Advertisement

IHSAA boys swimming: Bloomington South, North dominate Columbus Sectional prelims

jim gordillo, the herald-times
·7 min read

The A Finals of the Columbus North boys swimming sectional finals will be well-populated with Bloomington swimmers after a strong outings in the preliminaries on Thursday.

Bloomington South had five top qualifiers and will bring back all 24 individual swims, with 18 in the A Finals. North has 23 individual swims back (losing another to a DQ) with 17 in the A Finals. Edgewood will have nine in the B Finals. Each school will have all three relays in the A Finals.

The top eight in each event make the A Finals and the next eight go to the B Final. The finals are Saturday starting at 9 a.m. with the diving prelims and the swimming finals starting at 1 p.m. The winners and those who meet the state standard advance to the state finals, while the top four divers head to the Jasper Regional.

Tickets are $7 and available online at websites.eventlink.com/s/ihsaa/Tickets.

South's Botond Kun swims the Boy's 500 Yard Freestyle race during the 2024 Counsilman Classic Swimming & Diving Meet between the Bloomington North Cougars and Bloomington South Panthers at Bloomington High School South Natatorium on January 13, 2024
South's Botond Kun swims the Boy's 500 Yard Freestyle race during the 2024 Counsilman Classic Swimming & Diving Meet between the Bloomington North Cougars and Bloomington South Panthers at Bloomington High School South Natatorium on January 13, 2024

South loads up for finals

The Panthers had three take the top spots with David Kovacs first in the 200 individual medley in 1:58.26 and went 49.93 to lead the field in the backstroke, just .23 off his sectional record from last year. Lukas Paegle was quickest in the butterfly at 49.92 and took second in the 50 freestyle with a 21.10 in state cuts.

More: IHSAA boys swimming: Bloomington South's dynamic duo shares same train of thought

Botond Kun came in second in the 200 free (1:46.34) and 500 free (4:50.66) while Kian Kadlec and Tyler Peterson each had top six finishes in both events as well. South will also have three A Finalists in the fly and IM.

The Panthers were also No. 1 in the 200 medley relay (1:37.87) and 400 free relay (3:19.21) and third in the 200 free relay (1:34.03).

Bloomington North’s Ben Dixon competes in the 200 yard IM during their dual meet against Edgewood at Bloomington North on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
Bloomington North’s Ben Dixon competes in the 200 yard IM during their dual meet against Edgewood at Bloomington North on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.

North has drive for five

North is looking for a fifth straight sectional title and saw Ben Dixon lead the charge in the prelims by taking the top spot in the 50 free (21.17) in a tight finish over Paegle, with both under the state cut. Dixon was also fastest in the 100 free with a 46.00, another state cut. Ben Buehler was right behind in 47.37 after taking first in the 200 free in 1:44.83.

Jay Stewart went 50.61 to take second behind Paegle in the fly in a time that is under the state cut. He was also fourth in the 50 free in 21.65. Hunter Tang came in second in the breaststroke with a 59.55, trailing Jude Abdullah of Columbus North (58.86).

More: Bloomington North's Cael Hickok heading to IHSAA wrestling state finals, Air Force Academy

Luke Miller was third in the 200 IM (2:04.53) and Ty Mayer was third in the 500 (4:53.67). Landon Yake was top-six in the breast and IM.

North put three in the A Finals of the 50 and 100 frees and the breast. The Cougar relays were fourth in the medley and 400 free and won the 200 free in 1:29.70.

Edgewood’s Joshua Kohne competes in the 200 yard IM during their dual meet against Bloomington North at North on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.
Edgewood’s Joshua Kohne competes in the 200 yard IM during their dual meet against Bloomington North at North on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024.

Nine lives for Edgewood

Tucker McCarty grabbed the highest finishes for the Mustangs, taking 10th in the IM and 11th in the backstroke. Matthew Phillips grabbed 14th in the IM and 15th in the breast and Joshua Kohne was 15th in the 200 and 500 frees.

Sam Kohne also made it back with a 14th in the back and 15th place finish in the fly. Jackson Schmalensee had a near four-second drop in the fly to place 14th.

Edgewood coach Jeff Kohne said his team, which had no individual finalists last year, had 10 lifetime bests out of 21 total swims.

The Mustangs were eighth in all the relays.

COLUMBUS NORTH SECTIONAL PRELIMINARIES

Teams: Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Edgewood, Batesville, Columbus East, Columbus North, East Central, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Milan, Oldenburg Academy, Rising Sun, South Dearborn, South Ripley.

State standard in parenthesis

50 freestyle (21.36): 1. Ben Dixon, BN, 21.17; 2. Lukas Paegle, BS, 21.20; 3. Henry Strotman, EC, 21.58; 4. Jay Stewart, BN, 21.65; 8. Landon Mobley, BN, 22.57. (9. Carter Warren, BS, 23.05; 10. Alex Ketrow, BS, 23.22). 17. Cohen Bell, Edg, 25.48; 32. Henry Ripley, Edg, 29.63.

