ANOTHER MEET, ANOTHER SQUEAKER

If your life lacks excitement or pizazz, just check out the next Yorktown High School boys swimming and diving meet. These guys know how to keep spectators on the edge of their seats!

Thursday night, head coach Brad Grieshop's boys built a 40-21 lead after the first four events, only to watch most of their lead evaporate before holding on for a 94-91 victory over the Anderson Indians. Last night's contest came down to the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay. The Tigers had little margin for error--YHS entered just one team in the 400, meaning a 3rd place finish or disqualification would cost them the meet.

Fortunately, the team of senior Cameron Watters, junior Joseph Railey, junior Joe Eskew and sophomore Austin Dunn had just enough to get the job done. They avoided a DQ and swam a 3:56.55 to place 2nd, earning the four points needed to seal the team's win.

Six Yorktown boys picked up at least one blue ribbon, with junior Adam Voss, junior Michael Heavilon, and sophomore Austin Dunn claiming multiple victories. Voss rode a textbook finish to win the closest race of the night, edging Anderson's Matthew Gray in the 50-yard freestyle 23.59 to 23.67. Voss also captured the 500-yard freestyle (5:06.10) and led off the victorious 200-yard medley relay team (1:55.72). Heavilon led the field to the wall in the 100-yard backstroke (1:02.38), and took the 100-yard butterfly (59.18). Dunn won the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.62) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.30).

Senior Harrison Slater and freshman Thommy Brown teamed with Voss and Dunn to take top honors in the medley relay, and senior Cameron Watters grabbed the blue ribbon in the 200-yard IM (2:14.73).

Several other YHS boys made valuable contributions. Senior Michael Stocker raced to a pair of significant placings, coming in 4th in the 50-yard freestyle to score two important points, and holding off Anderson's Jarred Gray by .43 for 4th in the 100-yard freestyle to snare a couple more points. And junior diver Tyler Donges jumped in the pool and finished 5th for a point in the 100-yard backstroke.

The Yorktown girls had a much more relaxing evening, swimming to an easy 142-41 victory over the Indians. Freshman Jessica Extine topped the Tigers with four 1st place finishes. Six other girls were multiple winners for the YHS, including sophomores Larah Beaver (3) and Kirsten Nickoli (3), freshman Caroline Grasso (3), senior Heather Elston (2), sophomore Sam Mahon (2) and freshman Kersea Gable (2).

Extine earned individual wins in the 100-yard butterfly (1:08.51) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:17.73); Beaver was 1st in the 200-yard IM (2:24.04) and 100-yard backstroke (1:01.85); Nickoli picked up blues in the 200-yard freestyle (2:22.25) and 500-yard freestyle (6:11.38); Grasso won the 50-yard freestyle (28.32) and 100-yard freestyle (1:02.87); and Mahon continued her dual meet win streak in the diving competition, finishing on top with a score of 184.55.

Elston and freshman Jillian Buche teamed with Extine and Gable in the victorious 200-yard medley relay (2:08.18), and sophomore Chelsea Watters joined Gable, Elston and Extine as winners in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.94).

The Tigers will need a good night's sleep tonight--they head to the Ft. Wayne area on Saturday to compete in the Homestead Invitational, historically one of the toughest meets in Indiana each season. The YHS team website indicates a start time of 10:30 a.m., but the Homestead High School website lists the start time as 11:00 a.m.

GO TIGERS!