Greyhounds, Plumb looking to make history this weekend

The last time the Carmel girls swim team didn't win a state championship was in 1985. For those too young to remember, those were also the days of parachute pants, and when celebrities thought it was sheek to wear big glasses. That same year, "We Are The World" was a hit song and so was Eddie Murphy's "Party All The Time." Yes, that Eddie Murphy. Of course, that was long before he became "Dr. Doolittle." To put it more into perspective, episodes of "Family Ties" and "The Cosby Show" were the rave of primetime TV - not Nick at Nite. For 22 consecutive IHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving State Finals, the Carmel Greyhounds have surpassed all trends. Last year, the team took it a step further by tying the national streak for consecutive championships for female sports in high school, originally established by Honolulu Punahou, Hawaii. Yet, the most surprising tidbit and trivia fact throughout the Greyhounds' epic run has occurred at pool side where five different swim coaches have steered arguably one of the greatest dynasties in sports. From 1986 to 1990, Ray Lawrence initiated Carmel's streak, becoming the first girls swim coach to win five straight state titles, surpassing Betty Leibert's (South Bend Clay and Ben Davis) feat of three consecutive from 1975-77. In 2000, Tony Young rewrote history as he guided Carmel to 14 consecutive years of dominance while adding nine titles of his own to become the most prolific swim coach all-time. Followed by back-to-back three-year reigns by Carmel coaches Ken Stopkotte (2001-03) and Tom Burchill (2004-06), current Greyhounds swim coach Chris Plumb now stands next in line to join an elite group. With consecutive state titles earned in 2007 and 2008, if Plumb's Greyhounds win another state title this weekend at the Indiana University Natatorium at IUPUI, he will become the sixth coach in history to capture three straight championships. "It's nice to have my name up there, but it's not really why I do it," Plumb downplayed while discussing the possibility of garnering a third state title. "I do it for the kids. The championships are nice, but just to have those relationships with the kids over time is what's important to me." From an early age, swimming became a passion for Plumb, who became enamored with the sport while growing up in Buffalo, N.Y. As a standout prep athlete in high school, Plumb traveled west after graduation to further his career and education at Indiana University where success in the pool also ensued. Plumb, 34, was named a six-time NCAA All-American from 1993-97, but his passion for coaching didn't materialize until after a one-year stint as the head boys swim coach at Bloomington South. "I truly loved it," Plumb recalled. "The opportunities basically arose from there." Afterward, Plumb served as an assistant swim coach at the University of Miami in Florida for four seasons. Over that time, he coached 12 NCAA All-Americans while helping the women's program break nine school swim records. In 2003, he ventured back to the Hoosier state and joined the Carmel Swim Club as an assistant coach and worked with Lawrence, Young and others as they continued to build the Greyhounds dynasty from the bottom up. "I view Tony as my mentor, and Ray and I talk every now and then. Those guys knew what they were doing a long time ago and created the foundation. I'm just trying to live up to what they created and that's a challenge in itself," said Plumb, who in 2006 was named the head coach of both the club and high school team. "For them to do that and have the foresight to see down the road and see what it takes to be good is just a testament to their coaching, their leadership and their vision." Tournament success, according to Plumb, takes character, dedication and focus. Something he tries to instill in every swimmer he instructs. "The way I look at it, I think a lot of people dislike us, but at the same time there's a lot of respect because they know how hard it is to continue excellence repeatedly," Plumb remarked. "John Wooden once said, 'to win one takes talent. To win again takes character.' I think the character of the teams and the coaches is why we're here. That's why we have this streak." But how can one team win 22 consecutive state titles? "You win 22 by winning one every time. Every year it's a new challenge and there are new kids," Plumb explained. "The athletes we have now, they haven't won four in a row. They're focused on the here and now. Continuously focusing on the process alleviates us from thinking about so many years past." This year, the focus is obviously on No. 23. In this weekend's state finals, the Greyhounds are represented in 26 of 27 possible swim slots and last weekend at the Noblesville Sectional, the team broke three school records (200-yard medley and freestyle relay and the 100 backstroke). When it's all said and done, if No. 23 becomes a reality, don't be surprised if you hear a little "Never Surrender" by Corey Hart (yes, another 1980s reference) blaring from the Greyhounds' bus as it pulls away on Saturday. "You just try to set the tone early and keep it going. That's what we're looking at," Plumb commented on his team quest at another state title. "Pressure is a privilege. It's a privilege to be in this position, and we don't treat it any other way."