Medal caps Bader’s career

INDIANAPOLIS — Sophie Bader had done everything a swimmer could want in a career.
She broke an individual school record during her first race as a Patriot.
She helped lead back-to-back sectional championship teams, the only ones in Jay County High School history.
She placed her name on the JCHS record board in seven events.
All that was left was the exclamation point.
Bader put that on her career Saturday when she stepped on the podium, bowed her head and had a state medal draped around her neck.
The senior cemented her place in the history books, becoming just the second Patriot girls swimmer to receive a state medal thanks to her eighth-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly at the IHSAA state finals at Indiana University Natatorium.
“It was just an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life,” said Bader, who joined her cousin Anne Vormohr on the short list of medalists. “Seeing Anne do it her freshman and junior year, I could just see how happy she was after standing on that podium … so it was definitely something that I was chasing after. … I couldn’t be happier about today.”
Bader’s effort, which also included a top-16 effort in the 200 individual medley, led the way for Jay County, which scored 31 points and finished 17th out of 74 teams that competed at the state meet. The Patriots were eight points ahead of Avon and Warsaw, which tied for 18th, and three behind 16th-place Munster.
Carmel cruised to its national record-setting 30th consecutive state championship by posting 438 points, more than twice as many as runner-up Hamilton Southeastern.
JCHS coach Matt Slavik was proud of his squad, though it had set a goal of finishing in the top 10 after placing 15th a year ago.
“Every year we’ve set the bar higher. And we set the bar extremely high for this year, and I think that’s why we felt disappointed (Friday),” said Slavik. “But if you compare it to the other couple hundred teams that are at this swim meet, if you compare it to our past accomplishments, this weekend is right up there.
“We’re a top-20 team in the state of Indiana. … I think what we’ve accomplished is tremendous.”
Bader earned her state medal in Friday night’s preliminaries, during which she finished third in her heat of the butterfly with a school-record time of 56.06 seconds. She dropped to sixth after the third heat and worried she would come in ninth, one spot short of the state podium. But only two swimmers in the fourth and final heat surpassed her, locking in her spot on the podium.
She narrowly missed climbing one more step to seventh place as she surged during her second 50 yards in Saturday’s championship race. Her time of 56.56 was just one hundredth of a second behind Homestead senior Kaitlyn Ducker.
Bader also returned to the pool Saturday for a 14th-place finish in the 200 individual medley in 2 minutes, 7.61 seconds, and contributed to a pair of top-16 relays for the Patriots.
“The accomplishments of Sophie Bader are phenomenal,” said Slavik. “I couldn’t be any prouder of her, as a young lady, as an athlete. It was definitely her weekend. She swam tremendously.”
Prior to 2013, only seven JCHS individuals had advanced to the state finals in girls swimming events. None had earned a spot in the top 16.
Vormohr changed that during her freshman season, and over the last three years Bader made a gradual climb.
After competing in other events as a freshman, she posted a state cut time to earn a trip to Indianapolis in the butterfly as a sophomore. She placed 22nd in the event that year and then moved up to 16th last season before claiming her medal this year.
“Sophomore year I kind of took a gamble swimming against Emmy Rawson (of Muncie Central), who placed first at the sectional and I achieved a state time,” said Bader, who holds school records in the 100 butterfly, 200 IM, 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle in addition to all three relays. “I was really shooting for the top 16 that year, but … butterfly really took off and the times got extremely fast.
“And then last year after finishing 16th place it was definitely a goal to inch myself higher. I really didn’t know if that top eight was going to be achievable, but working this entire year and then … seeing the psych sheet … after sectional, I was like, ‘OK, I can do this.’ I have worked my entire life to get to this moment. … I’m extremely thankful to have the opportunity to be here today.”
Vormohr was the only other Jay County individual to compete Saturday, swimming to a 10th-place finish in the 100 backstroke in 57.2 seconds. The senior became the first female swimmer in Patriot history to win a state medal when she finished fifth during her freshman season, and then she repeated that feat as a junior.
“To be able to do that was just awesome,” said Vormohr, saying she was proud to be able to do it for Jay County and thanking her family for supporting her career. “It was a lot of fun, and I had a lot of fun over the course of my four years.”
Alex Bader and Ashley Mark joined Vormohr and Sophie Bader to post a time of 1:38.56 for 13th in the 200 freestyle relay. The same group opened the day by placing 14th in the 200 medley relay in 1:49.36.