Having won the county title last month, Center Grove’s Karlie Dodd has emerged as the sectional favorite in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Daily Journal file photo
For the past three years, Karlie Dodd swam in sectional meets against Center Grove.
If you can’t beat ‘em … well, you know.
After three high school seasons at Southport, Dodd transferred over to spend her final one with the Trojans, and her impact is already being felt. At last month’s Johnson County meet, Dodd won the 100-yard breaststroke with a personal-best time of 1:06.29 and was the runner-up in the 200 individual medley with another lifetime best (2:10.81).
In addition to providing fast times in an event of need — Center Grove had graduated two of its top three breaststrokers — Dodd has also provided additional leadership despite joining what was already a senior-heavy team.
“In a year when we were down a little bit — well, we thought we were going to be down — in breaststroke, and for her to come in and not only pretty much be a dominant breaststroker, but she provides some leadership on this team from a different perspective,” Trojans coach Brad Smith said. “We have Lara (Phipps) and Kayla Fischer, but just someone from the outside coming in and being that force has been really good for some of the other girls to look up to.”
“Having that kind of fresh face during practice, a new perspective, it helps push ourselves in practice,” Phipps added.
Dodd had a strong sophomore season at Southport, finishing second in the IM and fourth in the breaststroke at the Center Grove Sectional and competing at the state meet on a pair of relay teams. The retirement of Cardinals coach Matt Jeffries after that season, though, left Dodd in a rut and led to what she considered a disappointing junior year. She was still a top-five sectional finisher in both of her individual events, but her times got worse.
At that point, she decided it was time for a change.
“It wasn’t the team that it used to be, so we thought it would be the best idea to switch,” Dodd said. “It ended up working out for me in the end, and I love it here.”
Having relocated with her family to the Center Grove school district by then, Dodd started swimming with the Center Grove Aquatic Club at the Senior State meet last March and continued through the summer long-course campaign, qualifying for consolation finals in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke. She’s carried that momentum into the high school season, establishing herself as a sectional favorite in the 100 breast.
Winning that event in February would put Dodd in the state meet as an individual for the first time, which has long been a goal of hers. True to her role as a leader, though, she wants to help push her teammates — particularly freshman breaststroker Rayah Rugenstein — to make it to the IU Natatorium alongside her.
“I’m hoping that I can make it to state, state finals; that’s always been a big dream,” Dodd said, “but I’m also hoping that I can help bring the younger girls up with me, because there’s so much potential with them and they just have a lot going for them and I really hope … that they make it to state with me too.”
Each of Dodd’s previous trips to the high school postseason were largely individual efforts, as the battle for the team title has effectively boiled down to rivals Center Grove and Franklin.
Now a key member of the two-time defending champion Trojans, Dodd is looking forward to experiencing February from a completely different perspective.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “It’s a completely different atmosphere, and I’ve never been a part of something like this.”
