SECTIONAL PRELIMS PREVIEW

Well, it's finally here--the beginning of the end, the week when tapers take hold and swimmers churn the water like a hurricane. It's SECTIONAL time!

This year's edition of the Yorktown Lady Tigers is primed to make its most impressive run in recent years at Hamilton Southeastern. YHS has the top-seeded individual in two events, a #2 seed in another, and several more highly placed seeds in individual events and relays. This is gonna be a very exciting few days, Tiger fans.

Junior Larah Beaver carries the #1 seeds into both the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard freestyle. She's a threat to shatter her own sectional record in the 100 back (and perhaps the HSE pool record along the way). Beaver is also capable of making a serious run at both the YHS and Sectional records in the 100 free. The 100 free field is a strong one, and it may take a record time to stand atop the podium on Saturday.

Sophomore Jessica Extine is the second-seeded sprinter in the 50-yard freestyle, an event that may turn out to be the closest of the Sectional. Jess is sandwiched between #1 seed Melissa Ford of Oak Hill and arch rival Autumn Brown of Pendleton Heights, the third seed. Extine has already beaten Brown twice in the 50 free during head-to-head matchups this season, and will look to make it a hat trick on Saturday.

Sophomore Caroline Grasso is also seeded in the top six entrants in the 100-yard backstroke, and will swim right next to Beaver in their prelim heat tomorrow night. Caroline is coming off a breakout swim in the 100-yard freestyle against Muncie Central. If she tapers well and continues to swim with confidence and swagger, watch out for a possible YHS 1-2 finish in the back finals on Saturday.

The girls also appear to be in position to challenge Sectional favorite Fishers in both the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay. Coach Matt Routh has loaded up the short relay squad, and is giving them their best chance to compete for a Sectional crown and earn a berth in the State Meet. I said earlier this year that I believe the medley squad of Beaver, Extine, Grasso and sophomore Kersea Gable has what it takes to break the YHS record at the Sectional. I still believe that will happen--the first time during Thursday's prelims, and again in the showdown against top-seeded Fishers and perennial power Hamilton Southeastern on Saturday.

The team championship appears to be Fishers' to lose--they have the most top seeds, are positioned to score the most points, and may very well win the first Sectional title in their young school history. But if the stars align just right, and Yorktown gets a break or two here and there, the green and white version of the Tigers might put a scare into the red and white version.

Keep in mind that anything can happen at a Sectional. It's high adrenaline and high nerves--people make mistakes in the tournament they might not otherwise make. Ask Norwell about that; their top-seeded 400-yard freestyle relay was disqualified in the preliminary round of the Jay County Sectional in 2009. It cost them a chance to score another 32 points and a shot at the team title ultimately won by Muncie Central.

Girls, you've done the work. You've put up the times. And you've beaten some very good teams and swimmers in 2010-11. Go down to Hamilton Southeastern tomorrow night and swim with confidence, swagger and Tiger pride. If you do that, you'll be just fine.

GO TIGERS!