Whiteland senior swimmer hoping for big finish

<p>Brenden Gough’s first trip to the state swim meet was a bit shorter than he had preferred. He’s planning to make a more lasting impression next time around.</p><p>After making big strides during the club season — which culminated with a trip to the Speedo Winter Junior Championships East last week — the Whiteland senior plans on staking out a place among the state’s elite.</p><p>&quot;Heading into state prelims, and then coming out of it and not making the finals, kind of showed me what I need to work on, what I need to improve,&quot; Gough said.</p><p>It was with those improvements in mind that he spent the past few months working out with the Franklin Regional Swim Team, which gave him a chance to work alongside most of the area’s other top swimmers.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>&quot;Swimming over the fall with those kind of swimmers, with (Mac) Ratzlaff, with (Griffin) Edwards, with Jacob (Destrampe), was awesome for him,&quot; Whiteland coach Alec DeWitt said.</p><p>&quot;I know what I can race against; I’m racing against the 200 state champion,&quot; Gough said of the opportunity to swim with Destrampe.</p><p>Gough made a strong impression in his recent national debut with FRST, helping a pair of relay teams score points. He teamed with with Destrampe, Ratzlaff and Cade Oliver to finish 13th in the 800-yard freestyle relay and then added a 14th-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay with Destrampe, Ratzlaff and Max Wiser.</p><p>He also swam on a pair of medley relay teams that finished 25th and 27th.</p><p>Gough is hopeful that that experience will pay off in the form of a stronger finish to the high school season.</p><p>Swimming against a fast group at the sectional meet last February, Gough finished third behind Destrampe and Ratzlaff in the 200 freestyle, but his time of 1:43.65 was still good enough to earn him a spot in the state field as the 23rd seed.</p><p>He improved upon that standing by placing 22nd at the state prelims, but couldn’t move up quite enough to move on to the second day of action and score points.</p><p>Having enjoyed success in the summer and fall, though, Gough plans on a different outcome this winter. He’s taking aim at a top-eight state finish in at least one of his events. What he’ll compete in, he and DeWitt aren’t quite sure yet, although the 100 and 200 freestyles and the 100 butterfly are among the most likely possibilities.</p><p>&quot;I’m comfortable with anything he puts me in,&quot; said Gough, who owns a majority of the Warriors’ individual school records. &quot;But I’m probably most comfortable with freestyle.&quot;</p><p>Upon graduation, Gough plans on attending Purdue to study actuarial science. He has every intention of swimming for the Boilermakers, regardless of whether he can earn a scholarship or not.</p><p>DeWitt believes any coach should be happy to have someone like Gough on the roster.</p><p>&quot;He’s a great kid, super smart kid, hard worker,&quot; DeWitt said. &quot;Wants to do well, always asking questions. He’s somebody you want on the team, in the sense that he’s so easy to coach. When you tell him to do something, he’s like, ‘Got it. Done.’&quot;</p><p>So if he’s set his mind toward making it onto that awards podium at the IU Natatorium, it might be unwise to count him out.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><p><strong>Johnson County championships</strong></p><p>When: Saturday, 9 a.m.</p><p>Where: Indian Creek High School</p><p>Admission: $5</p><p>Defending champion: Franklin (boys and girls)</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]