Warsaw Ends Wawasee's Reign
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
To be safe, Eric Mohler took his wallet out of his pocket.
Mohler, Warsaw's girls swim coach, thought his team would beat Wawasee in Tuesday's meet. Because he thought Warsaw would win, he also thought he would end up in the pool.
As Mohler predicted, Warsaw won. As Mohler figured, he ended up in the pool.
The girls tossed him in not so much to celebrate the 106-79 win as to celebrate the end of Wawasee's dominance. Warsaw improved to 8-3 overall and 3-2 in the NLC, while Wawasee dropped to 6-5 overall and 1-4 in the NLC.
"Well, when you have 20-some girls tugging at you," a sopping wet Mohler said, explaining how he managed to end up in the water. "I've been coaching here five years, and we had never beaten Wawasee. Warsaw may have beaten them in the early '90s.
"We did better than I thought we would. I scored it out and had us winning by five."
The Warsaw boys entered 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the NLC and left 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the NLC. Warsaw won 117-69, setting up an important Saturday meet at Northridge. The team that wins that meet takes control in the NLC, as the Raiders are also 5-0. The NLC Tournament at the end of this month also figures into determining the conference champion. Wawasee, which lost to Warsaw for the third straight year, dropped to 3-2 in the NLC.
"'Northridge is favored," Warsaw boys coach Chris LaLonde said. "They have some really good swimmers. I hope our guys step it up. We're tired, but we're swimming well. That's a good sign.
"I swam off a little, and we still did well."
Leading 58-51 after seven events, the Warsaw girls took control in the 500 freestyle. Junior Jaci Thallemer took first with a time of 5:46.86, and sophomore Laura Noggle placed second with a time of 6:01.65. The first and second places, along with a fourth-place finish by sophomore Sarah Cook, extended Warsaw's lead to 70-55. The Tigers led in double-digits the rest of the way.
Thallemer also won the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:11.12. Senior Katie Beehler won two individual events, the 100 butterfly (1:04.58) and 100 backstroke (1:04.78).
Mohler thought the key event was the second event. Warsaw's Thallemer, Hilary Barlow and Abby Youse took first through third in the 200 freestyle to go from a 10-4 deficit to a 17-13 lead.
"That gave the girls the idea they could win the meet," he said.
The Wawasee girls won six events, and senior Laura Karns figured in four of them, the 200 medley relay (2:01.57), the 50 freestyle (26.53 seconds), the 100 freestyle (58.64 seconds) and the 200 freestyle relay (1:50.58).
The Warsaw boys took two of the top three spots in 10 of 12 events. Leading 10-4 after one event, Warsaw senior Adam Helfrich, sophomore Brett Moore and junior Michael Jenks took first through third in the 200 freestyle to jump ahead 23-7.
Warsaw senior Justin Lowrance won two individual events, the 50 freestyle (22.59 seconds) and the 100 freestyle (51.67 seconds).
"Warsaw was prepared," Wawasee coach Roger Karns said. "I don't know if Wawasee was necessarily as ready to swim as they should have been.
"I told my kids before the meet that if both teams swam well, it would be close, but if one team swam average, they would be in a lot of trouble. We swam average."
If Warsaw could beat Wawasee every year, Mohler would be more than happy to end up in the pool fully clothed.
But he's not counting on starting a long, dominating run.
"Coach Karns, you can never trust him to not have a great team next year," he said. "He's a great motivator, a great coach."
