Soph heads to state

Mary Hudson hoped someday to make it to the state meet. She just never expected the dream to come true so soon.

Just a sophomore at Jay County High School, Hudson will make the trip to the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis Friday at 6 p.m. to compete in the 100-yard breaststroke in the IHSAA Swimming and Diving State Finals.

JCHS coach Matt Slavik has told Hudson since before the start of the season that she would make the state meet this year, she just didn't believe him.

"I just didn't think I could," said Hudson after practice Monday. "I'm excited. I always wanted to go to state in high school."

Hudson had to wait a little longer than most to realize her dream was going to be fulfilled.

She nearly picked up an automatic berth as she led for almost the entire breaststroke race in the sectional meet hosted by Jay County. But she was out-touched at the wall as Norwell's Dani Thomas surged in the final five yards to win by just 12 hundredths of a second.

State finals berths go to sectional champions as well as anyone who reaches the state-qualifying standard (the average of the 16th-place time in the state over the course of the last three years), which was 1 minute, 7.74 seconds for the breaststroke. Swimmers with the next fastest times from the sectional meets fill any remaining positions in the 32-swimmer state field.

There are 20 sectionals in the state, and in addition to those champions there were six swimmers who surpassed the state-qualifying standard. Of the remaining swimmers, Hudson had the third-fastest time behind Sumaiyah Ahmad (1:08.39) of Lowell and Mercedez Bray (1:08.42) of Terre Haute South.

"I'm pretty happy about it," said Slavik. "I told Mary at the beginning of the season that she was going to the state this year. I don't think she really believed me until Saturday.

"Mary just goes out and has fun. She's building some of that self-confidence now. She's now the fastest breaststroker this school has ever seen. That's saying a lot. ..."

Although she finished in second place behind Thomas, Hudson's time of 1:08.57 surpassed the previous pool record as well as the school record of 1:08.66 set by Cori Vormohr in the 2008 state meet. That time is even more impressive when compared to her seed time going into the sectional - 1:11.08.

Hudson cut two tenths of a second in the preliminary race, but was still seeded nearly a second behind Thomas for the sectional championship. With a state berth on the line, Hudson had a slim four hundredths of a second lead at the turn and stayed in front until Thomas eked out the sectional title at the finish.

She said she was never in her sights, and she was just hoping to post a time in the 1:09s.

"That was my goal," said Hudson. "And then once I looked back (at the scoreboard) I thought it was the wrong time.

"Going to state is really what I wanted. Winning doesn't really matter to me right now. Just going to state is ... better than winning."

Hudson, who was already part of two school relay records, is in an exclusive group as a record holder at JCHS. Prior to Saturday, two swimmers - Vormohr (five) and Abby Arnold (two) - held all of the school records in the seven individual swimming events.

"Stepping in as a sophomore and breaking a record ... just her name up there among the names that are up there ... it's a dream come true for her," said Slavik. "It puts her in the elite at this high school. ... I'm super happy for her."

Although she was the runner-up in the sectional, Hudson is one of the highest seeded state finalists to come out of the JCHS meet.

She is seeded 25th in the breaststroke, 11 hundredths of a second behind Sierra King of Portage and 11 hundredths ahead of Franklin Central's Haley Dresner. The only swimmer coming out of the Jay County sectional in any event who is seeded higher is Thomas at No. 23.

South Adams' Erika Waugh is the No. 27 seed for the 100 backstroke and No. 31 seed for the 500 freestyle. She placed 29th in the 500 freestyle last season.

Hudson is the fastest swimmer in the first heat of the breaststroke, in which athletes from Richmond, Snider, Highland, Franklin Central, Lawrence North, Tell City and Huntington North will join her.

The top 16 swimmers from the four heats Friday night will advance to Saturday's consolation and championship finals. The No. 16 seed is Noblesville's Rachel Thompson at 1:07.02.

Hudson gives the Patriots a swimmer in the 100 breaststroke state meet for the third straight year, following back-to-back appearances by Vormohr. She traveled to the state meet with Vormohr last season, and hopes that experience will help her as she makes her first trip to the meet.

"I was just nervous there for Cori, and I wasn't even swimming," said Hudson. "Right now it doesn't bother me, but I know once I get there I'm going to be nervous.

"I just want to go out there and swim fast."[[In-content Ad]]