Patriots take 2nd in sectional (02/18/08)

Five individual runner-up finishes and two more in relays were enough to make the Patriots the second-best team in their sectional.

Jay County High School's boys swim team placed second as sectional hosts Saturday, scoring 200 points while sending a pair of divers on to the regional meet. Barry Weaver of JCHS was voted sectional Coach of the Year.

Muncie Central ran away with the meet, taking first place in nine of 12 events and totaling 324 points. Norwell was third with 197.

Justin Klopp picked up a win to earn a spot in the state finals, leading South Adams (168) to a fourth-place finish in the 10-team field.

Klopp and Patriot divers Steven Kelly and Donny McCowan were the only athletes from the two schools to extend their seasons. The top individual in each swimming event moves on to the state finals, while the top four divers advance to the regional round.

Klopp, a junior, powered the Starfires with his effort in the 100-yard butterfly. He won the event in a meet record time of 52.67 seconds - he set the previous mark at 53.73 last season - finishing more than two seconds ahead of Jay County's Sam Miller.

He was also second in the 50 freestyle in 22.19.

Klopp will take part in the IHSAA Swimming and Diving State Finals Friday at the IU Natatorium at 6 p.m.

Kelly and McCowan, who finished one-two in the Olympic Athletic Conference, had another good day of diving behind sectional champion Korrey Short of Norwell (356.6). McCowan was ahead of his teammate through the preliminary round before they swapped positions in the semifinals and remained second and third the rest of the way.

Kelly finished with 335.25 points, and Zach Lee was third at 314.25. Zach Lee of Bellmont earned the final qualifying position at 306.55.

The four divers will compete in the regional Tuesday at Fishers beginning at 6 p.m. The top eight divers from each regional advance to the state finals.

Miller and senior Tom McCord led Jay County, accounting for four of its sixth second-place efforts.

McCord came closest to a berth in the state finals in the 200 freestyle, where he was the No. 1 seed after Thursday's preliminary round. He finished in 1-minute, 52.63 seconds, four tenths behind Jimmy Carnes of Muncie Central.

He was also the runner-up in the 500 freestyle, more than seven seconds back of Muncie Central's J.P. Dowdle.

Miller was also the top seed in his other event, the 200 individual medley. He had the lead through the butterfly and backstroke legs, but Muncie Central freshman Dan Proctor pulled even in the breaststroke and pulled away to win in a meet record 1:59.41. Miller was second by more than two seconds at 2:01.47.

Aaron Hudson added another runner-up effort in the 100 breaststroke. He was nine tenths behind Proctor in 1:03.02.

The only other Patriot to swim in a championship race Saturday was Lance VanSkyock. He joined Hudson in the 100 breaststroke, finishing fifth in 1:07.7.

Miller and McCord were part of both runner-up relay teams as well, joining Neal Fennig and Chance Milligan for a time of 3:27.21 in the 400 freestyle relay and Milligan and Lucas to finish the 200 freestyle relay in 1:34.9. The JCHS team of Hudson, Fennig, Milligan and Cody Bullard took fifth in the 200 medley relay at 1:50.69.

Alex Habegger turned in the second-best individual effort for South Adams with a third-place finish in the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.25. He was also fourth in the 100 butterfly at 57.31.

Klopp, Habegger, John Gresla and Justin Sommer teamed for third in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:35.19 and fourth in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:32.4.

Caleb Wurster competed in a pair of championship races, turning in the fourth-place finish at 5:28.96 in the 500 freestyle with teammate Eric Feeney (5:31.41) right behind him in fifth. He was also fifth in the 200 individual medley in 2:18.48.

Swimming for the Patriots in the consolation finals were: Hudson (seventh - 100 butterfly); VanSkyock (ninth - 50 freestyle); Fennig (seventh - 100 backstroke, eighth - 200 individual medley) and Milligan (eighth - 100 freestyle).

In the consolation finals for South Adams were: Feeney (seventh - 200 freestyle); Gresla (seventh - 500 freestyle, 12th - 200 freestyle); Sommer (seventh - 50 freestyle) and Taylor Sprunger (ninth - 200 freestyle). Matt Steven (129.5) finished ninth in diving.[[In-content Ad]]