NEW PALESTINE — Classes doesn’t resume again until Thursday, but for the Greenfield-Central swimming teams school has been in session around the pool throughout Christmas break.
With the championship portion of their season approaching rapidly, beginning with the Hoosier Heritage Conference Meet next Saturday, training has been intense, pushing the Cougars to the limit.
Their exhaustion didn’t slow them down much on Tuesday night as the visiting Greenfield-Central Cougars boys and girls swept rival New Palestine in their annual dual meet.
The boys team defeated the host Dragons 140-43. The girls won 135-51.
“I was very impressed with a lot of the times considering how tired most of them were. Most of them came up to me and said, ‘that hurt, that really hurt,’ and it should,” Greenfield-Central boys head coach Mark Logan said. “A lot of times they give in to that pain and don’t do as well time wise. They did a really nice job considering the training that we’ve been doing.”
Part of their “adaptation” segment of the season, the Cougars have committed themselves to long, grueling morning practices, followed by more workouts in the afternoon. The upcoming HHC Meet at New Palestine on Jan. 14 highlights the final turn before the next phase of training.
Based on Tuesday’s results, they’re on pace, said Logan.
Overall, the Greenfield- Central boys team won 11 of the evening’s 12 events, placing 1-2-3 in five and 1-2 in another five.
The girls took first and second in five events while sweeping the top three in three more contests.
The win, though tiring, gave both squads another win against a county rival after the boys defeated Mt. Vernon 130-55 and the girls won 139-47 earlier this year.
“We have to welcome the pain. You have to get better somehow. It’s the only way,” Greenfield-Central junior Zach Cook said. “We’re in Christmas training right now, which is the hardest part of the season, so we’re a little tired, but I feel we’re in a better place than we were last year. I feel pretty confident.”
The Cougars’ boys are chasing a seventh straight HHC title in addition to a seventh consecutive sectional championship. The girls are eyeing a potential third sectional title in a row.
With their depth on display against New Palestine, all three goals appear obtainable.
“It’s so close to sectional, especially on the girls side, that we can’t afford to do another rest, so we do our rest before Christmas,” Logan said. “They’re all working hard. We’re excited. It’s like, ‘get here, get here already.’”
With big postseason aspirations in mind, Cook, who placed fifth at state as a sophomore in both the 100-yard butterfly and 100 backstroke, continued his torrid pace.
Cook teamed with Ethan Kile, Austin Payne, and Allen Forbes to win the 200 medley relay in 1 minute, 45.58 seconds. The Cougars took second in the event as well.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Cook joined Chris Joven, Forbes, and Payne to win in 1:32.44 ahead of another Cougars’ foursome in Tyler Bianchi, John Scott, Samuel Jennings, and Grant Dekeyser.
The Cougars were 1-2 in the 400 freestyle relay as Joven, Bianchi, Jennings and Keegan Hite were first at 3:36.32.
Individually, Cook was first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:04.83. This season, the national competitor, has rewritten the school record books in both the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
“He’s beaten everybody that was top in the state last year,” Logan said. “He’s in a good position right now.”
The Cougars were captured the top-three spots in the 200 free with Bianchi winning in 1:56.75 ahead of Layne Kintner (1:58.43) and Miles Prince (2:01.64).
Cameron Rader took first in the 200 Individual Medley in 2:13.31, while Payne was tops in the 50 free in 23.50. Forbes led the Cougars top trio in the 100 butterfly in 55.76, and Jennings was first of the team’s top-three in the 100 free in 52.11.
Bianchi added another win in the 500 free with a 5:16.94. Jennings was first in the 100 backstroke in 1:00.20.
The girls won all three relays with the 200 medley group of Megan Coffin, Kortney Hodnett, Ashley Finney, and Carley Logan scoring a 2:01.31.
Anne Marie Dekeyser, Krista Zornes, Finney, and Braedy Laymon won the 200 free relay in 1:48.81. Dekeyser, Finney, Logan, and Zornes swan a 4:02.66 to win the 400 free relay.
Logan, a sectional champion last year in the 500 free, won the 200 free in 2:03.23 to lead the Cougars top-three placers. Zornes was first in the 200 IM at 2:26.63.
Shyanne Milne won the 1-meter diving with 201.40 points, while Finney took the 100 butterfly in 1:02.72.
Dekeyser was first in the 100 free with a swift time of 58.75. The 500 free went to Hannah Russo in 5:51.05, and Coffin was first in the 100 breaststroke.
The Dragons won three events overall with Courtnee Coffman seizing the 50 free (25.29) and the 100 backstroke (1:06.12).
Colin Stacey won the boys 1-meter diving competition with 232 points.
“They had great swims. When you go against a team like Greenfield, they’re just a great team, so you can’t really focus on what they’re doing. It’s more on what you’re doing,” said New Palestine assistant coach Jason Tillage, who filled in for head coach Stephen Maxwell. “They looked really good and really smooth for what they were asked to do. Now is the time.”
