INDIANAPOLIS
Now I know how my parents felt all those times they called me a spoiled brat so many years ago. Because I was definitely acting like one at the IU Natatorium on Saturday afternoon, if only on the inside.
Sure, I’m generally supposed to be a neutral observer who just relays the events of the day to our readers, but I obviously want our local athletes to do as well as possible. For one thing, it makes for much more compelling copy, and it’s more fun to watch. Which is part of why the state swim meets have become one of my favorite sporting events to cover each year — the atmosphere is electric (fans or no fans), and Johnson County teams and individuals always acquit themselves very well these days.
That was the case again over the weekend, with Franklin’s boys finishing fourth and Center Grove eighth in the team standings and Trojan senior Ethan Martin winning an individual championship in the 100-yard freestyle.
So with all of that local success, why did I spend a good chunk of the afternoon feeling deflated? Cheated out of what rightfully belonged to our kids, to our readers, to me?
Because I’m a spoiled brat, that’s why.
We weren’t supposed to have just one state champion, I kept thinking. We were supposed to have two at the very least, if not more.
Mac Ratzlaff came into Saturday as the top seed in the 200 freestyle, and he felt as though he had much more left in his tank after going through his preliminary heat virtually unchallenged. But a swim cap malfunction with about 50 yards to go on Saturday threw him off track, likely costing him a win in that race and perhaps putting a dent in his usual swagger for the rest of the day.
“It was difficult,” Ratzlaff said. I felt defeated, and it just wasn’t something I was happy with considering I went way faster in prelims and prelims felt way easier. Everything just falling apart the last 50 was just heartbreaking.”
Heck, it was heartbreaking for me, and I was just up in the bleachers watching. But no matter, I thought. The county has a top-three seed in almost every other event, too. Surely the wins would start coming.
But aside from Martin’s big-time swim in the 100 free, they didn’t. Franklin’s potent relay teams didn’t have quite enough firepower to knock off Carmel. Cade Oliver was fantastic in the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke, but Zionsville’s Will Modglin was just a little bit fantastic-er on this particular day.
In a context-free vacuum, Saturday was one of the great days in the history of Johnson County swimming. Two top-10 teams. An individual state champ for the third time in four years. Three runner-up finishes and 11 top-six showings, including five relays. Indian Creek scored relay points for the first time in school history — and did so with a group of four underclassmen.
So why didn’t the whole day feel awesome? Why did so much of the day feel like a letdown when it was objectively anything but?
Because I’m a spoiled brat, that’s why. Always have been, probably always will be. Ask my mother.
Since I’ve been here, I’ve watched Johnson County transform into a swimming hotbed. We produce studs here, boys and girls alike, and that’s been proven over and over at the Nat these past few Februarys. Count the medals. Outside of Hamilton County, there might not be a more talent-rich area anymore in Indiana (which is actually probably a better swimming state than it is a basketball state, if we’re being honest).
I had gotten so used to it, and seen so many amazing things out of Martin, Ratzlaff, Oliver and others these past few years that my hopes and expectations were through the roof for this past weekend. Multiple state championships had started to feel like a foregone conclusion. I’m sure many of you had had similar thoughts.
Oliver, for one, had higher hopes for himself, but he was able to keep the day in perspective. Better suited for longer distances anyway, he’s got a promising four years ahead of him at the University of Missouri and a chance to swim in the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
“It wasn’t what I wanted, of course, but this wasn’t exactly my be-all, end-all meet,” Oliver said. “I always know that even in college, I’ll still get better, and I’ve got much more to give in college and hopefully this summer.”
That seems like exactly the type of level-headed talk you’d get from someone who isn’t a spoiled brat.
Not that I’d know.
Ryan O’Leary is the sports editor for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].
