The Carmel girls swim team won its 42nd consecutive sectional on Saturday, Feb. 7, sweeping all 12 events and qualifying 23 for the state prelims. (Richie Hall)
By RICHIE HALL
CARMEL – The Carmel girls swim team took care of business at its own sectional on Saturday, Feb. 7.
The Greyhounds won all 12 events while scoring 587 points to win its 42nd consecutive sectional title. Carmel also set itself up well to continue its state championship streak, sending 23 swims to Friday’s state prelims at the IU Natatorium.
Ellie Clarke was a double winner, taking the individual medley and backstroke events. Molly Sweeney also got two victories, placing first in the butterfly and breaststroke.
Other individual winners were Haley Morris in the 200 freestyle, Story Hughes in the 50 free, Helena Gibson in diving, Sophia Floyd in the 100 free and Sabrina Ledwith in the 500 free. Carmel swept all three relays as well.
“Some really great performances, a lot of best times, high best-time percentage, and that’s really good,” said Hounds coach Chris Plumb. “But it doesn’t mean a whole lot if we don’t come back next Friday and be even better.”
Noblesville inched out Westfield for second place, with the Millers scoring 394 points and the Shamrocks 393. The Millers qualified six for the state prelims, including two in the 200 free: Hayley Blackwell and Maya Preston.
Blackwell also reached a state cut in the 100 free, while Preston qualified by time in the 500 free. Noblesville also got its 200 and 400 free relays under the cut.
Millers coach Jess Preston said the day exceeded his expectations.
“I’m super excited,” said Preston. “I’m incredibly proud for the whole team. To get second place is incredible too. It was a complete team effort.”
Westfield had three swims earn callbacks to state: Evelyn Wheat in the butterfly, Delaney McCulloch in the 500 free and the 400 free relay.
Team scores: Carmel 587, Noblesville 394, Westfield 393, Western 171, Maconaquah 164, Northwestern 125, Kokomo 110, Guerin Catholic 94, Tipton 91, Eastern 70.
200 medley relay (State cut 1:48.59)
“A” Final: 1. Carmel (Leah Debosch, Molly Sweeney, Ellie Clarke, Sophia Floyd) 1:42.35, 2. Westfield (Macy Brown, Nora Sperry, Evelyn Wheat, Katherine Cassidy) 1:51.96, 3. Noblesville (Adalyn Goettler, Emily Wilhelm, Mallory Mehringer, Leilani Mark) 1:54.95.
“B” Final: 9. Guerin Catholic (Ellie Gove, Taylor Traggesser, Kara Von Woerkom, Chloe Tragesser) 2:13.39.
200 freestyle (State cut 1:53.49)
“A” Final: 1. Haley Morris (C) 1:50.75, 2. Sabrina Ledwith (C) 1:52.42, 3. Madelyn Yonkus (C) 1:52.53, 4. Hayley Blackwell (N) 1:52.60, 5. Maya Preston (N) 1:52.77, 6. Cassidy (W) 1:57.19, 7. Goettler (N) 1:57.44, 8. Delaney McCulloch (W) 1:58.83.
“B” Final: 10. Greta Smith (W) 2:01.14, 11. Van Woerkom (GC) 2:06.36.
200 individual medley (State cut 2:07.36)
“A” Final: 1. Clarke (C) 1:59.08, 2. Debosch (C) 2:01.73, 3. Lucy Enoch (C) 2:03.46, 4. Wheat (W) 2:09.46, 5. Kyra Blackwell (N) 2:13.09, 6. Gracie Alley (W) 2:15.05, 7. Wilhelm (N) 2:18.12.
“B” Final: 9. Stella Cramer (N) 2:20.20, 11. Makenzie Gater (W) 2:26.42.
50 freestyle (State cut 24.13)
“A” Final: 1. Story Hughes (C) 24.79, 2. Avery Aiello (C) 25.06, 3. Ava Middleton (N) 25.15, 4. Claire Cate (C) 25.18, 7. Caroline Sindelar (W) 26.30.
“B” Final: 9. Mark (N) 26.30, 10. Christie Stuart (W) 26.50, 11. Sophia Grimes (W) 26.63, 12. Celia Springer (N) 26.81.
