Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH MANCHESTER - Wednesday evening, Manchester High School diving coach Greg Dale was asked to describe Squire senior Reed Christiansen in one word.
"Talented, very talented," said Dale, a 1996 Manchester graduate, of Christiansen. Never mind he used three words.
Christiansen is among a group of locals that will compete in this weekend's swimming and diving state finals preliminaries at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis.
Christiansen will compete in the diving prelims Saturday at 9 a.m. after finishing fifth out of 20 teams in the Oak Hill regional with a score of 380.5.
Christiansen, who is making his third trip to state, was seeded fourth before finishing 22nd out of 32 divers last year due to an injury.
The 32 individuals will perform 11 dives apiece. Christiansen's personal best score is a 317 on a six-dive card.
What will it take for the Squire senior to challenge for the state title this year?
"He'll have to have his best meet ever," said Dale. "If he does that I think it's very possible."
Dale, who is in his third year working with Christiansen, was asked if he truly thought the senior had a legitimate chance at winning the state championship.
"Yes, it's not out of reach," said Dale.
To advance to the state finals, individuals or relay teams must take first-place or meet the state standard.
Rod Smith will also represent the Squires at the state meet after his second-place finish of 54.77 seconds in the 100 backstroke at the Wawasee Sectional met the state standard.
Among other local schools to be represented this weekend in Indianapolis are Warsaw and Wawasee.
The Tigers will send two individuals and two relay teams to the state meet.
Warsaw's 200 medley relay team of Brandon Moore, John Sincroft, Adam Helfrich and Justin Lowrance advanced by swimming to a sectional best time of 1:40.53.
Lowrance will compete individually in the 50 freestyle after his sectional second-place time met the state standard. His time of 21.84 seconds set a school record. Bremen's Michael Stoller won the sectional with a time of 21.35.
Helfrich will represent the Tigers in the 200 individual medley after his time of 54.45 was good enough for a sectional first-place finish.
Helfrich and Lowrance will also compete in the 400 freestyle relay event with Kiel Beehler and Jason Sibray. The quartet swam to the sectional championship time of 3:18.21
Wawasee will be represented by Adam Brown, the only local swimmer to win two individual events at the Wawasee Sectional. Brown won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:02.28, and the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:00.53.
The swimming preliminaries start Friday at 6 p.m. Chamionship and consolation rounds for swimming events will start at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Diving preliminaries and semifinals begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, with the championship round starting at 1 p.m.
2000 BOYS SWIM STATE FINALS
Listed below are local swimmers who advanced to this weekend's state finals at the IUPUI Natatorioum in Indianapolis.
WARSAW
200 medley relay team - Brandon Moore, John Sincroft, Adam Helfrich and Justin Lowrance; first-place sectional time of 1:40.53
50 freestyle - Justin Lowrance; second-place sectional time of :21.84 met state standard
100 butterfly - Adam Helfrich; first-place sectional time of :54.45
400 freestyle relay - Kiel Beehler, Lowrance, Helfrich and Jason Sibray; first-place sectional time of 3:18.21
WAWASEE
200 individual medley - Adam Brown; first-place sectional time of 2:02.28
100 backstroke - Guy Simmons; first-place sectional time of :54.12
100 breaststroke - Adam Brown; first-place sectional time of 1:00.53
MANCHESTER
100 backstroke - Rod Smith; second-place sectional time of :54.77 met state standard
diving - Reed Christiansen; fifth at regionals with score of 380.50
