DUNLAP — Wawasee’s sister tandem of freshman Breanna Robinson and senior Brittany Robinson staked their claim in the Concord girls swimming sectional Saturday afternoon. Along with being a part of two relays that set pool and meet records, the Robinson sisters also won two other events each, setting records, and sending them to this weekend’s state finals at the Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis. “My goal coming into this meet was to reset all my records,” Brittany said. “The (100) fly swim was the most amazing, because it was my best time by over a second. It was just awesome.” In the 100 fly, Brittany won in a time of 53.86, which beyond breaking her own pool and meet records, also would have broken the state meet record of 53.91, which was set by Harrison’s Jenny Connolly in 2008. Along with her time in that event, Brittany’s 56.17 time in the 100 back, also set new pool and meet records. The time broke her own pool record of 57.28, which she set three weeks prior with a time of 57.28, and broke the meet record of 58.54, set by Northridge’s Spencer Chappell last year. In total, Brittany has gone 8-0 in sectional competition during her prep career, winning the 50 free and 100 fly the previous three seasons. This year, she dropped the 50 free to swim the 100 back, and hasn’t missed a beat as she’ll go into the state meet, which begins Friday at 5 p.m., as the top seed in the 100 fly and second seed in the 100 back. But despite picking up a new event to qualify for state in, the University of Louisville-bound Brittany wasn’t necessarily looking to boost her individual accomplishments. Going into the season, she had hoped to capture team championships, but after losing to Northridge in the NLC Championships, it was the hosting Concord Lady Minutemen that won the sectional with 410 points, while Wawasee finished second with 388. However, once it was clear that her team wasn’t going to be winning the title, she turned her attention to getting as many Lady Warriors into the state meet as possible. “For me, this was definitely still about the team title,” she said. “I was really upset when I realized we weren’t going to win, but then I changed my focus to myself and to my relays - getting them where they need to be, because there were a lot of seniors that wanted to make it to state this year.” And she did that. Accompanying her younger sister on the 200 and 400 free relays, Brittany helped each reach the state finals, winning with pool and meet records. Along with seniors Sarah Rozow and Sarah Steele, the 200 free relay won in 1:37.43, while the 400 free relay, featuring the same four swimmers, won in 3:34.75. Just like her older sister, Breanna has burst onto the swimming scene, as she’ll go into the state meet as the top seed in the 200 free (1:50.33) and second seed in the 100 free (51.26). “I was definitely mentally prepared for this meet,” Breanna said. “I came in knowing what I needed to do. I was relaxed, so when I went out, I swam my race.” Breanna’s 200 free time was a new pool record, and 0.29th-of-a-second from tying Olympian Lindsay Benko’s meet record of 1:50.04, set on Oct. 30, 1993. In the 100 free, Breanna set a new meet record, breaking Benko’s 1993 record, and was one-hundredth of a second from setting the pool record she set herself in this year’s NLC Championships. “It’s always a shock,” Breanna said about her times. “My times are insane and I’m just super excited and can’t wait for state.” Once the meet was wrapped up, the Robinson name owned seven Concord pool records and six sectional meet records. Setting pool records has been a common occurrence for the Robinson sisters this year, and their mother, Julie Robinson, has been there all along the way, serving as their coach. “We definitely went after a lot of meet and pool records,” Julie said. “A lot of girls had goals on the wall, and I think all of them accomplished those this year. We’re just going to keep doing that.” Outside of her daughters, Julie was happy with the other girls on the team, despite coming just 22 points shy of a title. “Ultimately, our goal was to win the sectional,” she said. “We didn’t quite get there. Concord just swam great, but how can I be upset when I have so many going to state, and they’re swimming so fast and so well. It’s not just that they’re going to state, but they should be able to make it to the second day.” Along with the Robinsons and relays moving on to state, Wawasee senior Karla Allen also made the state cut, placing third in the 100 fly, but her time of 58.47 was still good enough to reach the final meet of the season. The preliminary round of the state finals will take place Friday, with the top 16 girls then advancing to Saturday’s finals round, slated to begin at 1 p.m., where the top eight will compete in the championship heat. And while the state meet has been an annual race for Brittany, she’s been able to take more and more teammates with her over the years. “(My freshman year), I was the only one,” Brittany said. “Then, my sophomore year, I was all alone, but people were getting closer. Last year, the whole goal was to get as many people as possible to state. We’re just going to keep building on that.” And this year, she’ll have her sister with her - just where Brittany thought she’d be. “She’s really good in club (swimming) and she’s trains really hard,” Brittany said about Breanna. “She knows how to race. She came in here knowing what she wanted to do.” And despite dominating Northern Indiana over her prep career, a state championship has eluded Brittany. Having swum the 50 free previously, her top finish at the state meet in the event was fifth, which she did as a sophomore, but in the 100 fly she’s getting closer. In her freshman campaign, she placed seventh at state in the 100 fly, followed by a third-place finish as a sophomore and a runner-up last season. Going into state as the top seed this season, she’s optimistic about her chances and doesn’t think she’s peaked quite yet. “I feel good, because I’m not tapered down all the way,” she said. “I was really happy to go that time (in the 100 fly). Now, I want to see what I can do at state.”
