Franklin’s boys swimming team has pointed all season to this coming weekend’s state finals, where it hopes to return to the level the 2018 and 2019 state runner-up squads achieved.
Based on their performance at Saturday’s Franklin Sectional, the Grizzly Cubs appear to have positioned themselves well to do just that.
Franklin won seven of the 11 swimming events, including all three relays, to claim its ninth straight sectional title, outscoring runner-up Center Grove, 488.5-430. Indian Creek was third with 233.5 points, which earned its coach, Brad Smith, coach of the meet honors, while Greenwood was fourth with 217. Whiteland finished seventh in the nine-team field at 151.
More importantly for the Grizzly Cubs, they qualified for at least 13 state finals spots, and could add to that total once the Castle Sectional, postponed until tonight due to weather, is official. Each sectional champion, along with anyone who meets an event’s state-qualifying time, advances to this weekend’s state meet at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, but the next-fastest performances throughout the state are added until the field in each event has 32 entries.
Franklin coach Zach DeWitt felt confident the Grizzly Cubs would add to their total once all sectionals are in the books.
“We’ve never had this many swims at state, and it’s quite a bit of ammunition in terms of going into that,” he said. “Very rarely can I say this, but I think we hit all the nails on the head in terms of the people we needed to get in. Hanging another banner has been the mission from the get-go for these boys, so I think we’re in a good spot for that.”
Franklin’s Cade Oliver and Mac Ratzlaff each won two individual events in dominant fashion, and each helped two Grizzly Cub relay teams to victory. Ratzlaff sped to a lopsided victory in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:39.17, defeating teammate Anthony Ries by almost five seconds. Ries finished in 1:44.05, which will earn him an at-large berth.
Ratzlaff also took the 100 butterfly in 49.34 seconds, while Ries claimed second in 51.25 and missed the state-qualifying time by one-hundredth of a second. Ratzlaff also swam on winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
Oliver, meanwhile, was equally dominant. He won the 200 individual medley in 1:49.77, besting teammate Barrett Daily by more than five seconds. Daily finished in 1:55.18, good for an at-large spot at state. Oliver also won the 100 backstroke in 48.92 seconds, while teammate and runner-up Ethan Pheifer also made the state cut in 50.93. Oliver swam on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Pheifer also met the state standard in the 100 freestyle, where he tied Indian Creek’s Joey Smith for second (46.43 seconds) behind Center Grove’s Ethan Martin (44.46). Martin also won the 50 freestyle in 20.53 seconds, while Smith made the state cut in that event as well, finishing second in 21.21.
Franklin’s Albert Nusawardhana was the Cubs’ other automatic state qualifier. His 100 breaststroke finish in 58.03 seconds placed him second but beat the state cut time. Daily (58.26) secured an at-large position in the event.
DeWitt identified Pheifer and Nusawardhana as key contributors to the sectional victory.
“Ethan Pheifer was incredible,” DeWitt said. “His 100 (freestyle) time was his lifetime best by a large margin, and he dropped more than two seconds off his time in the 100 back. He was tremendous today. Albertus Nusawardhana was also great throughout today, in relay splits and the 100 breaststroke.”
“When I hit the water, it was probably the best I felt in years,” Pheifer said. “I wasn’t expecting to go that fast, but I’m really excited about how it went, and how next week will go, too.”
In addition to Martin, Center Grove’s Ethan Hite qualified for the state by winning the 500 freestyle in 4:48.34. The Trojans’ 200 and 400 free relays also earned state cuts, with Martin, Ben Clarkston, Garrett Crist and Harrison Hite swimming on both relays. Clarkston earned state callbacks in the 50 free and 100 backstroke, while Crist did so in the 200 IM.
“Ethan set a new personal best in the 100 free and broke a school record, and we did a great job on both relays,” Trojans coach Jim Todd said. “Last year I told the freshman boys they had to be patient and wait their turn, and this year was like their rookie year. They responded very well.”
A handful of locals hanging on to the final at-large state berths in their events will be watching the Castle Sectional — not traditionally known for particularly fast times — with great interest. Ries heads into the night holding the final qualifying position in the butterfly, while Whiteland’s Braeden Campbell and Greenwood’s Conner Peckinpaugh currently have the last two spots in the 500 freestyle.
The state qualifiers turn their attention to Friday’s state preliminaries, which begin at noon for all of the local participants. The finals will begin at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with no spectators allowed due to local health guidelines.
“We’ve still got a battle to do at the top, but I think it’ll be a good one,” Franklin’s Daily said. “I think we have a pretty great shot.”
