Helping at state

INDIANAPOLIS — Sophie Bader, Caitlin Mark and Katy Smeltzer helped Jay County to a five-record evening Friday night.
Although they weren’t swimming Saturday, their work was not done.
With Jay County’s Alex Dunn as the only member of the IHSAA’s Student Advisory Committee on hand for the girls swimming and diving state finals, his fellow Patriots stepped in to help out.
After Dunn led the championship heat of the 200-yard medley relay into the natatorium, Mark, Smeltzer and Bader handled the duties for the rest of the day.
“I wasn’t expecting to be able to do anything as cool as that,” said Mark, who was part of Jay County’s school record-breaking 200-yard medley relay a night earlier during the preliminary round of the state finals. “I thought being here was cool enough, and just being able to lead them in was that much better.
“It’s really neat to be walking down and just hear the crowd yelling and people cheering. It’s really exciting.”
Dunn is in his second-year on the IHSAA Student Advisory Committee, a group of 18 juniors and seniors that meets four times a year and organizes the IHSAA Student Leadership Conference each June. Members of the committee also work at the IHSAA’s 19 state championship events.
But by the time the swimming and diving finals start Saturday, Dunn was the only member of the group on hand at the IU Natatorium.
“Usually I lead people in, but … when Amber (Cowell of Culver Academy) left, there was going to be a lot of responsibilities for me, so we kind of came up with that plan,” said Dunn of asking the members of the JCHS squad to help out. “I’ve been helping plan awards. … We post time sheets. Mainly we’re here to help present awards and be here as kind of the face of the IHSAA.”
Dunn had already worked at the football and volleyball state finals this year. He has also signed up to work at the gymnastics state finals on March 16 at Ball State University’s Worthen Arena, as well as the boys basketball, baseball and softball state tournaments.
He is following in the footsteps of his brother, Trey, a 2009 graduate of JCHS, who also served on the student advisory committee.
“It’s been an awesome opportunity to meet the people I’ve met and to work the state championships,” said Dunn. “Plus, you meet some of your best friends. It’s pretty cool.”
The Patriot girls enjoyed helping out.
But next year they hope to be unavailable. They want to be among the swimmers in the pool on the Saturday of the state finals.
“This meet pumps me up for next year,” said Smeltzer. “To get in that top 16 would be really cool.”

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