JC boys top 'Cats

With three events remaining, the Patriots were clinging to a three-point lead. Their effort in the backstroke and breaststroke put the meet away.
Jay County High School’s boys swim team pulled away late to knock off the visiting Muncie Central Bearcats 160-140.
“It was a good night for us,” said JCHS boys coach Barry Weaver, whose team improved to 8-3 with its first win over Central in nearly a decade. “We had to overcome some adversity. We had a disqualification. … The good part is they banded together and came back and did what they had to do. The backstroke and the breaststroke were really important for us.”
The JCHS girls team fell to 11-3 with a 194-118 loss to the defending sectional champion Bearcats, but coach Matt Slavik said it was a good learning experience.
“I think it opened some girls eyes and I think they’re more aware of what they need to do,” he said. “I think it was a good thing for them.
“We got to see what Muncie Central is doing with their swimmers. … I think it’ll give us a heads up as far as where to put them in sectionals. We can probably give them a little better run than we did in this dual meet.”
After the disqualification in the 200-yard freestyle relay cut the Patriots boys’ lead to three points, they responded with a one-two finish in the 100-yard backstroke with James Keen winning ahead of Luke Holcomb in 59.86 seconds. Matt Dann, Zach James, Willie Skiver and Shelby Wendel then combined to take second through fifth in the 100 breaststroke to extend the lead.
Keen was also first in the 200 individual medley in 2:12.12, and Josh Lykins tied for first with Central’s Mason Jones in the 50 freestyle in 24.5. Wiley Young joined Keen, Holcomb and Dann in winning the 200-yard meldey relay in 1:53.45.
Freshman Katy Smeltzer earned the lone individual win for the girls team, edging Kaitlin Kerrigan of Central by six hundredths of a second in 26.02.
“That was huge,” said Slavik. “I think that 50 win let her realize that she does have a shot to make it to state.”
Smeltzer also teamed with Eme Miller, Mary Hudson and Caitlin Mark for a first-place time of 4:00.6 in the 400 freestyle relay.[[In-content Ad]]