INDIANAPOLIS – It was a big day at the 41st annual IHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving State Championships. Seven records were set on Saturday, bringing the weekend total to 15. Carmel won nine of the 12 events to capture its 29th consecutive state title, tying a national record set by Punahou High School’s (Hawaii) boys swimming and diving team from 1958-86.

Several area swimmers also wrapped up their seasons with strong performances at The Nat.

Finals Provide Tough Goodbye, Bright Future For Wawasee

It was a bittersweet day for the Wawasee girls swim program, which may have been a fitting end to what was, at times, a bittersweet season. While Wawasee was represented in three events during the championship finals, two marked the end of an illustrious career for one Warrior.

Bre Robinson swam her final meet as a Warrior during Saturday’s finals, collecting two top-six finishes in the process. Robinson started her day with the 100 fly. The senior entered as the seventh seed and would finish with a time good enough for fifth place (54.08). Robinson later returned for the 100 back and would swim a 55.88, placing her sixth in her final prep event.

The finishes were not what she wanted, but one day at the pool will not define Robinson’s overall career in which she accumulated numerous individual school, conference and sectional records and titles.

Giving an interview was probably the last thing on Robinson’s mind following her final swim, but the charismatic senior still offered her thoughts on her senior season and her future.

“Today was kind of a reflection of my season, I really struggled,” stated a misty-eyed Robinson. “But, you can always learn. So, I guess, the biggest thing is that this meet was definitely a learning experience.”

Robinson, the ‘Little Engine That Can’, the big fish in a little pond, will move on to swim for Purdue University. With that next chapter she will be just another train in the station and a fish in a much larger pond. But that is just what makes the next stage in her life so exciting.

“My mom and I always talk about it being a new chapter,” Robinson said with the hint of a smile. “It’s a new beginning. I get to start fresh and see where I can go. I just want to go to Purdue, take everything in and really just enjoy it.”

“Bre was kind of stuck in that ‘high school season’ mode but still looking on at going to Purdue,” said Robinson’s mother and Wawasee head coach Julie Robinson. “She’s ready to go, she’s really excited to go to Purdue. It’s going to be nice for her going somewhere that she can be just another athlete.”

While Robinson’s career came to a close with Saturday’s meet, the weekend shed light on the budding careers of several underclassmen.

Paige Miller had a solid weekend at the state finals. The sophomore entered the weekend in two individual events and qualified for the consoles in the 500 free. Miller finished 14th in the event last season and improved upon that by swimming a 5:04.59 to claim 13th this year.

“I was just glad to make it back and have the opportunity to swim again,” said a noticeably pleased Miller. “I wanted to really focus on my turns, I had been struggling with those and I feel like I accomplished that.”

Miller later said that her goals remain the same for next season in breaking the five-minute mark in her 500, setting a new school record in the 200 IM and returning the state.

As for the two relay teams that qualified for state, both finished 17th. The 200 medley relay will lose Robinson while the 400 free will lose Robinson and Kendra Miller. In addition to Paige Miller, Shelby Adams, Kayla Hershberger and Mikala Mawhorter all return for Wawasee next season with state experience under their belts.

“The girls did an amazing job all season long,” remarked Julie Robinson. “We had so many great swims, so many best times. It was a wonderful season with them. They did so much more than I thought we could do at the beginning of the season.

“Down here they continued that. Mikala (Mawhorter) swam near a lifetime best with the 50 fly in the relay. Paige had some solid swims here as well. The girls really just did a great job this whole season.”

Morgan Misses Her Mark, Leaves Hungry

Warsaw’s Brenna Morgan did not get what she was looking for at Saturday’s finals, but the sophomore took away another valuable experience from the sport’s biggest stage.

“Brenna came in as an alternate for the 100 free, so we knew we could put all effort into the 50,” said Warsaw head coach Tony DeBrota. “The 50 is the race we always do, we know how to do it. You just go out and swim it like any other race, of course it’s hard to do that at state.”

“I felt fine today but it is hard to come back and get pumped up for your race down here with everything going on,” Morgan stated.

Morgan swam a 24.01 in Friday’s 50 prelims after setting a goal of breaking the 24-second line. The same goal applied to Saturday’s race but Morgan was again left pining for that sub-24 time as she swam a 24.30, placing her 12th. The end to the season left the sophomore wanting more.

“I’m really excited about how this season went for me and my team,” said Morgan with an earned sense of accomplishment. “I feel like we all made a lot of progress this season and I’m really looking forward to see how everything goes next season.”

DeBrota shared that sentiment.

“It was a very successful season for us, it’s only going to go up from here,” DeBrota said with a smile. “The summer program we’re going to have is really going to help turnaround some of the direction we’ve had the past couple of years in terms of committed swimmers year-round.

“We have girls talking about wanting to swim in the summer now and that will be big for us. Stopping in February and not getting back into the pool until September doesn’t help and we’ve had that the past few years. With that in mind, I think it’s going to be a great offseason and we’ll have a few new girls that will help build this program.”

Rounding Out The Field

Other local competitors on Saturday included Katie Hughes, Sarah Troyer and Lauren Miller of Northridge and Ashley Schrock and Lauren Boone of Concord.

Hughes claimed 12th in the 200 free (1:53.51) and fifth in the 500 free (4:57.97). Miller was second in the 100 back consoles (57.27), placing her 10th overall. Troyer finished 25th overall in diving.

Schrock claimed 15th in the 100 breast (1:06.71). Boone was the lone local diver to make in to Saturday’s top-16. Boone claimed 12th place with a score of 391.10.

Carmel took first in the 200 medley, 200 free, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free, 500 free, 200 free relay, 100 back and 400 free relay on its way to 445 team points. Fishers was second with 179 points.

When Carmel wasn’t winning, it was Lillia King of Evansville Reitz. King won the 200 IM (1:59.24) and 100 breast (59.70).

Carmel set new records on Saturday in the 200 medley (1:39.25), 50 free (Amy Bilquist, 22.15), 100 fly (Veronica Burchill 52.26), 100 free (Bilquist 48.36), 200 free relay (1:30.72) and 400 free relay (3:15.38).

The other record-breaking performance was done by Hamilton Heights’ Brooke Schultz with her score of 563.65, taking the flavor out of Sarah Bacon’s previous record of 546.45 (2014).