INDIANAPOLIS — It was sweet for one and bittersweet for another.
The 2019 IHSAA Boys Swimming/Diving Championships at the IUPUI Natatorium had its ups and downs for Hancock County participants.
Fortunately for the area swimmers, there were many more ups than downs.
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Greenfield-Central had a strong performance, with one qualifier into today’s championship final and three others in consolations. Mount Vernon sophomore Aiden Tierney had a rollercoaster day end by qualifying for the consolation final in the 100 yard breaststroke.
The top eight in each preliminary race earned spots into today’s championship final. Places nine through 16 earned berths into the consolation races.
“I’m very happy how the guys swam,” Greenfield-Central coach Mark Logan said of his squad. “All but one had the best time of the season and we got two school records.”
Sophomore Travis Black is the lone area championship qualifier. He did it in grand fashion, too. He won his 50 freestyle heat race with a school-record time of 20.88. It was the seventh best overall time of the night.
He came in seeded 16th.
“Everyone was so close (in my heat), there was only .5 difference between all of us,” Black said. “It’s easier to focus when there is, literally, no room for error. At the sectional, I tensed up a bit. This time I was focused on being relaxed and that helped a lot.”
Junior Samuel Jennings swam a school-record time of 4:39.52 in the 500 Freestyle. He won his heat and picked up the 16th and final qualifying spot. He came into the race seeded No. 25.
It wasn’t an easy day for Jennings. He swam a leg in the Cougars’ consolation qualifying 200 medley relay, then had virtually no rest before jumping back in the pool to compete in the 200 freestyle, where he placed 28th (1:47.0).
“I had a pretty rough start,” Jennings said. “I knew the day wasn’t over and it felt good to get in the top 16.”
Jennings, Anthony Nagel, Samuel Logan and Black were all part of the relay team that placed 14th with a time of 1:36.40.
Black also qualified in the 100 freestyle consolation race. He came in seeded 28th but placed 12th. His time of 46.60 won his heat.
The Cougars finished 10th in last year’s state meet, but most that competed last year were members of the class of 2018.
Nagel and Logan are also sophomores.
“It was a pretty good day,” Jennings added. “We don’t have as many guys as last year. We lost some seniors, but it’s good to have some young guys come in and continue our legacy.”
Crazy day for Tierney
While the day could be described as sweet for the Cougars, it was a little bittersweet for the Marauder’s Tierney.
He competed in the 200 IM and just missed the consolation final with a 17th place finish. His time of 1:54 was 1.6 seconds faster than last week and only .19 away from the 16th and final spot.
He made up for it later.
In the 100 yard breaststroke, he placed ninth to earn a spot in the consolation, but was just .04 from making it into the state championship race.
“Even though I didn’t make the Top 8, I’m very happy with the day,” Tierney said. “It’s been a great first-time experience and I’m going to go into (today) and have fun.”
Tierney was so close to so much more but he’s young, just like the Cougars, and there are hopes for return trips to the Natatorium.
“It’s got to be bittersweet,” Mount Vernon coach Brad Grieshop said. “But, look at what he has done. He’s gone from being a sectional runner-up last year to a sectional champion this year, to a state competitor and finalist.
“This is his first state meet. If he keeps seeing this kind of improvement, you will see him in the Top 8 and a more competitive swimmer in the next couple of years.”
Mount Vernon’s 200 free relay team of Logan Schomaker, James Demircioglu, Cole Worley and Kaylen Morgan placed 32nd (1:34.59). Greenfield-Central’s Logan tied for 27th in the 100 backstroke (53.62). He was 30th in the 100 butterfly (52.59). The Cougars’ 400 freestyle relay team of Black, Logan, Nagel and Jennings placed 23rd (3:15.11).
Consolation and championship finals begin at 1 p.m. Diving competition, which includes New Palestine’s Colin Stacey, begins at 9 a.m.
