TIGERS ROAR IN CENTRAL SWEEP!

The swimming and diving rivalry between Muncie Central and Yorktown may be the most intense in this part of the state. Year in and year out, the Bearcats and Tigers put on a late January show for the fans to write home about. Throw in the emotion of Senior Night, and you have the recipe for one UNFORGETTABLE evening.

The 20th ranked Yorktown girls and the undefeated Lady Bearcats duked it out from the opening stroke, and were still tied heading into the 500 Free. That's when senior Kirsten Nickoli and freshman Katelyn Grasso threw down a 1-2 finish (5:56.01 and 5:59.35, respectively) to open a narrow gap the girls clung to heading to the evening's final event.

The mission for the Tigers? Win the 400 Free Relay and win the MEET.

The squad of seniors Larah Beaver and Ashley Sexton, freshman Lauren Elston, and junior Jessica Extine responded to the challenge like true champions. They led from start to finish, and won going away in 3:52.41.

Extine captured four blue ribbons to lead the way Tuesday night, winning the 50 Free (25.35) and 100 Breast (a season best 1:10.66), while helping win a pair of relays. Jess joined junior Caroline Grasso, Elston and Beaver in a 1st place finish in the 200 Free Relay (a season best 1:40.73, also in the state's Top 20), and with Beaver, Elston and Sexton to best the field in victory-clinching swim.

Beaver outraced Central stud Emmy Rawson in the 200 IM (also a season best 2:12.66) to end her YHS home career as a triple event winner. The Ball State recruit heads into her final IHSAA tournament run with nearly 140 career event wins! Elston also closed the home portion of her outstanding freshman season as a three-time winner, taking top honors in the 200 Free in 2:02.70. That's the easily the fastest time in that event for YHS this season, and a nearly four-second drop for her!

Add Caroline Grasso the triple winner list for Senior Night. She swam a season best 56.32 to reach the wall ahead of the pack in the 100 Free. She did the same last year--Central must be tired of looking at the bottom of her feet. ;)

Caroline was also the class of the field in the 100 Back (1:03.79).

Senior Sam Mahon accounted for the other girls' Yorktown blue ribbon against the Bearcats, scoring 199.20 points to win in the diving well.

This is the second year-in-a-row that the girls portion of this meet has come down to the outcome of the final event, and the second year-in-a-row that the Lady Tigers have handed Central their first--and only--dual meet loss of the season. GREAT JOB, GIRLS!

Now, for those Getting Mightier Men of Yorktown.

The guys have had their share of battles and tribulation this year. This team is far less talented than the several that preceded it. People in Yorktown got spoiled by the Voss-Heavilon-Hoffman triumvirate. But these Tigers sure do work hard, and the fruits of their labor were finally harvested against Central. Hard earned and well deserved win, fellas!

Sophomore Scott Heavilon and freshman Isiah Huisman joined Club Quatro, each picking up four blue ribbons on Senior Night. Heavilon brought home 1st place swims in the 200 Free (1:56.37) and 500 Free (a season best 5:04.97). Huisman contributed blue ribbon performances in the 200 IM (2:11.06) and the 100 Back (1:00.40). Both of those time are his best of the season (there's a theme developing here, folks). Those two Tigers shared the victory with senior Alec Durant and junior Thommy Brown in the 200 Medley Relay (a season best 1:49.51) and with sophomore Kyle Rees and freshman Luke Ledbetter in the 200 Free Relay (also a season best 1:37.03).

Brown's win in the 100 Fly (59.52) would give him an individual hat trick for the night, OLE! It's also the YHS boys gold standard for the season. Rees made it a double-win night for himself, helping Yorktown to the win in the 400 Free Relay (3:45.60), along with fellow sophomore James Kemp, Ledbetter and Brown.

The Yorktown girls now shift gears into Championship Season mode. Can you say Shave and Taper? They'll open the Fishers Sectional with preliminary races a week from tonight (February 2nd). The Yorktown boys have one more dual meet on their schedule at Hamilton Heights on January 31st before they shave off that bleach blonde hair and hit the tournament trail.

As Flounder said in Animal House, "This is gonna be GREAT!"

GO TIGERS!
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Final Team Scores
Girls--Yorktown 96, Muncie Central 90
Boys--Yorktown 115, Muncie Central 70

Girls 200 Medley Relay--1. Muncie Central 'A' (Emmy Rawson, Kaitlyn Kerrigan, Sydney Clasby, Anne Tinder) 1:55.98. Also, 2. Yorktown 'A' (Caroline Grasso, Kersea Gable, Larah Beaver, Ashley Sexton) 1:58.21).

Boys 200 Medley Relay--1. Yorktown 'A' (Isiah Huisman, Alec Durant, Thommy Brown, Scott Heavilon) 1:49.51.

Girls 200 Free--1. Lauren Elston (Y) 2:02.70.

Boys 200 Free--1. Scott Heavilon (Y) 1:56.37.

Girls 200 IM--1. Larah Beaver (Y) 2:12.66.

Boys 200 IM--1. Isiah Huisman (Y) 2:11.06.

Girls 50 Free--1. Jessica Extine (Y) 25.35.

Boys 50 Free--1. Andrew Dowdle (MC) 23.83.

Girls 1-Meter Diving--1. Sam Mahon (Y) 199.20.

Boys 1-Meter Diving--1. Zane Parker (MC) 284.45.

Girls 100 Fly--1. Emmy Rawson (MC) 59.39.

Boys 100 Fly--1. Thommy Brown (Y) 59.52.

Girls 100 Free-- 1. Caroline Grasso (Y) 56.32.

Boys 100 Free--1. Andrew Dowdle (MC) 51.98.

Girls 500 Free--1. Kirsten Nickoli (Y) 5:56.01. Also, 2. Katelyn Grasso (Y) 5:59.35.

Boys 500 Free--1. Scott Heavilon (Y) 5:04.97.

Girls 200 Free Relay--1. Yorktown 'A' (Larah Beaver, Caroline Grasso, Lauren Elston, Jessica Extine) 1:40.73.

Boys 200 Free Relay--1. Yorktown 'A' (Isiah Huisman, Kyle Rees, Luke Ledbetter, Scott Heavilon) 1:37.03.

Girls 100 Back--1. Caroline Grasso (Y) 1:03.79.

Boys 100 Back--1. Isiah Huisman (Y) 1:00.40.

Girls 100 Breast--1. Jessica Extine (Y) 1:10.66.

Boys 100 Breast--1. Cameron Ottinger (MC) 1:07.84.

Girls 400 Free Relay--1. Yorktown 'A' (Larah Beaver, Ashley Sexton, Lauren Elston, Jessica Extine) 3:52.41.

Boys 400 Free Relay--1. Yorktown 'A' (Luke Ledbetter, James Kemp, Kyle Rees, Thommy Brown) 3:45.60.