One-meter diving (Top four advance to regional)
Finals: 1. Helena Gibson (C) 489.35, 2. Eryn McMahon (N) 454.10, 4. Emily Linder (C) 363.25,5 5. Makenna Dammeier (W) 357.20, 6. Addison Goodwin (W) 338.05, 7. Elizabeth Orman (C) 327.65, 8. Anna Ososki (GC) 312.95.
100 butterfly (State cut 56.70)
“A” Final: 1. Sweeney (C) 53.92, 2. Wheat (W) 57.34, 3. Maria Daily (C) 57.65, 4. Isabelle Harger (C) 59.43, 5. Sperry (W) 59.53, 6. Alley (W) 59.80, 7. Mehringer (N) 1:04.22, 8. Meredith Nickloy (N) 1:06.81.
“B” Final: 9. Norah Mathes (N) 1:05.99, 15. T. Tragesser (GC) 1:16.97.
100 freestyle (State cut 52.75)
“A” Final: 1. Floyd (C) 51.45, 2. Enoch (C) 52.33, 3. H. Blackwell (N) 52.41, 4. Natalie Powers (C) 54.05, 5. Middleton (N) 54.51, 6. M. Brown (W) 54.57, 8. Nalani Hendrix (W) 56.82.
“B” Final: 10. Mark (N) 57.93, 11. Grimes (W) 58.40.
500 freestyle (State cut 5:07.03)
“A” Final: 1. Ledwith (C) 4:58.73, 2. Morris (C) 4:59.19, 3. Helayna Weller (C) 5:03.03, 4. Preston (N) 5:06.80, 5. McCulloch (W) 5:13.24, 6. Cassidy (W) 5:15.36, 7. Smith (W) 5:27.20, 8. Van Woerkom (GC) 5:37.51.
“B” Final: 10. Cramer (N) 5:37.60, 12. Springer (N) 5:52.29.
200 freestyle relay (State cut 1:39.17)
“A” Final: 1. Carmel (Floyd, Enoch, Debosch, Sweeney) 1:35.59, 2. Noblesville (H. Blackwell, Middleton, K. Blackwell, Preston) 1:39.08, 3. Westfield (Sperry, Sindelar, Alley, McCulloch) 1:43.56, 8. Guerin Catholic (Mary Farrell, Evie Scott, Amber Sawchuk, Caroline Bradley) 2:09.07.
100 backstroke (State cut 57.33)
“A” Final: 1. Clarke (C) 52.65, 2. Debosch (C) 55.70, 3. Weller (C) 58.01, 4. Goettler (N) 1:00.44, 5. M. Brown (W) 1:01.22, 6. Mehringer (N) 1:03.58, 7. Audrey Brown (N) 1:05.23, 8. Sindelar (W) 1:06.18.
“B” Final: 10. Ava DeCraene (W) 1:10.27, 15. Gove (GC) 1:17.53.
100 breaststroke (State cut 1:05.95)
“A” Final: 1. Sweeney (C) 1:00.63, 2. Payton Clark (C) 1:05.47, 3. Madelyn Yonkus (C) 1:05.56, 5. K. Blackwell (N) 1:09.59, 6. Sperry (W) 1:10.85, 7. Wilhelm (N) 1:12.57, 8. Hendrix (W) 1:12.76.
“B” Final: 9. Rowen Foster (N) 1:11.99, 11. Stuart (W) 1:13.33.
400 freestyle relay (State cut 3:37.10)
“A” Final: 1. Carmel (Floyd, Morris, Enoch, Weller) 3:30.27, 2. Noblesville (H. Blackwell, Middleton, K. Blackwell, Preston) 3:35.81, 3. Westfield (Wheat, Cassidy, M. Brown, Hendrix) 3:41.77, 8. Guerin Catholic (Gove, C. Tragesser, T. Tragesser, Van Woerkom) 4:15.85.
Callbacks
Carmel – Butterfly: Daily. Backstroke: Weller.
Westfield – Butterfly: Wheat. 500 freestyle: Cassidy. Westfield also received a callback in the 400 free relay.
