Center Grove’s Garrett Crist reacts after a commanding victory in the 100-yard backstroke during Saturday’s sectional.
Rob Baker | For the Daily Journal
Center Grove boys swimming coach Jim Todd received an outpouring of love Saturday, from not only his own team but from opposing teams.
In Todd’s final year as coach, the No. 10 Trojans captured their 28th sectional title with a 26-point victory over host Franklin. The Trojans won 27 consecutive sectional titles under Todd, but this was their first since 2012.
“I feels good, but I’m more happy for the boys who have worked so hard to get this,” said Todd, who has coached the Trojans since the fall of 1984. “This was their goal they set out for at the beginning. It was a fun meet. It’s been like that forever.”
Center Grove won with 493 points, followed by Franklin with 467 and Greenwood 354. Indian Creek placed fifth with 163 and Whiteland was ninth with 79.5. Event winners, along with those meeting the state qualifying standard, advance to the state finals Feb. 25-26 at the IU Natatorium.
“We knew it was going to be a steep challenge in order to run these boys from Center Grove down,” said Franklin coach Zach DeWitt, whose team saw a run of nine consecutive sectional titles end. “They have a heck of a talented team and a good group of boys. We were glad to be in the conversation until later on in the meet.”
DeWitt said the team performed well in the preliminaries to put itself in position to contend.
“All in all, this is better than I thought we could have done a month ago,” DeWitt said. “We are real young and we have to get better. They did improve throughout the year.”
Todd said it’s a great rivalry.
“Franklin swam their butts off on Thursday night to make this meet interesting,” Todd said.
Todd said his Trojans were fortunate to get everyone through preliminaries without shaving them all down.
“We were able to shave down for today, and that gave them a spark to swim as well as they did,” Todd said. “I’m very pleased with how they all swam. They did a great job from top to bottom.”
Trojans senior Garrett Crist — who captured individual titles in the 200 individual medley (1:52.33) and 100 backstroke (49.97) — said winning the sectional for Todd meant a great to deal to the entire team.
“With everything going on this year, we all came together and got closer and closer,” Crist said.
Both of Crist’s winning times were school records.
“Everybody had the energy of, ‘Let’s get up, go do our job, have some fun and try to give it our all,’” Crist said.
Crist was also part of two winning relay teams — the 200 freestyle relay team with Ben Clarkston, Evan Hernandez and Harrison Hite and the 200 medley relay team with Clarkston, Hernandez and Connor Conkin. The Trojans won those races in 1:25.64 and 1:34.91, respectively.
Clarkston won two individual championships himself, capturing the 50 freestyle in 21.59 and 100 free in 47.67.
Franklin senior Anthony Ries captured the 200 freestyle in 1:43.05 and 100 butterfly in 51.67. Ries also was on the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:15.02) with Callum Buchanan, Isaac Layton and Jacob Meinczinger.
“It always feels good to win, but I think the greatest accomplishment I’ve done this year is help transform some of the younger kids into the great men they are now,” Ries said. “Winning is great, but seeing a change in a person you help flourish, that is what is truly great for me.”
Grizzly Cubs diver Drake Keller won the 1-meter title with 383 points, advancing to Tuesday’s Jasper Regional along with teammate Austin Clark, who placed fourth.
Greenwood senior Conner Peckinpaugh won the 500 freestyle in 4:47.74.
“This is a race I’ve been swimming for years, to cap off senior year with a sectional win is very satisfying,” Peckinpaugh said. “I was focusing on staying consistent and fast.”
Greenwood coach Ray Onisko was pleased with how Peckinpaugh and the rest of his team performed.
“They came in and fought, that was our goal to come in and fight today,” Onisko said. “We dropped a lot of time off Thursday. I’m very proud of them.”
The only champion from outside Johnson County was Martinsville’s Blake Rains, who won the 100 breaststroke in 57.08.
