It's hard to believe, but the end of the 2011-12 girls season is only three days away. Seventy-two hours from now, Carmel will have won its 26th consecutive team state championship, and the girls who were lucky enough (and GOOD enough) to advance to the consols and finals will be polishing their medals and reflecting on jobs well done or missed opportunities.
That leads us to the #21 Yorktown Tigers. These ladies in green and white have busted their humps all season long, and the results speak for themselves. YHS put on a dazzling display of talent and tenacity at the Fishers Sectional. One school record was demolished, two individuals and one relay claimed Sectional championships, and four incredible girls punched their tickets to the IU Natatorium.
Now, the fun REALLY begins. The relay squads and individuals who fight off the jitters, pressure and the World Class atmosphere on Friday night and get into the Top 16 will get the chance to put their names in the history books forever.
Let's begin with the relays. The Lady Tigers have established themselves as a threat to medal in the 200 Medley Relay this weekend. The quartet of Caroline Grasso, Jessica Extine, Lauren Elston and Larah Beaver posted the 7th fastest time in Indiana last weekend. If they hold onto that seeding Friday night, they'll have a chance to stand on the awards podium Saturday afternoon--and to compete for a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. As the list below indicates, Yorktown has NEVER won a relay state title. I'm still convinced that Grasso-Extine-Elston-Beaver have more speed than they showed on February 4th. If they can drop two more seconds, they have a GREAT shot at being in the Top 4 and automatic ALL-STATE. If the stars magically align, they could shock the world.
Prediction? 1:45.50 and high on the medal stand.
The 200 Free Relay team is flying a bit under the radar. They settled for 2nd place at the Sectional. But their 8th seeded time of 1:37.42 was swum despite splits by Beaver and Grasso that were substantially slower than their lifetime bests. This group of girls is a VERY serious threat to the YHS record of 1:36.36 (the State Runner-up time posted by Yorktown at the 2006 State Meet). I think they're gonna do it.
Prediction? 1:35.80 and high on the medal stand again.
How about the individuals? Caroline Grasso is seeded 20th in the 100 Back. Her 59.02 just missed the State Cut at the Sectional and she settled for a call down entry. But she's fast enough to have won the event at many of Indiana's Sectionals. She's plenty good enough to do some damage among the 32 best in the state.
Prediction? 58:00 and a high placing in the Consol heat on Saturday.
Jessica Extine will compete in two events this weekend, the 50 Free and the 100 Breast. Jess is "only" seeded 12th in the 50 Free (24.11), but any girl who takes her lightly is playing with dynamite. Extine is capable of drilling the scoreboard with a time well under 24.00 and competing for a medal on Saturday. She'll have more work to do in the 100 Breast, where she's the #26 seed (1:07.84)--Jess will have to jump over 10 other swimmers to come back on Saturday in that event.
Predictions? 23:40 and a Top 8 finish in the 50 Free, 1:06.85 in the 100 Breast.
The other individual performer is Larah Beaver, swimming in her final IHSAA State Meet. Larah will also put it all on the line in two events, the 100 Free and the 100 Back. Beaver is a sleeper in the 100 Free, the #16 seed at 52.60. She has had her eyes on Kelsi Hall's YHS record of 51.49 all season long, and it's gonna take AT LEAST that to get into the Championship Final on Saturday. This is one of the events in the meet that could see a new State Record before the weekend is over.
The 100 Back may be the most competitive event in the entire meet. Defending state champion Lacey Locke of Carmel was disqualified in her Sectional prelim swim and WON'T be part of the field. But don't let that fool you. This field is absolutely LOADED with talent--don't be surprised if ALL EIGHT girls in the Championship Final swim an Automatic All-American cut time. Anyone who gets to the Championship Final will have a legitimate chance to win it. Beaver is the #7 seed going in (56.75), and she hasn't been pushed at all since the Homestead Invitational last December.
A critical factor could be rest--FIVE of the Top 8 seeds in the 100 Back are also slated to compete in the 200 Free Relay, the event immediately preceeding the back. Beaver, Aly Tetzloff of Crown Point, Brittany Robinson of Wawasee, Alexis Bullard of Carmel and Maddie Miller of Chesterton will face tough double duty. Carmel's Hanna House, Lake Central's Shelby Carroll and Munster's Brittany Gilbert won't have to worry about that.
