights and thrills. And then, for one team, the ride ends and there aren’t any more tickets for another go around.
After two days of chills and thrills, Kokomo’s softball team ran out of tickets Tuesday night in the Class 4A Harrison Sectional. The Kats dropped a 4-3 decision to Harrison in eight innings, giving up a run in the top of the extra frame, and having a runner tagged out at home in the bottom of the frame.
“It was a great game,” Harrison coach Dick Mitchell said. “It’s always nerve-wracking to coach in one of them, but both teams played their hearts out. Nobody deserved to lose that game, but unfortunately somebody does.” -
Comets turn heads at track regional
Heading into Tuesday’s IHSAA girls track and field regional at Fort Wayne Northrop High School’s Spuller Stadium, event workers alike weren’t sure of Eastern High School’s location.
After the dust settled, they may feel compelled to get a map out and find out where Greentown is located.
Led by seniors Sarah Wagner, Brittany Neeley and Bethany Neeley, the Comets qualified for the state finals in six separate events to finish fourth as a team with 55.5 points, behind host and champion Northrop (78), Bellmont (68) and Carroll (Allen) 66. -
GASKINS: Hibbert’s block was thing of beauty
For the better part of the NBA season, ESPN devoted all kinds of time on SportsCenter episodes to replays of two dunks. Anyone who watches any ESPN at all surely knows the two to which I’m referring: 6-foot-11 DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers posterizing 6-3 Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, and 6-8 LeBron James of the Miami Heat hammering home a dunk over 6-2 Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics.
Day after day, ESPN commentators lavished endless praise, which quickly grew tiresome. The dunks were strong, but Jordan and James were much taller and heavier than Knight and Terry and the dunkers also caught perfect alley-oop passes with the defenders in poor positions to defend. Still, ESPN commentators loved these plays.
I kept wondering if a great defensive play would receive the same kind of love. -
Coons, Walker, Glassburn reach Victory Lane
When the dust settled Sunday evening at the Kokomo Speedway, a pair of drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the past at the local oval found themselves there once again while a talented up-and-comer hit the hallowed ground for the first time.
Jerry Coons Jr. had his way in the sprint car feature and Craig Walker seemed to get faster as the laps wound down to win the Street Stock main event, however Kokomo High School sophomore Kory Glassburn had to scratch and fight before scoring the first feature win of his career in the Thunder Car A-main. -
Field is set for Indianapolis 500
After being bumped from the starting field while sitting on the qualifying line on pole day, Josef Newgarden turned the fastest time on bump day, assuring himself a spot in the Indianapolis 500.
The field of 33 cars will have one final opportunity to practice on Friday before next Sunday’s 97th running of the 500.
One year ago the Sarah Fisher Racing Team withdrew Newgarden’s entry on the first day of qualifying and had to qualify on bump day. This year the team decided not to make another qualifying run and got bumped. -
Athlete of the week
Cole led the small-school Comets to the Kokomo Sectional title, their first title since 1998.
- More Sports Headlines
-
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