GIRLS: WARSAW 106, WAWASEE 79
200 medley relay - 1. Wawasee (Karns, Rantz, Lyon, Butt) 2:01.57, 2. Warsaw, 3. Wawasee
200 freestyle - 1. Thallemer (WAR) 2:11.12, 2. Barlow (WAR), 3. Youse (WAR)
200 individual medley - 1. Lyon (WAW) 2:31.41, 2. Neill (WAR), 3. Cook (WAR)
50 freestyle - 1. Karns (WAW) :26.53, 2. Butt (WAW), 3. Beckett (WAR)
diving - 1. Keirn (WAR) 151.15, 2. Judy (WAW), 3. Olson (WAW)
100 butterfly - 1. Beehler (WAR) 1:04.58, 2. Barlow (WAR), 3. Lyon (WAW)
100 freestyle - 1. Karns (WAW) :58.64, 2. Ummel (WAR), 3. Youse (WAR)
500 freestyle - 1. Thallemer (WAR) 5:46.86, 2. Noggle (WAR), 3. Brissette (WAW)
200 freestyle relay - 1. Wawasee (Butt, Mock, Karns, Harper) 1:50.58, 2. Warsaw, 3. Warsaw
100 backstroke - 1. Beehler (WAR) 1:04.78, 2. Neill (WAR), 3. Drake (WAW)
100 breaststroke - 1. Rantz (WAW) 1:16.26, 2. McCammon (WAR), 3. Albertson (WAR)
400 freestyle relay - 1. Warsaw (Barlow, Ummel, Thallemer, Beehler) 4:06.07, 2. Warsaw, 3. Wawasee
BOYS: WARSAW 117, WAWASEE 69
200 medley relay - 1. Warsaw (Moore, Sincorft, Helfrich, Lowrance) 1:43.07, 2. Wawasee, 3. Warsaw
200 freestyle - 1. Helfrich (WAR) 1:54.71, 2. Bt. Moore (WAR), 3. Jenks (WAR)
200 individual medley - 1. Brown (WAW) 2:09.53, 2. Beehler (WAR), 3. Sincroft (WAR)
50 freestyle - 1. Lowrance (WAR) :22.59, 2. Simmons (WAW), 3. Sibray (WAR)
diving - 1. Beer (WAW) 208.25, 2. Wildman (WAR), 3. Anglin (WAR)
100 butterfly - 1. Gilliam (WAW) 1:01.21, 2. Bn. Moore (WAR), 3. White (WAW)
100 freestyle - 1. Lowrance (WAR) :51.67, 2. Brown (WAW), 3. Sibray (WAR)
500 freestyle - 1. Beehler (WAR) 5:26.75, 2. Jenks (WAR), 3. Stork (WAR)
200 freestyle relay - 1. Wawasee (Simmons, Trame, Ganshorn, Brown) 1:35.32, 2. Warsaw, 3. Warsaw
100 backstroke - 1. Simmons (WAW) :58.05, 2. Bn. Moore (WAR), 3. White (WAW)
100 breaststroke - 1. Sincroft (WAR) 1:06.82, 2. Trame (WAW), 3. Gackenheimer (WAR)
400 freestyle relay - 1. Warsaw (Sibray, Beehler, Helfrich, Lowrance) 3:32.79, 2. Warsaw, 3. Wawasee [[In-content Ad]]
To be safe, Eric Mohler took his wallet out of his pocket.
Mohler, Warsaw's girls swim coach, thought his team would beat Wawasee in Tuesday's meet. Because he thought Warsaw would win, he also thought he would end up in the pool.
As Mohler predicted, Warsaw won. As Mohler figured, he ended up in the pool.
The girls tossed him in not so much to celebrate the 106-79 win as to celebrate the end of Wawasee's dominance. Warsaw improved to 8-3 overall and 3-2 in the NLC, while Wawasee dropped to 6-5 overall and 1-4 in the NLC.
"Well, when you have 20-some girls tugging at you," a sopping wet Mohler said, explaining how he managed to end up in the water. "I've been coaching here five years, and we had never beaten Wawasee. Warsaw may have beaten them in the early '90s.
"We did better than I thought we would. I scored it out and had us winning by five."
The Warsaw boys entered 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the NLC and left 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the NLC. Warsaw won 117-69, setting up an important Saturday meet at Northridge. The team that wins that meet takes control in the NLC, as the Raiders are also 5-0. The NLC Tournament at the end of this month also figures into determining the conference champion. Wawasee, which lost to Warsaw for the third straight year, dropped to 3-2 in the NLC.
"'Northridge is favored," Warsaw boys coach Chris LaLonde said. "They have some really good swimmers. I hope our guys step it up. We're tired, but we're swimming well. That's a good sign.
"I swam off a little, and we still did well."
Leading 58-51 after seven events, the Warsaw girls took control in the 500 freestyle. Junior Jaci Thallemer took first with a time of 5:46.86, and sophomore Laura Noggle placed second with a time of 6:01.65. The first and second places, along with a fourth-place finish by sophomore Sarah Cook, extended Warsaw's lead to 70-55. The Tigers led in double-digits the rest of the way.
Thallemer also won the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:11.12. Senior Katie Beehler won two individual events, the 100 butterfly (1:04.58) and 100 backstroke (1:04.78).
Mohler thought the key event was the second event. Warsaw's Thallemer, Hilary Barlow and Abby Youse took first through third in the 200 freestyle to go from a 10-4 deficit to a 17-13 lead.
"That gave the girls the idea they could win the meet," he said.
