Warsaw Steamrolls To Swim Titles; Hershberger Claims Win At Concord
WARSAW — Winning championships tends to cure all ills.
The Warsaw boys swim team made no bones it meant business heading into Saturday’s IHSAA Boys Swimming Sectional, then went on to have an afternoon to remember. Winning eight event titles, including a thrilling 400 free relay to close the meet, the Tigers capped its 14th team title and sixth in a row by scoring 498.5 points to clip runner-up Culver Academy’s 439.5 points.
The 400 relay set off a deserved celebration complete with flying coaches and adjoining Superwomen launching into the diving pool to join the state-shaped hardware.
“It’s always nice to win,” said Warsaw head coach Nate Long. “It’s always nice to end the year with a victory. As long as we can keep it going, that always means it’s successful.”
Long wasn’t really surprised at what his stars were able to do, watching Jayden Parrett and Spencer Davidson take part in four sectional titles. The two opened with Caleb Snyder and Matt Wildman to claim the medley relay title at 1:40.80 and closed the day with the 400 win, which had Davidson outswim the Academy’s Bryan DeVries – a three-time winner Saturday – in the race’s final leg. Joining the two in the 400 were Andrew Thrasher and JD French.
Davidson won the butterfly and breaststroke going away, clocking 54.01 in the fly and 1:01.15 in the breast. Parrett won a high-energy 50 free at 22.38 and was a tenth of a second off the school record in the backstroke, going 52.77.
“It was a great time, a lot of good competition. I can’t wait for state,” Parrett said, clenching the sectional trophy. “It’s all about the personal bests. Feeling good. Just doing your best, it’s the best feeling ever.”
Davidson, who was visibly disappointed with his effort in the breast despite the title, showed a complete 180 after the 400. Stating he will swim four events along with his best friend, Parrett, at state, the overall atmosphere took care of any short-term disappointment.
“I was already mad about the 100 breaststroke so I knew I was not going to let our relay lose that one,” Davidson said. “The goal was for Jayden Parrett and I to get good seeds going down to state. Hopefully top 16 if not top eight. There is going to be a lot of competition down there, so we should place pretty well.”
If the medley win weren’t enough to get the Tigers going, putting three in the top four of the individual medley really satisfied Long. Zach Taylor punched his ticket to Indianapolis with a 2:06.18 win, followed by an ecstatic Caleb Snyder in second at 2:07.12 and trailed by Mackenzie Pelo in fourth at 2:11.34.
Stated Long, “The goal was to come out in the medley relay, put down a strong presence. 200 freestylers came out and wailed. 200 IM’ers go one-two-four.
“Diving just was like, we’re not going to let it stop, we’re going to keep this rolling. Dean got first and Brandon stepped up and got fourth. I think I had him eighth coming into the meet. For him to step up and get fourth was huge.”
Dean Katris added diving to list of winners for Warsaw, scoring 407.55 points to outdistance Rochester’s Cameron Bugno by 47 points. The performance of Brandon Elliott, however, gave Warsaw more reason to smile as the junior diver claimed fourth place at 341.30, two-tenths behind Logansport’s Dustin Shafer but nine-tenths ahead of Shafer’s teammate, Tyler Graves, who settled for fifth. Katris and Elliott will dive Tuesday night at South Bend Riley in the regional, the top eight qualifiers eligible for the state finals next weekend.
DeVries was the main attraction for Culver Academy, winning the 200 free (1:48.99) and the 100 free at 49.69. The 6-5 senior, whose height mirrored Michael Phelps but demeanor was far less intimidating, anchored the Cadets to a win in the 200 free relay with an impressive 1:31.10.
Leopoldo Burguete gave Culver its other title win a 5:06.29 win in the 500 free, beating Taylor head-to-head with a strong finish in the final 100 yards.
Tippecanoe Valley’s best finish at the sectional came from the 200 free relay team of Brandon Maull, Jonah Mikel, Noah Clampitt and Tommy Alexander, which finished seventh overall. Their time was 1:43.36, its best time of the season.
