WILDCATS WHIP TIGERS IN SEASON OPENER

The Lawrence North Wildcats used the combination of strong talent and superior depth to put a shellacking on the #15 Yorktown Tigers last night, easily defeating YHS 115-71.

The Tigers were led by the usual cast of characters--senior Larah Beaver and juniors Jessica Extine and Caroline Grasso were multiple event winners for Yorktown. Beaver took top honors in the 200 IM (2:18.67) and 100 Free (55.16); Extine won the 50 Free (25.27); Grasso topped the field in the 100 Back (1:01.33). Those three girls joined freshman Lauren Elston on the victorious 400 Free Relay squad (3:48.90), which swam with pride at a point in the meet where the outcome had already been determined. The YHS quartet swam away from a talented LN squad, beating them by almost seven seconds to end an otherwise disappointing evening on a high note.

There were several other promising swims by the Tigers last night. The 200 Medley Relay team of Beaver, junior Kersea Gable, Extine and Elston turned in a 2nd place finish (1:56.42). Look for coach Laura Slight to tinker with her personnel on this relay through the early part of the season, in an effort to find the best combination of swimmers in the strongest order. I've said it before, and I'll say it again--our BEST lineup in this event can compete with just about anyone in Indiana, and has the potential to be a Top 8 finisher at the State Meet in February. But ONLY with the right four swimmers in the right four strokes.

Both Extine and Elston were part of the closest and most exciting race of the evening. They battled stroke-for-stroke with LN's Maya Lee (just a freshman)throughout the 100 Fly, with Lee surging just enough at the finish to outtouch the field to win (1:02.81). Extine, reminiscent of Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympics, used one final, quick mini-stroke to nip the gliding Elston at the wall for 2nd (1:03.46 to 1:03.47)!

The 200 Free Relay combo of Watters, senior Erin Moreno, and juniors Macey Taylor and Ashley Sexton got to the wall in 2nd place (1:57.64). Caroline Grasso provided badly needed points with a solid 3rd place showing in the 100 Free (56.60). Senior co-captain Chelsea Watters swam hard to the finish in the 200 IM, coming from behind to nip LN's Meredith Gentry for 4th by just five-hundredths of a second. Chelsea also scored in the 100 Breast (4th in 1:20.78). Sexton was 4th in the 50 Free (28.43), and Gable swam to 3rd in an "off" event in the torturous 500 Free (6:09.49).

The freshman Lady Tigers also started making their mark on the program. Bailey Windell scored her first varsity point with a 5th in the 200 Free (2:21.44); Laura Eaton also tallied her first varsity point with a 5th place finish in the 500 Free (6:18.37); Katie Keller added two points with a 4th place effort in the 100 Back (1:09.29); and Katelyn Grasso took her first step toward her first letter in the 100 Breast, finishing 5th (1:20.88).

This Yorktown team's problem continues to be depth. The Tigers were outscored 13-3 in BOTH the 200 Free and 200 Breast. We have scoring studs at the top of our lineup, but we fall off the cliff after that. Mid-level swimmers will have to step up and improve their scoring ability for the rest of the dual meet portion of the season to be successful.

The Tigers won't have much time to rest or prepare for their next battle. They're right back at it on Saturday morning, when they compete in the tough Westfield Invitational.

GO TIGERS!
----------
LAWRENCE NORTH 115, YORKTOWN 71
Meet Results

200 Medley Relay--1. Lawrence North 'A' (Taryn Anderson, Laura Weiss, Maya Lee, Laura Apple) 1:54.20, 2. Yorktown 'A' (Larah Beaver, Kersea Gable, Jessica Extine, Lauren Elston) 1:56.42, 3. Lawrence North 'B' (Miffy Stuff, Rachel Kindler, Camille Sondermann, Karlee Cunningham) 2:05.52.

200 Free--1. Laura Apple (LN) 2:07.20, 2. Morgan Matsuoka (LN) 2:12.25, 3. Taylor Federspill (LN) 2:15.86, 4. Bailey Windell (Y) 2:21.44, 5. Kirsten Nickoli (Y) 2:23.54.

200 IM--1. Larah Beaver (Y) 2:18.67, 2. Laura Weiss (LN) 2:19.11, 3. Maya Lee (LN) 2:23.79, 4. Chelsea Watters (Y) 2:40.35, 5. Meredith Gentry (LN) 2:40.40.

50 Free--1. Jessica Extine (Y) 25.27, 2. Taryn Anderson (LN) 25.69, 3. Peyton Cunningham (LN) 26.28, 4. Ashley Sexton (Y) 28.43, 5. Karlee Cunningham (LN) 28.59.

Diving--Results not provided.

100 Fly--1. Maya Lee (LN) 1:02.81, 2. Jessica Extine (Y) 1:03.46, 3. Lauren Elston (Y) 1:03.47, 4. Rachel Kindler (LN) 1:07.98, 5. Miffy Stuff (LN) 1:09.54.

100 Free--1. Larah Beaver (Y) 55.16, 2. Laura Apple (LN) 55.91, 3. Caroline Grasso (Y) 56.60, 4. Peyton Cunningham (LN) 57.57, 5. Karlee Cunningham (LN) 1:03.33.

500 Free--1. Morgan Matsuoka (LN) 5:43.46, 2. Taylor Federspill (LN) 5:51.46, 3. Kersea Gable (Y) 6:09.49, 4. Kathryn Stuff (LN) 6:15.94, 5. Laura Eaton (Y) 6:18.37.

200 Free Relay--1. Lawrence North 'A' (Laura Apple, Miffy Stuff, Laura Weiss, Peyton Cunningham) 1:47.45, 2. Yorktown 'A' (Chelsea Watters, Erin Moreno, Macey Taylor, Ashley Sexton) 1:57.64, 3. Lawrence North 'B' (Elaine Coulter, Meredith Gentry, Ali Nugen, Taylor Federspill) 2:00.01.

100 Back--1. Caroline Grasso (Y) 1:01.33, 2. Taryn Anderson (LN) 1:01.48, 3. Miffy Stuff (LN) 1:07.32, 4. Katie Keller (Y) 1:09.29, 5. Elaine Coulter (LN) 1:15.31.

100 Breast--1. Laura Weiss (LN) 1:10.21, 2. Rachel Kindler (LN) 1:14.72, 3. Meredith Gentry (LN) 1:18.63, 4. Chelsea Watters (Y) 1:20.78, 5. Katelyn Grasso (Y) 1:20.88.

400 Free Relay--1. Yorktown 'A' (Lauren Elston, Caroline Grasso, Jessica Extine, Larah Beaver) 3:48.90, 2. Lawrence North 'A' (Taryn Anderson, Peyton Cunningham, Maya Lee, Morgan Matsuoka) 3:55.01, 3. Yorktown 'B' (Katie Keller, Bailey Windell, Kirsten Nickoli, Katelyn Grasso) 4:19.88.