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Girls Team Scores
Greenfield-Central 135, New Palestine 51
Event Results
200 Medley Relay: 1st – Greenfield-Central (Coffin, Finney, Hodnett, Logan) 2:01.31, 2nd – New Palestine (Coffman, Holberton, Virt, Rogers) 2:01.89, 3rd – Greenfield-Central (Dekeyser, Walden, Russo, Laymon) 2:09.20.
200 Free: 1st – Logan (GC) 2:03.23, 2nd – Hodnett (GC) 2:11.87, 3rd – Stanley (GC) 2:16.38.
200 IM: 1st – Zornes (GC) 2:26.63, 2nd – Stutz (GC) 2:34.61, 3rd – Virt (NP) 2:34.89.
50 Free: 1st – Coffman (NP) 25.29, 2nd – Laymon (GC) 26.23, 3rd – Rogers (NP) 26.75.
1-meter Diving: 1st – Shyanne (GC) 201.40, 2nd – Montgomery (GC) 196.90, 3rd – Shriver (NP) 192.65.
100 Butterfly: 1st – Finney (GC) 1:02.72, 2nd – Rogers (NP) 1:08.40, 3rd – Hailey Russo (GC) 1:10.20.
100 Free: 1st – Dekeyser (GC) 58.75, 2nd – Harris (GC) 1:02.85, 3rd – Stanley (GC) 1:03.22.
500 Free: 1st – Russo (GC) 5:51.05, 2nd – Hailey Russo (GC) 5:58.81, 3rd – Virt (NP) 6:12.30.
200 Free Relay: 1st – Greenfield-Central (Dekeyser, Zornes, Laymon, Finney) 1:48.81, 2nd – Greenfield-Central (Hodnett, Han. Russo, Stanley, Coffin) 1:53.83, 3rd – New Palestine (Doolin, Holberton, Shriver, Williams) 2:01.90.
100 Backstroke: 1st – Coffman (NP) 1:06.12, 2nd – Zornes (GC) 1:08.14, 3rd – Laymon (GC) 1:08.91.
100 Breaststroke: 1st – Coffin (GC) 1:13.85, 2nd – Logan (GC) 1:17.06, 3rd – Walden (GC) 1:18.36.
400 Free Relay: 1st – Greenfield-Central (Dekeyser, Finney, Zornes, Logan) 4:02.66, 2nd – Greenfield-Central (Hailey Russo, Stanley, Hodnett, Han. Russo) 4:12.10, 3rd – New Palestine (Nobbe, Davis, Cain, Mitchell) 5:20.30.
Boys Team Scores
Greenfield-Central 140, New Palestine 43
Event Results
200 Medley Relay: 1st – Greenfield-Central (Kile, Cook, Forbes, Payne) 1:45.58, 2nd – Greenfield-Central (Kintner, Noah, Rader, Prince) 1:54.29, 3rd – New Palestine (Biddle, Crowder, O’Leary, Corey) 1:54.70.
200 Free: 1st – Bianchi (GC) 1:56.75, 2nd – Kintner (GC) 1:58.43, 3rd – Prince (GC) 2:01.64.
200 IM: 1st – Rader (GC) 2:13.31, 2nd – Pechin (GC) 2:23.68, 3rd – Crowder (NP) 2:24.36.
50 Free: 1st – Payne (GC) 23.50, 2nd – Corey (NP) 25.15, 3rd – Dekeyser (GC) 25.50.
1-meter Diving: 1st – Stacey (NP) 232.00, 2nd – Rader (GC) 228.85, 3rd – Deno (GC) 136.35.
100 Butterfly: 1st – Forbes (GC) 55.75, 2nd – Joven (GC) 57.26, 3rd – Kile (GC) 58.40.
100 Free: 1st – Jennings (GC) 52.11, 2nd – Payne (GC) 52.44, 3rd – KIle (GC) 54.19.
500 Free: 1st – Bianchi (GC) 5:16.94, 2nd – Prince (GC) 5:20.17, 3rd – Kintner (GC) 5:20.19.
200 Free Relay: 1st – Greenfield-Central (Joven, Cook, Forbes, Payne) 1:32.44, 2nd – Greenfield-Central (Jennings, Scott, Dekeyser, Bianchi) 1:42.77, 3rd – New Palestine (Holbrook, Crowder, Martin, O’Leary) 1:44.05.
100 Backstroke: 1st – Jennings (GC) 1:00.20, 2nd – Rader (GC) 1:01.44, 3rd – Branson (NP) 1:12.08.
100 Breaststroke: 1st – Cook (GC) 1:04.83, 2nd – Dekeyser (GC) 1:11.82, 3rd – Noah (GC) 1:12.03.
400 Free Relay: 1st – Greenfield-Central (Joven, Jennings, Bianchi, Hite) 3:36.32, 2nd – Greenfield Central (Cook, Kile, Noah, Pechin) 3:37.07, 3rd – New Palestine (Holbrook, O’Leary, Corey, Biddle) 3:52.62.
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