Hershberger Takes Title For Warriors
There wasn’t much for Wawasee to celebrate in terms of state affiliation after the finals of the Concord Sectional, but there will be one Warrior with another week of practice.
Junior Zac Hershberger took a stand in the breaststroke, jumping out to a commanding lead from the blocks and never waivered in his 1:00.57 victory, beating top seed Jesse Drake of Northridge by two full seconds.
“Zac swam so relaxed from the start and no one ever got close to him,” said Wawasee head coach Julie Robinson following the meet. “He was so long and smooth. He just looked very good in that race today.”
Goshen’s Adam Bratten won the 100 (48.03) and Elkhart Central’s Nick Ponce dove to a title at 484.50. Otherwise, it was business as usual for Northridge. The Raiders won the remaining nine titles, setting a sectional record in the medley relay at 1:35.12, sent both Jon Stoller and AJ Bernth to state in the IM, and went one-two-three in the 500, led by Joe Mueller.
The title was Northridge’s 12th overall and 11th in a row for the Raiders which should make a strong push for a top-five team finish at the state finals in Indianapolis next weekend.
The IHSAA Boys Swimming State Finals will begin Friday night at 6 p.m. with the preliminary rounds for the 11 swim events. Diving, once settled from the regionals Tuesday night, will run its prelims Saturday morning and conclude during the championships, which begin at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
At Warsaw
1. Warsaw 498.5
2. Culver Academy 439.5
3. Rochester 247
4. Columbia City 187
5. Cass 172
6. Logansport 171
7. Pioneer 167
8. Huntington North 100
9. Manchester 92
10. Plymouth 82
11. Tippecanoe Valley 64
12. Wabash 44
MEDLEY RELAY
1. Warsaw (Jayden Parrett, Spencer Davidson, Caleb Snyder, Matt Wildman) 1:40.80; 12. Tippecanoe Valley (John Paul Secrest, Tanner Neeley, Damion Pelo, Tyler McDonald) 2:18.72
200 FREESTYLE
1. Bryan DeVries (Culver Academy) 1:48.99; 2. Andrew Thrasher (Warsaw) 1:50.67; 5. JD French (Warsaw) 1:54.73; 6. Ethan Cook (Warsaw) 1:55.92
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
1. Zach Taylor (Warsaw) 2:06.18; 2. Caleb Snyder (Warsaw) 2:07.12; 4. Mackenzie Pelo (Warsaw) 2:11.34; 13. Tommy Alexander (Tippecanoe Valley) 2:28.84
50 FREESTYLE
1. Jayden Parrett (Warsaw) 22.38; 8. Matt Wildman 24.27; 11. Connor Schue (Warsaw) 24.73
DIVING
1. Dean Katris (Warsaw) 407.55; 4. Brandon Elliott (Warsaw) 341.30; 12. Liam McCarrick (Warsaw) 256.15; 15. Jonah Mikel (Tippecanoe Valley) 233.75
BUTTERFLY
1. Spencer Davidson (Warsaw) 54.01; 2. Andrew Thrasher (Warsaw) 55.13; 12. Tommy Alexander (Tippecanoe Valley) 1:04.99; 14. Jacob Reynolds (Warsaw) 1:06.55
100 FREESTYLE
1. Bryan DeVries (Culver Academy) 49.69; 4. JD French 52.06; 5. Josh Miller (Warsaw) 52.27; 7. Matt Wildman (Warsaw) 52.39; 16. Brandon Maull (Tippecanoe Valley) 58.30
