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

David Kovacs and Lukas Paegle have been a formidable 1-2 punch for the Bloomington South boys' swim team for the past three years.

And even after the juniors' high school careers are over they intend to keep swinging for the same team, with both choosing to swim for Indiana University.

"We kind of kept in mind what we were each doing," Paegle said. "David committed about a week before me, but we announced it at the same time.

"We've always been close and we kept close about our recruitment. And it would be cool to stay as training partners, because David and I, we train really well together even though we don't swim all the same events. I think that'll help strengthen the culture at IU."

Kovacs had a number of places he could have gone as a state runner-up and school record holder in the backstroke (48.54) and fifth-place finisher in the 200 individual medley as a sophomore. But as the son of a former Purdue swimmer, combining his academic and athletic career at the next level was a given.

"It's very cool, very exciting," Kovacs said. "My dad always pushed me to swim in college. He wanted me to have the same experience he had in college and all the benefits he got out of it.

"Now that I went on my visits and got to experience the 'college life,' it really struck me how beneficial it will be and how cool its going to be. Even though it's in my neighborhood, it'll be completely different."

Connections to IU important

Both swimmers have been well-regarded since their freshman seasons and are looking for their third trips to state at this week's sectionals. They also had inside information on the Hoosiers' program.

Paegle's older sister Kristina, a multi-time state champ at South, is a standout sophomore freestyle and school record holder in the 50 for the IU women's team. Both have also been familiar with IU head coach Ray Looze and his wife Kandis, who helps coach the Panthers, for a long time.

"It was definitely my sister," Paegle said. "She had been at IU at least a year to that point and she's gotten me close to a lot of her teammates and coaches, too. Pretty much before I committed, I knew almost everybody there.

"I've known the coaches for a long time. Ray used to be my next door neighbor. Other schools got me excited but I've been a Hoosier pretty much my entire life."

Kovacs was tempted by other schools, but IU won out.

"I was definitely thinking about other places," he said. "It was definitely a hard decision with the pressure and everything, being so young and deciding your future right now. But my parents helped me through it. It was a very stressful, yet fun time.

"(IU's coaches are) just so good and so experienced. I've known Ray and Kandis for a long time, but I just wanted to see if it was any different going anywhere else. But honestly, here is probably better than any other school that I visited overall. The academics are strong. You can't go wrong with IU."

Ready for sectionals

Paegle and Kovacs both qualified for junior nationals this year. They each tapered a bit and responded well with times at or near their lifetime bests. It was a big moment for Paegle, who struggled at the end of the season, but still finished eighth in the fly.

His coaches reworked Paegle's training since then and he has responded well to it.

"That was a good point to be at in the season, being able to go those times without being focused on that meet," Paegle said.

Kovacs goes into the Columbus North Sectional as the top seed by five seconds in the 200 IM at 1:53.35 and No. 1 in the back, an event he expects to win at state, by almost four seconds at 49.83.

Paegle's best fly this year was 50.03, already close to the 49.74 he had at the state prelims last year, but just barely No. 1 over his rival from North, Jay Stewart (50.12). Stewart is the No. 1 seed in the 50 freestyle (21.29) while Paegle is right there at 21.32. Stewart and Paegle are under the state cuts in both events. Paegle and Kovacs will also bookend their meets with the medley relay and 400 free relay, both top seeds.

Their college plans are locked in, but there's so much more for them to do before they take that next step.

"I can't slack off," Kovacs said. "The annoying part is that there's still another year to wait. But it's a huge relief."

Sectional by the numbers

Completing teams include Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Edgewood, Batesville, Columbus East, Columbus North, East Central, Greensburg, Lawrenceburg, Milan, Oldenburg Academy, Rising Sun, South Dearborn, South Ripley.

Tickets are $7 for one session, $12 for both and available online at websites.eventlink.com/s/ihsaa/Tickets.

The preliminaries will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The top eight will make the A Finals while the next eight swim in the B Finals.

All diving will take place on Saturday, with the prelims starting at 9 a.m. and swimming finals starting at 1 p.m. The winners and those who meet the state standard advance to state. The top four divers advance to the Jasper Regional on Tuesday.

