Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
INDIANAPOLIS - Warsaw junior Nate Taylor broke a school record en route to finishing first in the prelims of the 100-yard backstroke at the Indiana state swimming and diving championships Friday night.
Taylor swam a 56.71 in the event, a full two seconds faster than the seed time he entered the Indiana Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI with.
Wawasee's Jordan Rantz finished with a 59.82 in the event.
Taylor also finished third in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:53.32, four seconds better than his time in the sectional and by far the biggest jump in time of any of the top eight finishers.
The top eight qualifiers in each swimming event race Saturday for a chance at a state title.
Taylor will also have several chances at some hardware with his teammates.
The 200 medley relay team of Taylor, Kyle Marose, Steven Lowrance and Thad Wallin finished third with a time of 1:36.23.
Lowrance finished fourth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.59 while Wallin finished eighth in the 100 backstroke with a time of 53.48.
Warsaw's 400 yard freestyle relay team of Lowrance, Taylor, Nate Long and Jason McClintock finished with the sixth best time of 3:12.39
All totaled, the Tigers have a chance to win state in six of the potential 12 events.
LOCAL RESULTS (Warsaw and Wawasee are teams competing)
200 medley relay - 1. Northridge 1:35.50, 2. Munster 1:35.57, 3. Thad Wallin, Nate Taylor, Kyle Marose, Steven Lowrance (War) 1:36.23, 26. Seth Gerhart, Jordan Rantz, Steve Dingledein, Chris Szynal (Waw) 1:42.17
200 freestyle - 1. Drew Seasse (North Central)1:39.33, 2. Peter Jameson (North Central) 1:39.82, 3. John Schmitt (Evansville Reitz) 1:41.06, 18. Aaron Phillippe (Waw) 1:46.21, 24. Long (War) 1:46.92
200 IM - 1. Michael Christy (North Central) 1:51.20, 2. Art Miller (Northridge) 1:52.57, 3. Taylor (War) 1:53.32
50 freestyle - 1. David Cavadini (SB Riley) 21.30, 2. Jordan Walters (Vincennes) 21.32, 3. Bryan Hovanec (Munster) 21.56, 4. Lowrance (War) 21.59
100 freestyle - 1. Jameson (North Central) 46.48, 2. Scmitt (Evansville Reitz) 46.59, 3. Danny Lutkus (Penn) 46.80, 9. Lowrance (War) 47.50, 17. Nate Long (War) 48.36
500 freestyle - 1. Chris Oleksiak (Center Grove) 4:35.38, 2. Drew Sease (North Central) 4:36.58, 3. Sebastian Cousins (Carmel) 4:37.91, 24. Phillippe (Waw) 4:52.78
200 freestyle relay - 1. Penn 1:26.56, 2. South Bend Riley 1:26.58, 3. Fort Wayne Concordia 1:26.85, 24. Szynal, Rantz, Phillippe, Zac Conley (Waw) 1:30.44
100 backstroke - 1. Miller (Northridge) 50.43, 2. Retrum (Hamilton Southeastern) 51.58, 3. Christy (North Central) 51.68, 8. Wallin (War) 53.48
100 breaststroke - 1. Taylor (War) 56.71, 2. Tyler Lemlert (Fort Wayne Concordia) 57.19, 3. Sam Pelkey (Delta) 57.47, 15. Rantz (Waw) 59.85
400 freestyle relay - 1. North Central 3:07.95, 2. Penn 3:09.94, 3. SB Riley 3:10.25, 6. Lowrance, Long, Taylor, Jason McClintock (War) 3:12.39