500 FREESTYLE
1. Leopoldo Burguete (Culver Academy) 5:06.29; 2. Zach Taylor (Warsaw) 5:11.05; 5. Ethan Cook (Warsaw) 5:23.88; 11. Matthew Pelo (Warsaw) 5:41.89
200 FREESTYLE RELAY
1. Culver Academy (Grant Ralston, Sam Curtis, Leonardo Rodriguez, Bryan DeVries) 1:31.10; 2. Warsaw (Andrew Thrasher, JD French, Matt Wildman, Ethan Cook) 1:34.39; 7. Tippecanoe Valley (Brandon Maull, Jonah Mikel, Noah Clampitt, Tommy Alexander) 1:43.36
BACKSTROKE
1. Jayden Parrett (Warsaw) 52.77; 3. Josh Miller (Warsaw) 57.16; 7. Caleb Snyder (Warsaw) 58.97
BREASTSTROKE
1. Spencer Davidson (Warsaw) 1:01.15; Mackenzie Pelo (Warsaw) 1:05.11; 9. Connor Schue (Warsaw) 1:10.63
400 FREE RELAY
1. Warsaw (Jayden Parrett, JD French, Andrew Thrasher, Spencer Davidson) 3:19.08; 9. Tippecanoe Valley (Brandon Maull, Noah Clampitt, Jonah Mikel, Tommy Alexander) 3:54.66
At Concord
1. Northridge 510
2. Elkhart Central 360.5
3. Wawasee 331
4. Concord 320.5
5. Goshen 211
6. Elkhart Memorial 133
7. DeKalb 101
8. NorthWood 72
9. East Noble 64
10. Angola 61
11. Fremont 29
MEDLEY RELAY
1. Northridge (AJ Bernth, Jon Stoller, Austin Flager, Takoda Friesen) 1:35.12 (sectional record); 5. Wawasee (Danny Allen, Mason Germonprez, Corey Kenworthy, Austin Krizman) 1:50.58
200 FREESTYLE
1. Seth Cripe (Northridge) 1:45.75; 4. Sebastian List (Wawasee) 1:49.49; 10. Caige Wahlgren (Wawasee) 1:59.74; 11. Seth Shoemaker (Wawasee) 2:00.08
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
1. Jon Stoller (Northridge) 1:54.67; 2. AJ Bernth (Northridge) 1:57.01 (state cut); 7. Andrew Busse (Wawasee) 2:09.35; 9. Mason Germonprez (Wawasee) 2:13.36; 10. Corey Kenworthy (Wawasee) 2:13.72
50 FREESTYLE
1. Austin Flager (Northridge) 21.21; 4. Luke Smith (Wawasee) 22.43
DIVING
1. Nick Ponce (Elkhart Central) 484.50; 7. Tristan Mauk (Wawasee) 312.20; 12. Nate Hare (Wawasee) 238.75
BUTTERFLY
1. Jon Stoller (Northridge) 51.56; 5. Logan Brugh (Wawasee) 55.54; 9. Corey Kenworthy (Wawasee) 58.70; 11. Seth Shoemaker (Wawasee) 1:00.00
100 FREESTYLE
1. Adam Bratten (Goshen) 48.03; 3. Zac Hershberger (Wawasee) 48.89; 5. Luke Smith (Wawasee) 49.62
500 FREESTYLE
1. Joe Mueller (Northridge) 4:44.81; 4. Logan Brugh (Wawasee) 4:52.96; 8. Andrew Busse (Wawasee) 5:06.97
200 FREESTYLE RELAY
1. Northridge (Austin Flager, Takoda Friesen, Jon Stoller, AJ Bernth) 1:26.15; 2. Wawasee (Sebastian List, Luke Smith, Andrew Busse, Zac Hershberger) 1:30.35
BACKSTROKE
1. Austin Flager (Northridge) 51.55; 5. Sebastian List (Wawasee) 57.62; 10. Danny Allen (Wawasee) 1:01.13; 12. Logan Haessig (Wawasee) 1:02.79
BREASTSTROKE
1. Zac Hershberger (Wawasee) 1:00.57; 7. Mason Germonprez (Wawasee) 1:06.05; 13. Austin Krizman (Wawasee) 1:11.46
400 FREESTYLE RELAY
1. Northridge (Joe Mueller, Connor Sandt, Takoda Friesen, AJ Bernth) 3:15.60; 2. Wawasee (Logan Brugh, Luke Smith, Sebastian List, Zac Hershberger) 3:17.94