Miller leads runner-up Jay (02/23/2009)

Sam Miller is going to state.

Miller held strong from his No. 1 seed in the 200-yard freestyle Saturday, winning the event and earning a berth in the IHSAA Swimming and Diving State Finals. He led the host Jay County High School boys swim team to a second-place finish in the sectional tournament.

The Patriots finished with 195 points, holding off third-place Bluffton by one. Muncie Central won nine events, including all three relays, to run away with its second straight title with 322 points.

South Adams, which will be represented at the state meet by Justin Klopp in two events, was fourth with 172 points. Delta (124) was a distant fifth in the 10-team meet.

The winner of each swimming event earned a state berth. The top four divers advance to the regional Tuesday at Hamilton Southeastern.

Miller, a senior, was the top seeded swimmer in the 200 freestyle by three seconds in Thursday's preliminary round. John Dowdle of Muncie Central trimmed that margin, but still finished more than a half-second back in the championship race as Miller won in 1-minute, 48.26 seconds.

He also led Jay County's best relay finish, teaming with fellow seniors Chance Milligan, Derik Lucas and Lance VanSkyock for second in the 200 freestyle in 1:34.53.

Last season Miller just missed state berths, finishing second in both of his events.

Klopp will join Miller at the state finals, having knocked him off in the locally dominated 100 butterfly. He finished the 100 butterfly in 51,86, nearly two seconds ahead of runner-up Miller. The Patriots' Aaron Hudson was fourth in 56.83, and Alex Habegger of the Starfires took fifth in 57.53.

The South Adams senior finished second in the 50 freestyle in 21.76 behind Devon Hill of Muncie Central (21.38), but will head to the state meet in that event regardless. His time was well under the state cut of 21.98, earning him an automatic trip to the state finals.

Klopp finished 15th in the state in the butterfly last season and was 23rd in the 50 freestyle.

He also led a pair of runner-up relays for South Adams, joining Habegger, Eric Feeney and Caleb Wurster for a times of 1:43.56 in the 200 medley and 3:25.41 in the 400 freestyle.

Jay County's hopes of a second state berth were dashed in the 100 breaststroke.

Hudson, a junior, earned the No. 1 seed Thursday ahead of Muncie Central's Daniel Proctor. However the defending champion rallied in Saturday's finals to finish nearly a second ahead of Hudson, who posted a time of 1:03.02.

Miller, Hudson, Milligan and Neal Fennig teamed for third in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:29.29, and Hudson, Fennig, VanSkyock and Lucas took third in the 200 medley relay in 1:46.72.

Habegger, Feeney and Wurster each finished in the top five of both of their individual events for South Adams.

Feeney was the runner-up in the 500 freestyle in 5:12.72 with Wurster in fourth at 5:13.28. He also placed fourth in the 200 freestyle at 1:55.93.

Habegger finished third behind Hudson in the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.65, and Wurster was fourth in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:13.84.

VanSkyock capped his career with a fourth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke in 1:05.83. Neal Fennig was fifth in both of his events with times of 2:20.36 in the 200 individual medley and 1:01.77 in the 100 backstroke.

Nathan Cain won his consolation final in the 500 freestyle to finish seventh overall and was also 10th in the 200 freestyle. Also finishing in the top 12 in two events for Jay County were Milligan (eighth - 50 freestyle, eighth - 100 freestyle), Wiley Young (ninth - 200 individual medley, 10th - 100 butterfly) and Jared Valentine (ninth - 500 freestyle, 11th - 100 breaststroke).

Landyn Waugh was seventh for South Adams in the 100 breaststroke. Cade Farlow, Derek Kirchhofer, Jacob Werst and Joel Schmidt were ninth in the 200 freestyle relay. Farlow was also 11th in the 100 freestyle, and Johnny Everidge finished 11th in the 200 freestyle.

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