NEW PALESTINE — Nothing came easy, but the Greenfield-Central Cougars could have fooled the competition.
For a 10th straight season, the Cougars’ boys swim team captured the Hoosier Heritage Conference team title, while the girls went back-to-back to win their fourth championship overall with a combined five record times posted by Saturday evening.
“It’s something we talked about before, the legacy,” Greenfield-Central boys swim coach Mark Logan said. “We knew we had to come in and take nothing for granted. We don’t want to underestimate the competition, especially with the change in when the conference was being held. We knew other teams would take advantage and rest and prepare.”
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With the HHC Swimming and Diving Championship moved up from its customary January date, the Cougars were at peak condition and it was evident from the start.
The Cougars girls opened the day with a school-record swim in the 200-yard medley relay for first place with a time of 1 minute, 51.85 seconds, which sparked their 487 team points that bested runner-up Pendleton Heights’ 399. New Palestine was seventh with 145 points. Mt. Vernon was fifth with 162 points.
“They had a great meet. Literally, everyone had a great meet. On paper, we knew we had to be hungry today, and if you want it, they knew they had to go after it,” Greenfield-Central girls swim coach Emily Logan said. “I think our medley relay set the tone right off the bat. They’ve been chipping at that all season.”
From there, the Cougars girls won four more events, including two individual medals by Megan Coffin and in the 400 freestyle relay.
Ariel Niemeier finished first in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:04.79. Coffin was part of the 200 medley relay with Mary Ellen Stratman, Norah Johnson and Anne Marie DeKeyser. The quartet banded together to win the 400 relay in 3:48.23.
“We trained really hard and we knew it was going to be a close call with it, but when we set our minds to something, we usually accomplish it,” Coffin said. “We went out for this. We were hungry for this one.”
Coffin was fixated on a HHC record and the senior achieved the feat in the 100 butterfly. By keeping her splits near and under 30 seconds, she posted a 58.04 to win the event and overtake Mt. Vernon’s Lydia Tierney’s former HHC mark set in 2017 at 58.48.
“I saw my split cut at 26, so if I went 26, 27 and below a 30, then I could just knock it out,” Coffin said.
Coffin won the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.89, which helped push the Cougars past Pendleton Heights, who had defeated Greenfield-Central 101-82 earlier in the month.
“We knew it was going to be a hard race because they beat us in dual meets, but knowing we won this last year when they beat us at a dual, too, we kind of had confidence but we still had to go out and get this and make our mark,” Coffin said.
The boys won six events to tally 443 points over runner-up Mt. Vernon at 344. New Palestine was sixth with 175 points.
Greenfield-Central’s Sammuel Jennings was first in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:44.94 that set a new HHC record and was first in the 200 free in 1:45.35.
Junior Travis Black collected two individual wins and was part of the team’s winning 200 medley relay and 400 free relay. Black set HHC records in both the 50 free and 100 free in 20.88 and 46.48, respectively.
“I definitely wanted to set some conference records, so that was just the fun of the day,” Black said. “Today was kind of eye-opening because it’s the first meet where we rest up, so its nice to see where I’m at when I am rested. It let’s me know where I am and need to go.”
Black’s 50 free time tied his own school record and his state time from last year when he placed sixth overall.
“With the 50, everything, the turn, the start, the finish matter and we didn’t nail the finish (at state). We took an extra stroke,” Mark Logan said. “He being one of only two returning from that final heat, looking at the times, he’s definitely one of the fastest in the state.
“Today is a positive indicator, so that’s a good sign obviously, with a couple more months until state.”
Jennings and Black teamed with Samuel Logan and Anthony Nagel to win the 200 medley relay in a HHC record time of 1:36.51. The group posted a 3:15.71 to win the 400 free relay.
“Every year is different. It’s never the same. You can’t compare ourselves from one group to the next, which they kind of do,” Mark Logan said. “We had a very strong group from two years ago, but now it’s time for them to step up. It’s going to be different without them, but it doesn’t mean it can’t be better. We just have to define it ourselves, our goals and where we go. They are doing that.”
Mt. Vernon’s Aiden Tierney won two events for the Marauders including in the 200 IM with a time of 1:59.79 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.49.
New Palestine senior Karen Shriver captured her first diving championship with 351.25 points.
“I tried to have a positive attitude because I’m known for being negative sometimes, so I think that helped a lot and my teammates, too,” Shriver said. “It’s really about doing what you’re most comfortable with no matter what the degree of difficulty is and you’ll do well.”
Shriver executed perfectly to improve on her third-place finish from a year ago.
“Last year, it was kind of a bad year because I injured my foot at the beginning of the season. So I had a week to prepare before conference,” Shriver said. “Going into those last three dives where my inward 1 1/2 was, I was so nervous. My heart was pounding, but everyone calmed me down. I went up there and I did it. As soon as I came out of the water, I came up with two rock signs. I was just so happy. After that, I knew I’d be able to win.”
