By Chris Garner
CARMEL — For now, the season is over for the four Howard County girls swimming and diving teams after Saturday’s finals of the IHSAA Carmel Sectional.
Swimmers from Eastern, Kokomo, Northwestern and Western exhausted without success two of their three options for advancement to next weekend’s state finals at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, either win their event at Carmel or swim the state cut standard time.
Their only chance now would be a call-back invitation today or Monday to fill the field of 32 in each event, based upon time, but one veteran skipper isn’t holding out a lot of hope.
Katfish coach Donita Walters had hoped junior Lexi Laird could top her school-record effort Thursday of 1:00.22 in the preliminaries of the 100-yard backstroke and reach the state-cut time of 59.47 seconds Saturday.
While Laird couldn’t break the 1:00 barrier, she came back with a 1:00.51 to finish fifth.
“In that race, as well as the 50 and 100 freestyle, you’ve got to be under that state-cut time in order to advance,” Walters said. “The state is incredibly competitive. I’ve been around, doing this awhile, and I think you’ve got to hit the state cut.
“Lexi duplicated that [record-breaking] swim in the backstroke and I’m really pleased with that. We know she’s right there at that one-minute mark and she’ll get it. She’s a hard worker and determined.
“She’s sad to be done swimming.”
Another individual hoping to hear good news is Comet freshman Bailey Pressey.
Pressey snapped two of her own school records Thursday in the 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle. She came back Saturday a little slower in the 200 IM (2:14.45) to place fifth and a lot faster in the 500 free (5:17.14) to finish seventh with another school record.
Still, her 500 time was off the state-cut time of 5:13.87, as well as the call-back time in 2009 of 5:14.16.
“Bailey did swim well,” said Eastern coach Dana Culp. “She was just a teeny bit off in the IM but she swam it phenomenally. I can’t complain.
“It’s close [in the 500], depending on what the other [19] sectionals did. She’s such a level-headed swimmer and very talented. She just knows what her groove is and works it. I’m so proud of her.”
The host Greyhounds, ranked No. 1 and in search of a national-record 24th straight state championship, easily captured the team title Saturday with 428 points. No. 9 Noblesville was second with 289 and No. 13 Westfield was third with 217.
Carmel won every swimming event but two — the 50 and 100 free, swept by Westfield’s Kait Flederbach — and sent three girls on to state in all eight individual races while sweeping the top three spots in four.
In all, swimmers at the Carmel Sectional claimed 47 state berths in the 11 swimming events — every one of them by Hamilton County schools.
The only area athlete assured of another step in the tournament is Maconaquah junior Brittany Vincent, who placed fourth in diving and advances to the Hamilton Southeastern Regional on Tuesday.
The Braves finished fifth (83), behind Mid-Indiana Conference champion Hamilton Heights (118).
In addition to Laird, who also placed 11th in the 50 freestyle (:25.31), the Katfish got finishes of eighth in the 100 butterfly (1:04.08) and 12th in the 500 free (5:46.85) by sophomore Jenna Gilbert. Freshman Brittany Edwards was 12th in the 200 free (2:23.58) and 11th in the 100 back (1:09.24).
As a team, Kokomo was sixth overall (75) and sixth in both the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay. Senior Rachel Pace was seventh in 1-meter diving and Alyssa Wideman was 11th.
Pace is still recovering from ankle surgery around the start of the season.
“Rachel, bless her heart, that ankle is far from healed,” Walters said. “It’s swollen and painful and she’s just a gritty kid. She worked her butt off [Saturday].
“[Wideman’s finish] was kind of a shock. She’s developed over the course of the season from not even having six dives to 11 dives and finishing 11th. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
For the Comets, they finished eighth (48) on the strength of a fifth-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:49.50) that included Emileigh Conwell, Kelly Reed, Daryl Ryan and Pressey. Conwell was 12th in the 100 fly (1:10.78) while Michelle Adams was 11th in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.11).
“I was so proud of all our girls,” Culp said. “We had a great season and a terrific sectional.”
The Tigers finished seventh (60), thanks to an improved Shelby Roberts and some inspired relays.
Roberts, slowed Thursday by illness, improved her times to finish ninth in the 100 butterfly (1:04.56) and 12th in the 200 IM (2:28.31).
“I couldn’t be happier for [Roberts],” Northwestern coach Cindy Britten said. “She had a great senior year and a great six years with me. I love her to death and it’s hard to say good-bye.”
The 200 free relay team of Anna Sloss, Karla Martinson, Missy Ullmer and Brittany Jocius finished fourth in 1:49.15 while the Tigers’ 200 medley and 400 free relays both won their consolation heats.
Beth Wilson was 12th in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.66) while Miranda Keller and Shelby Barnett placed 10th and 12th, respectively, in diving.
“I’m proud of all the girls,” said Britten. “We had a little heart-to-heart talk [Friday] night after Thursday and I said, ‘I can’t make you go any faster now, it’s up to you. You have to go out and do it.’ And I’ll be doggoned if they didn’t.”
The Panthers didn’t have any individuals swimming Saturday but senior Kelsey Durr placed eighth in diving. Their 200 medley and 400 free relays finished eighth.
“The 400 relay dropped about eight seconds and our leadoff swimmer finally went under a minute [for her split],” said Western coach Brad Bennett. “All four of those girls had best times.
“Kelsey’s our top finisher this year and she had a solid day. It’s tough but you have to dive well and swim well anywhere you go. I’m not dissatisfied with how we did.”