Predictions? 51.30 and a Top 10 finish in the 100 Free, 54.65 and a Top 4 finish in the 100 Back.
Girls, dream BIG, believe that ANYTHING is possible, and go make your dreams COME TRUE!
GO TIGERS!!
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YORKTOWN HS SWIMMING STATE MEET FINISHERS SINCE 2000
YEAR, TEAM FINISH, INDIVIDUAL FINISHERS
2011 21st, 27.5 points
Larah Beaver, 4th 100 Back
Larah Beaver, 10th 100 Free
Jessica Extine, tie 15th 50 Free (tie)
Jessica Extine, 26th 100 Fly
Caroline Grasso, 25th 100 Back
200 Medley Relay, 15th
200 Free Relay, 18th
2010 36th, 6 points
Larah Beaver, 11th 100 Back
Larah Beaver, 30th 100 Free
Jessica Extine, 39th 50 Free
200 Medley Relay, 25th
200 Free Relay, 31st
2009 48th, 3 points
Larah Beaver, 14th 100 Back
2008 16th, 30 points
Kelsi Hall, 1st 50 Free
Kelsi Hall, 21st 100 Free
Kristen Mitsch, 11th 200 Free
Kristen Mitsch, 13th 500 Free
200 Free Relay, 21st
2007 7th, 114 points
Kelsi Hall, 1st 50 Free
Kelsi Hall, 3rd 100 Free
Sarah Kowalski, 9th 50 Free
Sarah Kowalski, 12th 100 Free
Kristen Mitsch, 22nd 200 Free
Kristen Mitsch, 23rd 100 Free
Kasey Tolbert, 21st 200 IM
Katie Simmons, 22nd 200 IM
Katie Simmons, 13th 500 Free
200 Medley Relay, 17th
200 Free Relay, 3rd
400 Free Relay, 5th
2006 2nd, 217.5 points--IHSAA State Runner-up!
Maggie Bird, 1st 200 Free
Maggie Bird, 1st 500 Free
Jill Lockhart, 3rd 200 Free
Jill Lockhart, 6th 100 Fly
Kelsi Hall, 1st 50 Free (tie)
Kelsi Hall, 5th 100 Free
Jenna Long, 9th 50 Free
Kiley Tolbert, 6th 100 Back
Claire Laverty, 13th 100 Breast
Kasey Tolbert, 25th 100 Breast
200 Medley Relay, 7th
200 Free Relay, 2nd
400 Free Relay, 3rd
2005 7th, 132.5 points
Maggie Bird, 1st 200 Free
Maggie Bird, 2nd 500 Free
Jill Lockhart, 4th 200 Free
Jill Lockhart, 4th 100 Fly
Katie Mitsch, 15th 100 Fly (tie)
Katie Simmons, 15th 200 IM
Katie Simmons, 16th 500 Free
Kelsi Hall, 16th 50 Free
Jenna Long, 31st 50 Free
Ashley Bevans, 29th 100 Free
Kiley Tolbert, 19th 100 Back
Claire Laverty, 33rd 100 Breast
200 Medley Relay, 10th
200 Free Relay, 5th
400 Free Relay, 9th
2004 4th, 174 points
Jill Lockhart, 3rd 200 Free
Jill Lockhart, 2nd 100 Fly
Maggie Bird, 4th 200 Free
Maggie Bird, 2nd 500 Free
Ashley Bevans, 13th 200 Free
Ashley Bevans, 21st 100 Free
Katie Simmons, 12th 200 IM
Katie Simmons, 7th 500 Free
Katie Mitsch, 20th 200 IM
Katie Mitsch, 18th 100 Fly
Jenna Long, 22nd 50 Free
Jenna Long, 24th 100 Fly
Kiley Tolbert, 15th 100 Back
200 Medley Relay, 9th
200 Free Relay, 2nd
400 Free Relay, 2nd
2003 8th, 98 points
Jill Lockhart, 2nd 200 Free
Jill Lockhart, 2nd 100 Fly
Maggie Bird, 10th 200 Free
Maggie Bird, 9th 500 Free
200 Medley Relay, 15th
200 Free Relay, 6th
400 Free Relay, 9th
2002 DNP, 0 points
Katie Mitsch, 18th 100 Fly
2001 DNP, 0 points
No participants
2000 DNP, 0 points
No participants
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