TIGERS SWEEP DELTA

The Yorktown High School boys knew the final race of the night would be a winner-take-all affair. The Eagle boys had spent the second half of the meet chipping away at the Tigers' lead, and had closed to within 85-83 with one event to go. Fourteen points were up for grabs in the 400-yard freestyle relay--YHS would win the meet by winning the relay, but go home losers with any other result. The pressure was on.

The Tiger quartet of junior Adam Voss, senior Cameron Watters, junior Michael Heavilon, and sophomore Austin Dunn rose to the challenge. Voss exploded off the block on his way to a great start in the leadoff leg, and each teammate built an even bigger lead, swimming a 3:29.43 to beat the runner-up Eagles by 26 seconds. The performance sealed the boys first dual meet victory of the season. The final score: Yorktown 93, Delta 89.

Voss, Heavilon and Dunn each picked up four first places against the Eagles, with Watters winning three times and Tyler Donges capturing the diving competition. Dunn roared from behind in the closing yards of the 50-yard freestyle and, in a finish reminiscent of Michael Phelps over Michael Cavic, outtouched Delta's Derrick Wright to win 23.62 to 23.70 (the starter thought Wright had beaten Dunn and said so after closely watching the finish). If Dunn hadn't fought for the victory, the meet ends in a 91-91 tie.

That's what makes the so-called "small" contributions all the more important. Joe Eskew added a 5th place finish in the 200-yard freestyle to earn what might seem like an insignificant point. Flip flop Eskew with Delta's 6th place swimmer in that event, and the Tigers lose the meet 92-90. Aaron Kalley's 5th in the 50-yard freestyle, Zach Pitzer's 3rd in diving, Brown's 4th in the 100-yard butterfly, Michael Stocker's 5th in the 100-yard freestyle and 5th in the 100-yard breaststroke, Eskew's 5th in the 500-yard freestyle, and Joe Railey's 5th in the 100-yard backstroke were all critical to the team's success.

The Yorktown girls had a little more breathing room in their portion of the meet, beating Delta 109-77. Sophomore Larah Beaver and freshman Jessica Extine each won four times--Beaver easily took the 100-yard backstroke and fought off a strong challenge by Delta's Emilee Kirby to win the 200-yard IM 2:19.49 to 2:20.14. That was a lifetime best for Beaver, who also competed on the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Extine continued her impressive early season performances, going 26.58 to win the 50-yard freestyle, and topping the field in the 100-yard butterfly (1:07.49). Extine also picked up gold in both the 200 relays.

Junior Gabby LaVoie was the Tigers' other multiple winner, sharing the blue ribbons won by the 200 relays. Senior Heather Elston beat the field to the wall in the 100-yard freestyle, swimming a 1:03.49. Freshmen Kersea Gable and Caroline Grasso also added first place honors, Gable anchoring the medley relay and Grasso leading off the 200 free relay.

Speaking of the 200 free relay, last night's team of Grasso, LaVoie, Extine and Beaver finished in 1:48.27, the fastest time of the season by any YHS quartet by more than two seconds. They did that despite not being pushed in the race--they won by five-and-a-half seconds. Imagine what these girls might do in a close race a couple months from now!

The Tigers return to action Thursday night, travelling to New Palestine for their second-straight Hoosier Heritage Conference meet. The action begins at 5:15 p.m.

GO TIGERS!