<p><strong>S</strong>wim training is carefully tailored to make sure athletes are primed for peak performance at the biggest meets. In the case of a high school swimmer, that means the state meet in February.</p><p>So it’s probably a good sign for Mac Ratzlaff that he was throwing down lifetime bests in mid-December.</p><p>The Franklin senior had a monster weekend at the OLY Invitational in Elkhart two weeks ago, winning four events against some of the best competition that the Midwest has to offer. Ratzlaff bettered his previous personal standards in the 200-yard freestyle (1:37.06), the 500 freestyle (4:28.62) and the 200 butterfly (1:46.81), and his winning time of 45.07 in the 100 freestyle was just off the 44.98 he swam during last season’s state prelims.</p><p>Based on that performance, he’s feeling pretty good about what’s to come.</p><p>“I feel like I’m in a really fast spot right now,” Ratzlaff said. “I’m going my best times, that I went last year at state, with a two-week taper, shaved and everything, so I feel really good about myself. The only thing I need to work on is speed, but physically I’m in the best shape of my whole high school career, which I love.</p><p>“I feel like high school state’s going to be really, really fast, and I think high school sectional is going to be really fast as well, and I can’t wait to go race kids.”</p><p>The competitive drive is almost always there with Ratzlaff, who loves testing himself against the state’s other top swimmers and has ample opportunity to do so locally just about every day — whether that’s in the county or sectional meet against Center Grove’s Ethan Martin or in practices at Franklin against classmate Cade Oliver.</p><p>Even though Ratzlaff and Oliver are often in different stroke groups, that doesn’t stop the two from comparing themselves against one another. If Ratzlaff is doing butterfly and Oliver is backstroking, the race is still on.</p><p>“The dynamic is pretty funny sometimes,” Oliver said. “A lot of times, we’re at each other’s throats, but we know in the end we’re making each other better, and we’re racing almost every day.</p><p>“It’s a great challenge for both of us, and it’s made us both really good swimmers.”</p><p>There’s no denying that. Ratzlaff was third in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 100 as a junior, and he’s eager to make a run at winning both of those events this winter.</p><p>“I really want to get the state record in the 100 free, which I think I can do,” Ratzlaff said of Drew Kibler’s mark of 43.20 seconds. “I just need to work on some things, but that’s my main goal.”</p><p>Ratzlaff is also willing and able to compete for the top spot in either the 100 fly or the 500 free, though, if the lineup needed to be shuffled in order for Franklin to finish at least second as a team for the third time in four years.</p><p>Once the high school season is over, Ratzlaff’s attention will shift toward competing at the collegiate level for the University of South Carolina.</p><p>His commitment to the Gamecocks is solid despite news stories circulating last week that the school might consider cutting some of its non-revenue sports programs as a result of budget shortfalls. Swimming was one of the sports specifically mentioned, although university president Bob Caslen appeared to walk back his comments somewhat.</p><p>“I had to ask myself, ‘What’s the difference between a woman diver on the 10-meter board, ready to do a triple flip, (and) the starting quarterback of the Gamecock football team?’” Caslen told the Charleston Post and Courier. “She’s using her talent for the betterment of herself, for her future, she’s getting an education because of her talents. She’s doing this for the teams, doing this for the university and for the community. So why would we want to deprive her of that tremendous opportunity?</p><p>“And I wouldn’t. If it was up to me, I’d want to try and expand that.”</p><p>When asked about the situation, Ratzlaff said he’s not all that concerned. He mentioned a text message he received from Gamecocks assistant Pam Swander, a longtime swim coach with Johnson County ties, reassuring him that the team was on solid ground</p><p>“That’s completely out of my control, so I have no reason to worry about it,” Ratzlaff said. “If (Swander) says I don’t need to worry about it, I’m not going to worry about it.”</p><p>Instead, Ratzlaff’s focus is where it usually is — on competing. He’s looking forward to potential sectional and state showdowns with Martin (who, as it happens, is also committed to South Carolina) and the rest of the cream of Indiana’s high school crop.</p><p>No matter who’s on the block next to him and when, Ratzlaff is always ready.</p><p>“Someone who’s able to push you is a big factor of why I’ve gone faster,” he said. “Ethan Martin, I’m so glad he’s my teammate. … It’s really fun racing him.</p><p>“That’s why I look forward to sectional, that’s why I look forward to (county), that’s why I look forward to state — racing people.”</p>