CONCORD SECTIONAL Team Scores - Concord 410, Wawasee 388, Northridge 345, Elkhart Central 233, Goshen 175, NorthWood 172, East Noble 171, Elkhart Memorial 127, DeKalb 108, Angola 70 (State Qualifiers, Local Results, Top 4 Divers to Mishawaka Regional) 200 Medley Relay - 1. Concord (Mia Leas, Ashley Schrock, Audra Burtch, McKenzie Wright) 1:49.35*, 4. Wawasee (Karla Allen, Rachel Rozow, Kira Bailey, Kendra Miller) 1:59.29; 200 Free - 1. Breanna Robinson (Waw) 1:50.33**, 2. Brittney Walters (Nr) 1:52.17#, 5. Miller (Waw) 2:04.79, 13. Megan Rhodes (Waw) 2:15.43; 200 IM - 1. Burtch (Con) 2:09.16, 4. Sarah Rozow (Waw) 2:13.62, 8. R. Rozow (Waw) 2:25.10, 11. Sarah Jones (Waw) 2:24.57; 50 Free - 1. Brittani Grove (NW) 24.82, 3. Sarah Steele (Waw) 25.19, 5. Miller (Waw) 26.00, 15. Hannah Winters (Waw) 27.96; Diving - 1. Melissa Berger (NW) 413.20, 2. Julie Jesse (G) 399.00, 3. Alexandria Roskos (EM) 376.15, 3. Leah Getts (D) 374.05, 11. Savannah Guimond (Waw) 290.25, 15. Amber Mock (Waw) 243.00; 100 Fly - 1. Brittany Robinson (Waw) 53.86***, 3. Allen (Waw) 58.47, 12. Bailey (Waw) 1:09.95. 100 Free - 1. Bre Robinson (Waw) 51.26*, 4. S. Rozow (Waw) 55.62, 6. Steele (Waw) 56.36; 500 Free - 1. Walters (Nr) 4:59.65***, 2. Burtch (Con) 5:04.12#, 7. R. Rozow (Waw) 5:50.92, 12. Jones (Waw) 6:01.41; 200 Free Relay - 1. Wawasee (Brit Robinson, S. Rozow, Steele, Bre Robinson) 1:37.43***; 100 Back - 1. Brit Robinson (Waw) 56.17***, 4. Allen (Waw) 1:01.99, 8. Bailey (Waw) 1:08.47; 100 Breast - 1. A. Schrock (Con) 1:07.13, 9. Guimond (Waw) 1:20.34, 11. Emma Donahoe (Waw) 1:21.76, 16. Winters (Waw) 1:23.30; 400 Free Relay - 1. Wawasee (S. Rozow, Steele, Bre Robinson, Brit Robinson) 3:34.75***. # - State Qualifier * - Meet Record ** - Pool Record *** - Meet, Pool Record
