Jay Co. has big goals

It’s said that anything is possible.
That’s true. But realistic is a different story.
As the Jay County High School girls swim team opens its season Saturday at the Norwell Invitational, some big goals are truly within reach.
The Patriots have a real chance of going undefeated in the regular season, winning their first sectional title and sending swimmers to the state meet in more events than any season in school history.
“We have a great shot to win our sectional. There’s no doubt about it.,” said JCHS coach Matt Slavik, whose team finished as the runner-up to Muncie Central last season but was 142 points off the winning pace. “Muncie Central is tough. Muncie Central is great from top to bottom. We’re deeper.
“With the addition of these freshman coming in we now have the extra two at the top that we haven’t had in the past. We’ve had strong swimmers, but we haven’t had those really special swimmers.
And the combination with having a strong team all the way through with the talent that these freshman bring to it, it just puts us at a different level. … It’s going to be tough to beat us.”
The freshmen Slavik is referring two are cousins Anne Vormohr and Sophie Bader, who will lead a young, fast squad along with top returning swimmer Katy Smeltzer on a team that lost state qualifiers Mary Hudson (Calvin College) and Eme Miller (Defiance College) to graduation.
Vormohr has a pair of age group state championships, which she won in the backstroke when she was 10 and 12 years old. And she’s qualified to compete in the USA Swimming Winter National Championships later this month in Austin, Texas.
Slavik said her best 100-yard backstroke time would make her a contender for a state medal this year.
“Anne is one of those few and far between swimmers,” he said. “Anne is probably the fastest girl backstroker I’ve ever had. She’s an extremely talented young girl.”
Like Vormohr, Bader has been helping lead strong Jay County summer, winter and middle school teams for years. She can swim any event across the board, and Slavik said he’d like to focus her attention on the individual medley, butterfly and distance freestyle.
“Sophie is strong in her events,” Slavik said. “She’s a good distance freestyler. She’s a solid butterflyer. She’s about a half-second away from our team record right now in the 100 butterfly. She’s a solid breaststroker. She’s just solid across the board.”
Slavik said he also believes the cousins can team up with Smeltzer and junior Caitlyn Mark  for a couple of state-qualifying relays.
And they’re ability and past success have already made an impact.
“They’ve brought a different life to this team that we haven’t had in the past,” Slavik said. “They’re good and work hard.
“The record boards are going to be reset from those girls plus their contributions to the relays.”
Smeltzer, a sophomore, narrowly missed earning a pair of state berths last season in the sprint freestyle events. She was second to Muncie Central’s Kaitlin Kerrigan in the 50 freestyle event by just 0.18 seconds and finished as the runner-up to Cady Farlow of South Adams in the 100 freestyle by 0.59 seconds.
She will also be a strong competitor for the Patriots in the butterfly and backstroke.
“Katy has got a super attitude,” said Slavik, noting that he believes Smeltzer can break the 55-second mark in the 100 freestyle after swimming 56.44 at the sectional last season. “She’s just done an awesome job as far as working toward her goals and perfecting that freestyle. Her butterfly is coming along pretty solid too.”
In addition to the top three, the Patriots are loaded with depth.
Slavik has a roster of 35 athletes, including five other swimmers who scored points for Jay County in individual events at the 2012 sectional meet.
Mark, a junior, was seventh in the 200 individual medley and 10th in the 100 breaststroke. Also scoring last season were Alyson Lucas (10th – 500 freestyle, 11th – 200 freestyle), Julie Valentine (12th – 100 breaststroke, 16th – 100 freestyle), Rylee Clemmons (14th – 200 individual medley, 16th – 100 backstroke) and Carli Ostrowski (11th – 100 butterfly).
“We’re strong all the way down,” said Slavik. “I told the girls the other day, from top to bottom this is probably the strongest team I’ve ever been associated with. … I firmly believe it. … We’re solid from seniors to freshmen as far as being able to contribute.”
JCHS also brings back three experienced divers, including 2012 regional qualifier Sammi Compton. The senior held on for a fourth-place sectional finish to earn a regional berth last season.
Joining Compton on the board again this season will be junior Rachel Vogler and sophomore Laci Hall.
“We’ve got three strong divers,” Slavik said. “I think all three of them are very capable of going to regionals.”
As a group, Slavik believes his team, which opens its campaign Saturday at the Norwell Invitational, has a chance to turn in a perfect regular season. And he said the Patriots have the ability to knock off two-time defending sectional champion Muncie Central and win their first title in school history.
“This is by all means an exciting year,” said Slavik. “I’m super stoked.
“I look forward to when we’re actually getting into the water swimming against other people.”[[In-content Ad]]