GREENFIELD — How much can you accomplish in less than 21 seconds?
Probably not as much as Hancock County Boys Swimmer of the Year Travis Black.
The Greenfield-Central standout sophomore joined an elite group of sprinters by breaking the 21-second barrier on his way to a sixth-place finish in the recent IHSAA State Finals. The highest finisher from the county, Black made the most of his opportunity and set a school record in the process with a prelim time of 20.88.
A relative unknown in state swimming circles, Black will now be among the favorites to take home the 50 yard freestyle crown next season. In fact, he challenged for the title this year.
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“I’ve gone back and watched that footage, and he had it about two-thirds into the race,” Greenfield-Central coach Mark Logan said. “He was fast.”
Black nearly pulled off the unlikely feat of winning the race from an outside lane. When it was over, first place through sixth were separated by just .45 seconds.
“Everybody told me that I was first at the flip turn,” Black said. “It was the second half of the 50 that I fell off a bit. I came in seeded seventh so to even move up one place to sixth (was great).”
Black finished off a fantastic high school season with conference and sectional crowns in the 50 and 100 freestyles. He also swam on the sectional champion 200 medley and 400 free relays with Sam Jennings, Sammy Logan and Anthony Nagel. The 200 medley relay made the consolation finals at state and finished 14th.
To say this has been a breakout year for Black isn’t entirely accurate, as he was fast enough to compete on two state-qualifying relays as a freshman, including the sixth-place 200 free relay. But after swimming behind a stellar senior class last year, he was certainly ready for the spotlight in 2018-19.
He credited last year’s seniors — and this year’s teammates — for his continued development.
“It’s the influences of people around me that keep me inspired,” Black said. “People like Sam (Jennings), Sammy Logan and Anthony Nagel are always there to keep the fire going. The senior class from last year was a very influential group. They were definitely helpful in certain aspects in just getting a good mindset.”
Black has the right mindset, a supporting cast of talented teammates and the enviable length of a 6-foot-2 frame. The future looks bright for the state contender — something his coach noticed at the beginning of Black’s swimming career.
“There’s natural talent there, and I could see that when he first started,” Logan said. “He had the natural kick, which can be hard to teach. That’s one of the things I look for at a young age.
“He’s pretty even keel. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him down or in a bad mood. But he’s also not overly hyped. I would say he’s confident but there’s no cockiness at all. He’s just a solid individual.”
Both swimmer and coach point to improved endurance as one of the reasons for his success this year. His state prelim time of 46.60 in the 100 free was about three seconds faster than last season.
“Last year I barely went under 50 seconds in the 100 free,” Black said. “That was at the end of the season. There was a drastic improvement in endurance. Last year I barely went a 21 (in the 50) — I think I was at 21.9. To drop a full second is a pretty decent improvement. I had some nice, sizable drops. It’s neat to witness that. You don’t feel like it’s going to happen. It’s amazing to look up at the clock and see that improvement.”
While Black will enjoy the moment, he knows there is plenty to work on during the club season and into next year.
“There’s always room for improvement — better streamlines, faster turns, overall strength,” Black said. “Small little things you can do to get that extra .1, .2 or .3 seconds. Everything you can do to get that small little bit can make a difference.”
Black certainly made a difference for Greenfield-Central this year and is poised to move up at state in 2020. He was one of only two underclassmen to make the finals of the 50 freestyle.