Bloomington looking to dominate

Bloomington swimmers hold every top seed and that includes the relays.

In addition to Kovacs and Paegle, South junior Botond Kun is seeded No. 1 in the 200 free (1:46.79) and 500 free (4:45.83).

North junior Jay Stewart (21.29) is just ahead of Paegle in the 50 free and just behind Paegle as a No. 2 seed in the fly (50.12). Both are under the state cut on both races.

North senior Hunter Tang (1:00.39) is the top seed in the breaststroke and Ben Dixon (46.99) and Ben Buehler (47.21) are 1-2 in the 100 free. Dixon and Buehler are also third seeds in the 50 and 200 frees, respectively.

South is No. 1 in the medley and 400 free relays while North is No. 1 in the 200 free relay

Edgewood is seeded for several B Final swims, with Tucker McCarty 10th in the back and 13th in the 200 IM; Josh Kohne 11th in the 500 free and 15th in 200 free, Samuel Kohne 15th in the back and 16th in the fly and Matthew Phillips 11th in the breast. All three Mustang relays are seeded to make it back for the A Finals.

COLUMBUS NORTH SECTIONAL SEEDS

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 cut in parenthesis

50 freestyle (21.36): 1. Jay Stewart, BN, 21.29; 2. Lukas Paegle, BS, 21.32; 3. Ben Dixon, BN, 21.99; 7. Landon Mobley, BN, 22.97; 8. Carter Warren, BS, 32.42.

100 freestyle (46.93): 1. Dixon, BN, 46.99; 2. Ben Buehler, BN, 47.21; 3. Cavan Stilson, CE, 48.96; 7. Mobley, BN, 51.60; 8. Warren, BS, 51.65.

200 freestyle (1:42.50): 1. Botond Kun, BS, 1:46.79; 2. Judah Nickoll, CE, 1:46.88; 3. Buehler, BN, 1:46.99; 5. Kian Kadlec, BS, 1:48.14; 6. Ty Mayer, BN, 1:51.05; 8. Tyler Peterson, BS, 1:53.69.

500 freestyle (4:41.80): 1. Kun, BS, 4:45.83; 2. Nash King, OA, 4:47.55; 3. Kadlec, BS, 4:55.80; 4. Mayer, BN, 4:57.15; 7. Peterson, BS, 5:05.34; 8. Ty Madeira, BN, 5:07.69.

100 backstroke (52.09): 1. David Kovacs, BS, 49.83; 2. Dylan Thomas, M, 53.65; 3. Nickoll, CE, 54.90; 5. William Whitaker, BN, 57.55; 6. Cameron Seidenfaden, BS, 57.74; 8. Alex Madeira, BN, 58.17.

100 breaststroke (58.00): 1. Hunter Tang, BN, 1:00.39; 2. Mikhail Machavariani, CE, 1:00.74; 3. William Foley, BN, 1:01.76; 4. Landon Yake, BN, 1:02.57; 7. Alex Ketrow, BS, 1:03.66.

100 butterfly (50.82): 1. Paegle, BS, 50.03; 2. Stewart, BN, 50.12; 3. Machavariani, CE, 53.12; 6. Quinn Pleskac, BS, 56.41.

200 individual medley (1:55.45): 1. Kovacs, BS, 1:53.35; 2. King, OA, 1:58.50; 3. Jerry Hundley, CE, 2:02.69; 5. Luke Miller, BN, 2:06.16; 7. Leo Nelson, BS, 2:09.31.

200 medley relay (1:36.95): 1. Bloomington South, 1:36.99; 2. Columbus East, 1:39.95; 3. Columbus North, 1:42.99; 4. Bloomington North, 1:44.00; 8. Edgewood, 1:51.35.

200 freestyle relay (1:27.74): 1. Bloomington North, 1:30.00; 2. Columbus North, 1:31.16; 3. Bloomington South, 1:34.06; 7. Edgewood, 1:40.45.

400 freestyle relay (3:13.80): 1. Bloomington South, 3:10.51; 2. Columbus East, 3:19.48; 3. Bloomington North, 3:20.00; 8. Edgewood, 3:53.28.

Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@herald.tom and follow on X @JimGordllo.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington South boys swimming duo shares same train of thought