Multiple area swimmers advance to sectional finals
By Brandon Miniard, Sports Writer, [email protected]
While last week’s ice storms caused constraints to many schools’ sports schedules, it didn’t stop a number of schools from traveling to Jasper High School for the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s girls’ swimming sectional preliminaries on Saturday.
Corydon Central, Lanesville and North Harrison all had swimmers advance to Monday’s finals with strong performances.
The Lady Panthers’ success came primarily on the shoulders of sophomore Megan King, who qualified for the sectional finals after finishing third in the 100-yard butterfly (1:05.07) and sixth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:29.07).
King later teamed up with sophomore Addison Applegate and freshmen Ella Johnson and Sydney Edwards to qualify for the finals in the 400-yard freestyle (fifth, 4:23.60) and 200-yard freestyle (sixth, 1:55.15) relays. Johnson qualified for the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:16.78 and in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:23.44, while Applegate did the same in the 50-yard freestyle in 28.96.
North Harrison had a solid day as well, starting when senior Alex Shaffer qualified for the finals in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:37.57 and the 100-yard backstroke in 1:13.39, followed by junior Destiny Kays doing the same in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle in 27.94 and 1:04.57, respectively.
Senior Ava Burden qualified with a time of 1:25.37, while Elizabeth Wright did so in the 500-yard freestyle in 6:20 and the 100-yard backstroke in 1:07.57.
Lilly Wiseman followed by qualifying in the 100-yard butterfly (1:18) and 500-yard freestyle (6:54.55), while Leire Acasuso did so in the 200-yard individual medley (2:26.99) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:15.38). Shaffer, Burden, Wright and Kays teamed up to finish seventh in the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:55.75, while Burden, Wiseman, Acasuso and Alexandria Smith finished eighth in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 4:37.54.
Lanesville’s trio of swimmers had solid days in the pool in their own right, starting with freshman Maisey Zurschmiede qualifying for the finals in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:47.42 while placing as an alternate for the 100-yard butterfly in 1:18.86 despite setting a school record in the latter event.
Sophomore Kassie Zurschmiede followed by qualifying for both the 500-yard freestyle (6:41.90) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:18.81).
Senior Madison Hubbard did not qualify for the finals in any event, but finished her high school career with a victory in her heat in the 200-yard freestyle (2:43.45) while setting a personal best in the 100-yard freestyle (1:14.36).
