Jay wins eighth WVC title

It didn’t win the most events.

But it came out on top for the eighth straight year.

Just as it did for most of the season, the host Jay County Summer Swim Team relied on its depth in finishing first Saturday in the Wabash Valley Conference Championships at Portland Water Park.

Jay County totaled 2,848 points, leaving Wells Community second at 2,544. South Adams was third in the five-team meet with 1,259 points.

It was the eighth consecutive conference title for Jay County and 14th overall since 1982.

Jay County’s boys and girls in the 15-and-older age group were first in each event, led by Alex Bader’s record-breaking performance in the 100-meter breaststroke. Her time of 1 minute, 14.19 seconds, set new team, pool and conference records and was more than two seconds faster than her sister Sophie in 2014. She also won the individual medley and long freestyle.

Eliza Bader (butterfly, backstroke and short freestyle) and Elizabeth McDowell (open 200 freestyle) each won their respective events. Kearsten Myers, Vivienne Kunkler, Eliza Bader and McDowell won the 200 medley relay while McDowell, Kunkler and the Baders teamed to take first in the 200 freestyle relay.

Jason Minnich (butterfly, short freestyle and open 200 freestyle) and Chase McFarland (long freestyle, backstroke and IM) were triple-event winners, and Griffin Mann added a win in the breaststroke. Bode Malott, Mann, Minnich and McFarland won the 200 medley relay, while Ethan Miller, Minnich, McFarland and Malott won the freestyle relay.

Mara Bader was the only other triple-event winner.

Picking up dual victories were Maria Laux, Raif Beiswanger and Elayna Paro. Single winners were Kaitlyn Fisher, Alex Miller, Lauren Fisher, Maddy Snow and Sophie Saxman.

Wells Community’s 13-14-year-old boys relay team set a new pool and conference record in the freestyle relay with their time of 1:56.71.