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Because it had the best season in the program's history, Warsaw's boys swimming and diving team now has its own special day.
In a proclomation read in the lecture room at Warsaw Community High School Monday afternoon, Mayor Ernie Wiggins declared March 1, 2005, a special day of recognition for the Tiger swimming and diving team.
"First, I'd Iike to say how proud these young men have made the community," Wiggins said prior to reading the proclomation in front of a room full of parents and WCHS administrators, coaches and athletes.
The Tigers won the sectional championship by a mere seven points over rival Wawasee, ending the Warriors' four-year stranglehold on the team championship.
En route to the sectional title, Warsaw took first place in eight of the 11 swimming events that day.
At the state finals Friday and Saturday in Indianapolis, the Tigers finished eighth as a team with 116 points - the best team finish in the program's history - and junior Nate Taylor won Warsaw's first-ever individual swimming state chamionship with a time of 56.80 seconds in the 100 breaststroke.
A sport that maybe doesn't get due recognition from a basketball-minded community, a large group of supporters turned out in the lecture room Monday to honor Taylor and his teammates and coach Terry Aukeman.
"I think it means a lot for the kids to see this support from the staff and the mayor," said Aukeman, who guided the girls swim team to the program's first-ever sectional title this season. "It means a lot to them and me to see this kind of support. This season and this past weekend have been incredibly special. We set out to accomplish some things, and to do it in dramatic fashion, this has been a very special season."
Taylor, who finished third at state last year as a sophomore, won his his preliminary heat Friday night at Indiana Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI with a time of 56.71 seconds, a full two seconds better than his seed time.
Taylor, who said he got into swimming because his parents made him go when he was 8, said he set a goal earlier in the year to swim a time of 56.99 by the season's end.
He said he didn't know if he could do it.
Asked about what kind of goal he'd set for his senior season, Taylor said he wants to swim a time of 55.99.
"It was just a great feeling," Taylor said Monday of what he felt when he looked at the times and saw his name as the state champion. "I've put in a lot of work, this whole team has, and it feels great."
Warsaw competed in eight of the 11 swimming event at the state finals.
To "place" in the state meet, a swimmer must finish in the top eight.
The Tigers accomplished the feat in six of the events they participated in.
Taylor's state championship was the 13th individual state championship in WCHS history.
The Tigers have also won seven championships in track, four in wrestling and one in girls golf.
"In Nate's case, it even more special because it's the first swimming state championship in Warsaw history," said WCHS Athletic Director Dave Fulkerson. Before they went down to Indianapolis, Coach Aukeman told me they'd finish in the top 10 as a team and Nate Taylor would win state. It happened, they came through. I've been here 23 years, and without a doubt, this is the best swim team Warsaw has had."
