(LEFT) Carmel’s Ellie Clarke is the top seed in the backstroke event at this weekend’s IHSAA girls swimming state meet. Clarke will go into the Friday state prelims as the defending state champion in that event. (RIGHT) Noblesville freshman Hayley Blackwell qualified for state in the 100 and 200 freestyle races.
The REPORTER
Carmel’s road to 40 has reached its destination: the IU Natatorium.
The Greyhounds are going for their 40th consecutive girls swimming state championship this weekend. The prelims take place Friday evening, with the top 16 in each event advancing to Saturday afternoon’s finals.
Carmel once again has a solid amount of depth as the Greyhounds try to complete a fourth decade of dominance. Carmel qualified 23 swims for the state meet, including all three relays. Each of those relays is seeded in the top eight, with the potential to move up.
The Hounds have one state champion returning from last year. Sophomore Ellie Clarke won the backstroke last season, elevating herself from an 11th seed in the prelims to win the gold at state last year as a freshman. Clarke is the top seed in the backstroke this season, and her seed time of 52.65 seconds is over a second and a half faster than her winning time last year.
Senior Molly Sweeney is seeded second in the breaststroke and third in the butterfly; she was part of Carmel’s medley and 200 free relay championships last year. Sabrina Ledwith is seeded fourth in the 500 free and 12th in the 200 free.
Senior Helena Gibson will be a factor in the diving competition after winning the Homestead regional on Tuesday. Gibson placed third at state last season, the highest finish for a Greyhound diver at state since Susan Weigel was third at the 1981 meet – Carmel’s first-ever state championship in girls swimming that pre-dates the streak.
The Greyhounds will have some freshmen at state, including Haley Morris, who is seeded fifth in the 200 and 500 freestyles. Madelyn Yonkus and Helayna Weller will swim at state as well. Sophomore Leah Debosch is seeded fifth in the individual medley and backstroke.
Look out for Tigers
One team to look out for at the Natatorium is Fishers, who qualified 21 swims to state and holds top seeds in three events.
Junior Emily Wolf is the defending state champion in the 500 free and won the sectional this year in 4 minutes, 44.75 seconds. Wolf and freshman Ashlyn Hayes are seeded 1-2 in the 200 free, while Fishers’ 400 free relay team is seeded No. 1 in that event.
Fishers also has several solid freshman, including Audrey Wolf, Brooklyn Rager, Lillian Cain and Isabelle Ortiz, all of whom are swimming at state for the first time.
Hamilton Southeastern qualified 15 swims for the state meet. The Royals are seeded second in the medley relay, with the 200 free relay seeded third and the 400 free relay seeded fifth.
Junior Lauren Ing is Southeastern’s highest individual seed, at fifth in the breaststroke. Senior Naomi Haines is seeded sixth in the backstroke and eighth in the 50 free.
Noblesville has six swims at state. Freshman Hayley Blackwell and Maya Preston both qualified in the 200 free and have the potential to score points. Blackwell is also swimming the 100 free, with Preston competing in the 500 free. Senior Eryn McMahon is seeded fourth in diving.
Westfield has three swims, including sophomores Evelyn Wheat in the butterfly and Delaney McCulloch in the 500 free. Hamilton Heights sophomore Ayla Madara will swim in the 200 and 500 freestyles, with junior Amira Leer competing in the 500 free. University sophomore Noa Calili qualified in the breaststroke.
As for out-of-county schools, Fort Wayne Carroll has 14 swims at state, but also has five top seeds. Juniors Kate Fetters and Maris Williams are seeded 1-2 in both the 50 and 100 freestyles, while Jordan Glassley is the first seed in the individual medley and butterfly. The Chargers also are the No. 1 seed in the 200 free relay.
Zionsville qualified 17 swims for state. The Eagles have three top-six seeds in the 500 free, with Ava Metzger the second seed. Zionsville’s 200 and 400 free relays are both seeded fourth.
