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Saturday, November 1, 2008
Tradition of Excellence
Central Indiana, IN
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By: By K.O. Jackson / Photos by Natalie Evans
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Photo(s) By: Natalie Evans
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Carmel remains the top dog in the pool, but other area contenders could be ready to end their championship run.
Carmel High School
For Carmel High School’s boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving programs, it’s much more than a tradition of excellence.
It’s an excellent tradition of excellence.
In fact, it’s really all or nothing for the Greyhounds’ swimmers and divers.
Since 1990, the boys’ team has won 11 Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) swimming and diving championships – the last championship came during the 2003-04 school year.
In addition, they have won two state runner-up trophies in 1998 and 2000.
However, the Lady Greyhounds are as clueless about losing as celebrity Paris Hilton is to understanding the minimum wage.
Starting in 1981, Carmel has captured 23 IHSAA swimming and diving championships. During that span – led by five different head coaches – they have won 22 consecutive championships. That feat ties the Lady Greyhounds with Honolulu’s Punahou High School for the national high school record for state championships.
Regardless of sport or gender, the Lady Greyhounds have the nation’s second longest active winning streak.
“This program wants to put their mark on history,” says third-year head coach Chris Plumb. “The women were state champs last season and the men were fourth. We are expecting 60-65 women members, who are expecting great things and are extremely hungry. We lost some big point scorers from last year, so our work is cut out for us. On the men’s side, we lost a big senior class, but the opportunity is there for them to take advantage of the situation. What we have to do is to take care of the Greyhounds and not worry about anyone else.”
Helping Plumb maintain the team’s focus will be senior Jessie Hammes and junior Trish Regan. Both swimmers not only have extensive state experience, but they both also competed in the 2008 Olympic Trials.
“I’ll have to say the Olympic Trials was the best experience I had in my swimming career,” says Regan, who won the 2008 IHSAA championship in the 200-yard freestyle and placed second in the 100. “I didn’t swim well at the Trials, but the experience was more than worthwhile. It taught me where I needed to improve to become a better swimmer for this season. It really pumps me up for this season because I know I can swim faster and I know how I need to train and prepare myself to accomplish that.”
Her teammate, Hammes, also admits she didn’t swim well at the trials. Nevertheless, Hammes has her eyes on another prize – one she caught a glimpse of in middle school.
“When I was in middle school, I knew my senior year would be the year we could break the national record (for state championships), and here it is,” says Hammes, who placed second in the 100-yard backstroke, third in the 200 relay, and fourth in the 100 butterfly at the 2008 IHSAA state championship.
“The trials were a good learning experience for me. It was amazing. I didn’t swim well, but it wasn’t a total loss because of the amazing experience. It has us really excited for this year.”
However, the Greyhounds aren’t the only central Indiana high school preparing for the upcoming season. Here’s a look at several local schools that placed in the top-rankings last season.
Hamilton Southeastern High School
• Head Coach: Andy Pedersen,
boys and girls (16th year)
• 2008 IHSAA results: Boys runner-up to Chesterton 271- 266. Girls runner-up to Carmel 387-317.5. It was the girls’ third runner-up finish to the Greyhounds.
On the boys’ side, we lost 15 seniors. That’s a lot. So we have to rebuild with our younger kids,” says Pedersen. “With so many seniors, the younger kids don’t always get an opportunity to swim, so we are going to have to teach them how to swim and compete at a higher level.
“Our girls lost four swimmers who signed (NCAA) Division I scholarships. But we have good kids coming back who have been working hard. We’ll line them up and see where they take us. If we focus on ourselves and work on getting better every week, if we do that, good things should happen for us.”
In the 2008 state championship, junior Nathan Kinney, 17, placed in five events. The Royals only returning state scorer says, “I look for us to be strong and be up there and have a good showing at state. I want to improve my placing in state.
“We work out at 5:30 a.m., after school and once on the weekend. You have to be motivated to do that and keep your focus on the big picture. For us, that is swimming fast in February.”
“We have 16 seniors who are excited about this season,” Kinney continued. “I was on a state championship team in 2007 and a state runner-up last year. We need to step up and seize the opportunity.”
Senior Maegan O’Connor, 17, not only scored in four events at last year’s state meet, but she was also a member of the school’s state-record 200-yard medley relay team, which won state in 1:43.39.
Center Grove High School
• Head Coach: Jim Todd, boys and girls (27th year boys; fourth year for girls)
• 2008 IHSAA results: Boys 27th overall. Girls fourth overall with 165 points. The girls have two runner-up trophies from 1998 and 1999.
Todd expects both teams to have about 25 members and said, “the boys look stronger. We have everyone back.”
Yet, he adds, the girls are facing their first season without Michelle McKeehan, who is at the University of Georgia on a swimming scholarship.
“You don’t replace her leadership, experience or her points. Those are tough shoes to fill,” Todd says. “You work with what you have and that should be easy for us. We have some good kids in our program.”
Todd has coached for almost three decades, but his longevity isn’t about him; it’s about the student-athletes he leads.
“They give a lot of dedication. They are such a good group of kids,” says Todd. “They have to learn to budget all their time to get their school work done and get their work in at the pool. They are good students and I am very proud of them.”
“I really enjoy working with my kids. We start conditioning after Labor Day, and I feel very strongly hard work pays off at the end of the season, and they see their times improve,” Todd added.
“Through all these years coaching, that’s the best thing. When they have big (time) drops, and you watch their faces, you know the hard work they have put into it. I am very proud of my team.”
North Central High School
• Head Coach: Charlie Fry,
boys and girls (third year)
• 2008 IHSAA results: Boys third overall with 232 points. Girls fifth overall with 129 points.
Since 2000, the Panthers’ girls swimming and diving team have five ISHAA runner-up trophies, among the most all-time.
“I am expecting 45 girls and 25 boys out this year,” says Fry, adding the Panthers are looking forward to competing and working out at their high school’s new pool. “We had a strong showing last season. We got to state and swam fast and well. We are always seeking to establish personal bests each time out.
“We have some good underclassmen. We have a team focus and are excited about having a great year.” •
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