The Wawasee girls won six events, and senior Laura Karns figured in four of them, the 200 medley relay (2:01.57), the 50 freestyle (26.53 seconds), the 100 freestyle (58.64 seconds) and the 200 freestyle relay (1:50.58).
The Warsaw boys took two of the top three spots in 10 of 12 events. Leading 10-4 after one event, Warsaw senior Adam Helfrich, sophomore Brett Moore and junior Michael Jenks took first through third in the 200 freestyle to jump ahead 23-7.
Warsaw senior Justin Lowrance won two individual events, the 50 freestyle (22.59 seconds) and the 100 freestyle (51.67 seconds).
"Warsaw was prepared," Wawasee coach Roger Karns said. "I don't know if Wawasee was necessarily as ready to swim as they should have been.
"I told my kids before the meet that if both teams swam well, it would be close, but if one team swam average, they would be in a lot of trouble. We swam average."
If Warsaw could beat Wawasee every year, Mohler would be more than happy to end up in the pool fully clothed.
But he's not counting on starting a long, dominating run.
"Coach Karns, you can never trust him to not have a great team next year," he said. "He's a great motivator, a great coach."
GIRLS: WARSAW 106, WAWASEE 79
200 medley relay - 1. Wawasee (Karns, Rantz, Lyon, Butt) 2:01.57, 2. Warsaw, 3. Wawasee
200 freestyle - 1. Thallemer (WAR) 2:11.12, 2. Barlow (WAR), 3. Youse (WAR)
200 individual medley - 1. Lyon (WAW) 2:31.41, 2. Neill (WAR), 3. Cook (WAR)
50 freestyle - 1. Karns (WAW) :26.53, 2. Butt (WAW), 3. Beckett (WAR)
diving - 1. Keirn (WAR) 151.15, 2. Judy (WAW), 3. Olson (WAW)
100 butterfly - 1. Beehler (WAR) 1:04.58, 2. Barlow (WAR), 3. Lyon (WAW)
100 freestyle - 1. Karns (WAW) :58.64, 2. Ummel (WAR), 3. Youse (WAR)
500 freestyle - 1. Thallemer (WAR) 5:46.86, 2. Noggle (WAR), 3. Brissette (WAW)
200 freestyle relay - 1. Wawasee (Butt, Mock, Karns, Harper) 1:50.58, 2. Warsaw, 3. Warsaw
100 backstroke - 1. Beehler (WAR) 1:04.78, 2. Neill (WAR), 3. Drake (WAW)
100 breaststroke - 1. Rantz (WAW) 1:16.26, 2. McCammon (WAR), 3. Albertson (WAR)
400 freestyle relay - 1. Warsaw (Barlow, Ummel, Thallemer, Beehler) 4:06.07, 2. Warsaw, 3. Wawasee
BOYS: WARSAW 117, WAWASEE 69
200 medley relay - 1. Warsaw (Moore, Sincorft, Helfrich, Lowrance) 1:43.07, 2. Wawasee, 3. Warsaw
200 freestyle - 1. Helfrich (WAR) 1:54.71, 2. Bt. Moore (WAR), 3. Jenks (WAR)
200 individual medley - 1. Brown (WAW) 2:09.53, 2. Beehler (WAR), 3. Sincroft (WAR)
50 freestyle - 1. Lowrance (WAR) :22.59, 2. Simmons (WAW), 3. Sibray (WAR)
diving - 1. Beer (WAW) 208.25, 2. Wildman (WAR), 3. Anglin (WAR)
100 butterfly - 1. Gilliam (WAW) 1:01.21, 2. Bn. Moore (WAR), 3. White (WAW)
100 freestyle - 1. Lowrance (WAR) :51.67, 2. Brown (WAW), 3. Sibray (WAR)
500 freestyle - 1. Beehler (WAR) 5:26.75, 2. Jenks (WAR), 3. Stork (WAR)
200 freestyle relay - 1. Wawasee (Simmons, Trame, Ganshorn, Brown) 1:35.32, 2. Warsaw, 3. Warsaw
100 backstroke - 1. Simmons (WAW) :58.05, 2. Bn. Moore (WAR), 3. White (WAW)
100 breaststroke - 1. Sincroft (WAR) 1:06.82, 2. Trame (WAW), 3. Gackenheimer (WAR)
400 freestyle relay - 1. Warsaw (Sibray, Beehler, Helfrich, Lowrance) 3:32.79, 2. Warsaw, 3. Wawasee [[In-content Ad]]