Wawasee Swimmers Dominate Sectional

It just wasn't fair.

In reality there was no way anyone could touch the Wawasee girls' swim team as it drowned the competition to win the Warsaw Sectional Saturday, scoring 404 points.

"We came in today with intensity. This was really an aggressively swam sectional finals, and I'm proud of them," Wawasee coach Roger Karns said. "The key for these girls today was being focused, and being intense, and being really aggressive swimmers. We had some super swims today."

The Tigers finished in third with 179 points behind Plymouth.

This was a historic night for the Wawasee team, as many personal best times were set, a new school record in the 400 freestyle relay, and the large number of swimmers headed to Indianapolis next week for the state meet.

"We take a nice group. It will be the most we've ever taken to state. We won eight events, which is the most we've ever won in sectionals. We've just gotta go down there, and set it up a couple notches, 'cause it is the best that are left," Karns said.

Moving on to the state finals for the Warriors will be the 200 medley relay team of Stacy Naugler, Jennifer Ganshorn, Jenny Marty and Kristine Shiver; Laura Lundin in the 100 and 200 freestyle; Shivers in 50 freestyle; Marty in 100 butterfly; Tiffany Miller in 500 freestyle; the 200 freestyle relay team; and the 400 freestlye relay team of Theresa Ludin, Laura Lundin, Naugler, and Carrie Grothaus.

Warsaw was led by the strong performance of senior diver Staphanie Ellis.

Ellis broke Warsaw's 14-year-old 11 dive record with a score of 460.6 to advance to the diving region on Tuesday.

"I've been trying to break the record for the last two years, it feels great," Ellis said. "Today was a really good day. If I can dive like this for the rest of the week I'll be very happy."

The Tigers did not win any other individual event, but coach Lisa Ulery was not upset.

"It was an outstanding meet. They really put it together. It was just a really good all around meet."

The diving regional begins at Tuesday at Oak Hill at 6 p.m. While the state finals begin on Friday, with championships to follow on Saturday.

WAWASEE 404, PLYMOUTH 221.5, WARSAW 179, MANCHESTER 153, CULVER ACADEMY 103, ROCHESTER 75, BREMEN 73.5, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 61, HUNTINGTON NORTH 61, TRITON 20

200 medley relay - 1. Wawasee (1:56.64), 2. Plymouth, 3. Manchester, 4. Warsaw, 5. Culver Academy, 6. Rochester

200 freestyle - 1. Laura Lundin (WAW) 2:00.6, 2. Theresa Lundin (WAW), 3. Eve Boggs (TV), 4. Hailey Cassel (MAN), 5. Christin Redden (PLY), 6. Gennie Brissette (WAW)

200 individual Medley - 1. Heidi Yoder (MAN) 2:16.37, 2. Jenny Marty (WAW), 3. Kelsey Crews (PLY), 4. Kassie Biddle (WAW), 5. Sarah Gilbert (MAN), 6. Tiffany Miller (WAW)

50 freestyle - 1. Kristine Shivers (WAW) 26.23, 2. Megan Jones (WAR), 3. Carrie Grothaus (WAW), 4. Elizabeth Davis (PLY), 5. Amber Shirey (TR), 6. Katie Beehler (WAR)

Diving - 1. Stephanie Ellis (WAR) 460.6, 2. Katherine Harper (CUL), 3. Stacy Naugler (WAW), 4. Jamie Conn (WAW), 5. Lindsay Kaiser (WAW), 6. Jennifer Fackler (PLY)

100 butterfly - 1. Jenny Marty (WAW) 1:02.07, 2. Hailey Cassel (MAN), 3. Annie Spangle (MAN), 4. Theresa Lundin (WAW), 5. Danielle Blubaugh (PLY), 6. Buffy Feinstein (WAR)

100 freestyle - 1. Laura Lundin (WAW) :55.66, 2. Kristine Shivers (WAW), 3. Megan Jones (WAR), 4. Jenny Butt (WAW), 5. Amber Shirey (TR), 6. Carrie Smith (CUL)

500 freestyle - 1. Tiffany Miller (WAW) 5:44.54, 2. Kassie Biddle (WAW), 3. Eve Boggs (TV), 4. Gennie Brissette (WAW), 5. Nikki McKenzie (MAN), 6. Christin Redden (PLY)

200 freestyle relay - 1. Wawasee 1:43.89, 2. Plymouth, 3. Warsaw, 4. Bremen, 5. Rochester, 6. Culver Academy

100 backstroke - 1. Heidi Yoder (MAN) 1:02, 2. Kelsey Crews (PLY), 3. Carrie Smith, 4. Katie Beehler (WAR), 5. Alicia Brown (ROC), 6. Tami Miller (WAW)

100 breaststroke - 1. Elizabeth Davis (PLY) 1:11.29, 2. Jennifer Ganshorn (WAW), 3. Sarah Gilbert (MAN), 4. Jane Wamsley (WAW), 5. Karen Shipley (WAW), 6. Brandi Blackburn (ROC)

400 freestyle relay - 1. Wawasee 3:51.8, 2. Manchester, 3. Plymouth, 4. Warsaw, 5. Bremen, 6. Culver Academy