Vormohr 2nd in two events (02/02/07)

FORT WAYNE - Jay County and South Adams will each have one swimmer competing in a championship race Saturday.

Cori Vormohr of the Patriots finished second in her two individual events at the sectional preliminaries Thursday hosted by Homestead at Summit Middle School. The Starfires' Jessica Sharp was sixth in both of her events, earning the final championship slot.

Jay County also qualified one relay for a championship race, and added three individuals for the consolation finals. All three of South Adams' relay teams finished in the top six, and seven individuals reached the consolation finals in at least one event.

As usual, the host Spartans dominated as they placed three swimmers in the top six of every individual event and took the top qualifying spot in all three relays.

Vormohr is the only athlete from the two local schools with a shot at qualifying for the state meet, although it will take some work to do so.

The sophomore finished as the runner-up by three seconds to Homestead's McKenzie Bagan in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing in 1-minute, 2.92 seconds. Her other second-place effort came in the 100 breaststroke where she finished in 1:12.60, but was more than five seconds behind the meet record time of 1:07.43 set by Emily Haifley of Homestead.

In order to earn a state berth, Vormohr will either need to cut those large deficits and win a sectional title or meet the state standard times of 59.12 for butterfly and 1:08.40 for breaststroke.

Vormohr also led the only JCHS relay team to make a championship race. She joined Tina Gingrasso, Briann Saxman and Michelle Landfair to finish fifth in the 200 freestyle relay at 1:54.44.

Sharp qualified for South Adams in the long-distance races, placing sixth in the 200 freestyle in 2:09.32. She qualified easily in the 500 freestyle by more than 13 seconds over the seventh-place finisher in 5:49.33.

The sophomore also keyed two Starfire relays, joining Allison Beitler, Jansen Yoder and Megan Myers for fourth just ahead of Jay County in the 200 freestyle at 1:50.93. Sharp, Beitler, Lauren Rich and Kirsten Wurster teamed for fifth with a time of 4:05.43 in the 400 freestyle relay.

South Adams also qualified for the championship race in the 200 medley relay as the team of Rich, Jansen Yoder, Channing Yoder and Courtney Hewitt finished sixth in 2:08.31.

Other Jay County individuals to finish in the top 12 and qualify for the consolation finals were Michelle Landfair (11th - 100 freestyle), Gingrasso (12th - 100 freestyle) and Saxman (12th - 100 butterfly). The Patriot team of Vormohr, Saxman, Landfair and Gingrasso qualified seventh in the 400 freestyle relay, and Ivy Simons, Lauren Murrell, Maddie Fennig and Christa Castillo were 10th in the 200 medley relay.

Reaching consolation finals for South Adams were Wurster (ninth - 200 freestyle, 10th - 500 freestyle), Channing Yoder (ninth - 200 individual medley, 11th - 100 breaststroke), Beitler (10th - 200 freestyle, 10th - 100 freestyle), Jalisa Balsiger (ninth - 100 butterfly), Bethany Maven (ninth - 500 freestyle), Rich (11th - 100 butterfly) and Hewitt (12th - 100 backstroke).[[In-content Ad]]