Hamilton County state qualifiers
200 medley relay: 2. Hamilton Southeastern 1:42.33, 3. Carmel 1:42.35, 12. Fishers 1:47.78.
200 freestyle: 1. Emily Wolf (F) 1:46.51, 2. Ashlyn Hayes (F) 1:48.78, 5. Haley Morris (C) 1:50.75, 11. Brooklyn Rager (F) 1:52.18, 12. Sabrina Ledwith (C) 1:52.42, 13. Madelyn Yonkus (C) 1:52.53, 14. Ayla Madara (Hamilton Heights) 1:52.56, 15. Hayley Blackwell (Noblesville) 1:52.60, 16. Maya Preston (N) 1:52.77, 18. Mia Henderson (HSE) 1:52.97.
200 individual medley: 2. Ellie Clarke (C) 1:59.08, 5. Leah Debosch (C) 2:01.73, 8. Lucy Enoch (C) 2:03.46, 12. Kinsey Bogaards (HSE) 2:03.97, 14. Avery Hannon (F) 2:06.27, 16. Alexandra Nguyen (F) 2:07.20, 19. Ella Hare (F) 2:07.67.
50 freestyle: 8. Naomi Haines (HSE) 23.58, 20. Audrey Wolf (F) 24.12, 22. Payton Walker (HSE) 24.34, 28. Story Hughes (C) 24.79.
One-meter diving: 3. Helena Gibson (C) 451.75, 4. Eryn McMahon (N) 441.70, 25. Emily Linder (C) 348.55.
100 butterfly: 3. Molly Sweeney (C) 53.92, 6. A. Wolf (F) 54.39, 13. Ellason Miller (HSE) 55.68, 23. Evelyn Wheat (Westfield) 57.34, 24. Maria Daily (C) 57.65.
100 freestyle: 6. Hayes (F) 51.21, 9. Sophia Floyd (C) 51.45, 13. Enoch (C) 52.33, 14. H. Blackwell (N) 52.41, 17. Henderson (HSE) 52.45, 23. Ella Hare (F) 52.99.
500 freestyle: 1. E. Wolf (F) 4:44.75, 4. Ledwith (C) 4:58.73, 5. Morris (C) 4:59.19, 7. Madara (HH) 5:00.71, 8. Helayna Weller (C) 5:03.30, 10. Rager (F) 5:04.04, 12. Isabella Schmitt (HSE) 5:04.92, 13. Lillian Cain (F) 5:06.55, 14. Preston (N) 5:06.80, 19. Brooklyn Penn (HSE) 5:12.02, 21. Amira Leer (HH) 5:12.76, 22. Delaney McCulloch (W) 5:13.25.
200 freestyle relay: 2. Fishers 1:34.55, 3. Hamilton Southeastern 1:35.28, 5. Carmel 1:35.59, 16. Noblesville 1:39.08.
100 backstroke: 1. Clarke (C) 52.65, 5. Debosch (C) 55.70, 6. Haines (HSE) 55.97, 13. Bogaards (HSE) 57.15, 15. Hannon (F) 57.81, 16. Weller (C) 58.01, 19. Sophie Blue (F) 58.13, 22. Isabelle Ortiz (F) 58.46.
100 breaststroke: 2. Sweeney (C) 1:00.63, 5. Lauren Ing (HSE) 1:03.85, 8. Nguyen (F) 1:04.72, 14. Payton Clark (C) 1:05.47, 15. Yonkus (C) 1:05.56, 21. Sarah Cooper (HSE) 1:06.34, 22. Polina Sopova (F) 1:06.42, 23. Noa Calili (University) 1:06.56.
400 freestyle relay: 1. Fishers 3:24.16, 5. Hamilton Southeastern 3:28.33, 7. Carmel 3:30.27, 12. Noblesville 3:35.81, 21. Westfield 3:41.77.