100 freestyle (46.93): 1. Dixon, BN, 46.00; 2. Ben Buehler, BN, 47.37; 3. Strotman, EC, 48.16; 6. Mobley, BN, 49.72; 8. Warren, BS, 50.42. (9. Connor Schmeckebier, BS, 50.72; 11. Rice Laughlin, BS, 51.94). 20. Mason Wilson, Edg, 58.10; 25. Bell, Edg, 59.37.

200 freestyle (1:42.50): 1. Buehler, BN, 1:44.83; 2. Botond Kun, BS, 1:46.34; 3. Diego Contero Tapia, CN, 1:46.38; 5. Kian Kadlec, BS, 1:48.39; 6. Tyler Peterson, BS, 1:49.41; 8. Ty Mayer, BN, 1:50.44. (10. Ty Madeira, BN, 1:53.18; 15. Josh Kohne, Edg, 2:01.64.) 17. Jackson Schmalensee, Edg, 2:09.81; 19. Wilson, Edg, 2:10.24.

500 freestyle (4:41.80): 1. Nash King, OA, 4:48.12; 2. Kun, BS, 4:50.66; 3. Mayer, BN, 4:53.67; 4. Kadlec, BS, 4:57.43; 5. Peterson, BS, 4:58.14; 8. T.Madeira, BN, 5:09.88. (9. Jacen Madeira, BN, 5:15.81; 15. J.Kohne, Edg, 5:42.78).

100 backstroke (52.09): 1. David Kovacs, BS, 49.93; 2. Dylan Thomas, M, 51.10; 3. Judah Nickoll, CE, 54.51; 4. Cameron Seidenfaden, BS, 56.23; 7. Alexander Madeira, BN, 56.72. (9. William Whitaker, BN, 57.35; 10. Quinn Pleskac, BS, 57.99; 11. Tucker McCarty, Edg, 59.48; 13. Donovan Keith Reeves, BN, 1:01.58; 14. Sam Kohne, Edg, 1:04.30).

100 breaststroke (58.00): 1. Jude Abdallah, CN, 58.86; 2. Hunter Tang, BN, 59.55; 3. Brogan Wilson, EC, 59.66; 5. Landon Yake, BN, 1:01.14; 6. William Foley, BN, 1:01.22; 7. Ketrow, BS, 1:02.74; 8. Leo Nelson, BS, 1:02.85. (12. Ethan Cheng, BS, 1:07.74; 15. Matthew Phillips, Edg, 1:08.42). 24. Ripley, Edg, 1:29.20.

100 butterfly (50.82): 1. Paegle, BS, 49.92; 2. Stewart, BN, 50.61; 3. Tapia, CN, 51.35; 6. Pleskac, BS, 55.10; 8. Seidenfaden, BS, 56.15. (10. Luke Miller, BN, 56.45; 12. A.Madeira, BN, 59.16; 14. Schmalensee, Edg, 1:05.34; 15. S.Kohne, Edg, 1:07.12).

200 individual medley (1:55.45): 1. Kovacs, BS, 1:58.26; 2. King, OA, 1:58.51; 3. Miller, BN, 2:04.53; 5. Nelson, BS, 2:04.82; 6. Yake, BN, 2:06.20; 7. Laughlin, BS, 2:06.38. (10. McCarty, Edg, 2:11.53; 14. Phillips, Edg, 2:20.92). J.Madeira, BN, DQ.

200 medley relay (1:36.95): 1. Bloomington South (Kovacs, Ketrow, Paegle, Nelson), 1:37.87; 2. Columbus East, 1:39.84; 3. Milan, 1:44.19; 4. Bloomington North (A.Madeira, Tang, Tyler Gentry, Foley), 1:44.22; 8. Edgewood (McCarty, Phillips, S.Kohne, Bell), 1:50.97.

200 freestyle relay (1:27.74): 1. Bloomington North (Miller, Eli Jackson, Buehler, Dixon), 1:29.70; 2. Columbus North, 1:30.22; 3. Bloomington South (Schmeckebier, Warren, Laughlin, Kun), 1:34.03; 8. Edgewood (McCarty, S.Kohne, Wilson, J.Kohne), 1:40.87.

400 freestyle relay (3:13.80): 1. Bloomington South (Paegle, Kadlec, Kun, Kovacs), 3:19.21; 2. East Central, 3:20.85; 3. Columbus East, 3:22.12; 4. Bloomington North (Miller, Mayer, T.Madeira, Stewart), 3:25.70; 8. Edgewood (Wilson, Bell, Phillips, J.Kohne), 3:52.41.

Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on X @JimGordillo.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington South, North dominate boys swimming sectional prelims