Cougars send 5 to state, Gish going for NP

NEW PALESTINE — Saturday’s sectional may have been the most significant and satisfying meet in Greenfield-Central boys swimming history.

Not only did the Cougars romp to their third consecutive sectional title and win seven of the 12 events, they set eight school and three sectional records in the process.

G-C tallied 472 points and outdistanced second-place Mt. Vernon by 107. New Palestine was fifth (194) and Eastern Hancock ninth (51).

“They came to compete, they came to get into position and that’s what we talked about Thursday night (at the prelims), to get in position to score,” G-C coach Mark Logan said. “Our top guys, they stepped up.”

Stutz will see his name on the swim record wall in the G-C pool four times, as he captured the 50 and 100 free in 21.46 and 47.41 seconds, respectively. He also had a hand in the Cougars’ winning 200 medley relay and 400 free relay teams, both sectional records.

Senior Bailey Willoughby had G-C’s other sectional mark, winning the 100 backstroke in 53.76. That was also a school record time, as was his effort in the 200 individual medley (1:58.99) in which he placed third. He also participated in both winning relays.

The Cougars’ other race winner was junior Drew Logan in the 500 free (4:58.55), and he also swam the 400 free relay.

G-C got a school-record and winning 317.65 diving score by senior Austin Gaunt. The Cougars’ top diver, Nathan Graber, was injured in warmups and couldn’t go. Gaunt advanced to today’s Avon diving regional.

Senior Joshua Cummins also made state in the 100 butterfly. He finished second in 51.97, another school record, and got in by bettering the qualifying standard time (all event winners go to state). Cummings was also on the medley relay squad.

Senior Cody Wilburn swam in both winning relays and will also go to state.

“The lineup we put together (in the relays) was geared toward state,” Logan said. “We want to build on what we did last year. We want to get our two relays to score points as well as our individuals.”

NP junior Grant Gish won the 200 free in 1:47.01, bettering his personal mark by two seconds. He was the only Dragon to finish in the top three in any event.

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