HELLO BEARCATS, GOODBYE SENIORS

It's hard to believe, but the end of the 2009-10 regular season is just around the corner. The Muncie Central Bearcats visit Yorktown High School for the Tigers' Senior Night meet on Tuesday, and it should be a real barnburner between neighboring school districts.

It'll be the final meet at home for seniors Kyle Bonneau, Heather Elston, Kara Martin, Harrison Slater, Michael Stocker, and Cameron Watters. I'd like to acknowledge each of them for their contributions to Yorktown Swimming over the years--this is a tough sport that demands a great deal, both physically and mentally, from those who take on the challenge. So congratulations, members of the class of 2010!

Now, a closer look at how this meet might transpire. These two teams are pretty closely matched on both the girls and boys side of the ledger. These kids know each other, some are friends, others are rivals; they have a history of taking each other to the limit; and with the meet at Yorktown this year, the frenzied crowd will be right on top of the water. The atmosphere should be electric.

Yorktown carries the state's #29 team ranking into the girls meet, while the Bearcats are unranked as a team. Muncie Central's 200-yard Free Relay squad is ranked #32 this week. Kaitlin Kerrigan, Brittany Sheffield, Anne Tinder and Heidi Bryant won the North Central Conference championship in that event Saturday with a 1:44.13. That's more than four seconds faster than the Tigers have swum so far this season, so Yorktown has its work cut out for it in that event.

The Lady Tigers have the edge in the other two relays. In fact, Yorktown's 1:54.97 at the Hoosier Heritage Conference meet would be good enough for the state's #22 ranking this week had the time been reported. The quartet of Larah Beaver, Kersea Gable, Jessica Extine and Caroline Grasso did it without being shaved and tapered while wearing regular suits. Watch out when the sectional rolls around--these girls have a legitimate shot at surpassing the IHSAA state cut of 1:52.37, and if the adrenaline really kicks in, an outside shot at the YHS school record of 1:49.91.

Central defeated Yorktown by nearly 20 points in last year's meet. But look for the Lady Tigers to rise to the occasion Tuesday night and win the meet by somewhere between 10 and 20 points.

The boys meet should be a classic again in 2010. Last year's matchup went down to the final event, the 400-yard Free Relay. A packed house went crazy as the YHS boys sealed the deal. Tuesday night's meet could be just as close.

The Tiger boys are the state's #22 ranked team in this week's poll, Central is unranked. But don't let that fool you. The Bearcats have several top-level swimmers ready to come into Mt. Pleasant township and emerge with a victory.

Central's Dan Proctor carries the #10 ranking in the 100-yard Breast and the #17 ranking in the 200-yard IM. Timmy Miller is Indiana's 17th ranked swimmer in the 100-yard Back. And Central's 200-yard Medley Relay team of Proctor, Miller, Zach Haller and Adam Parks holds down the 27th ranking.

Proctor and Miller won NCC titles in the 100-yard Breast and 100-yard Back, respectively, over the weekend. The Bearcats also took the blue in the 200-yard Medley Relay at the NCC. So Central is a powerful opponent with quality depth.

Yorktown's cupboard is far from bare. Adam Voss remains Indiana's #6 ranked swimmer in the 200-yard Free, and Voss is 7th in the 100-yard Fly; Austin Dunn joins Voss in the Fly rankings at #16; and all three of Yorktown's relays are among the state's best. The Tigers are #17 in both the 200-yard Free Relay and the 400-yard Free Relay, and 20th in the 200-yard Medley Relay.

The margin in the boys meet appears to be razor thin going in. The outcome will probably be determined by the team that can add important 2nd and 3rd place finishes to its total.

I predict Tuesday night's meet will come down to the 400-yard Free Relay, and that Yorktown will hold on for just enough points to win the competition by less than five points.

This is a meet you WON'T want to miss.

Be there, and GO TIGERS!