Finishing strong

INDIANAPOLIS — Mara Bader just wanted to have a strong finish to her career.

She was able to walk away happy from her final meet.

Bader, a Jay County High School senior, improved on her sectional times in both events Friday night, including a 27th-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, as she capped her career in the preliminaries of the IHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving State Finals at Indiana University Natatorium.

It was the 16th consecutive year in which the Patriot girls had at least one swimmer at the state finals.

Bader turned in her best career finish at the state finals in her last race. She had been 28th in the 100 breaststroke last season, and though her time wasn’t quite as fast as a year ago, her 1 minute, 8.54 seconds, was good enough for 27th place this time around.

The time did, however, mark a 0.37-second improvement over her sectional championship time from a week earlier.

Katelyn Kertin of Hamilton Southeastern was 16th in 1:06.06. (The top 16 swimmers in each event advance to today’s consolation and championship finals.)

Bader also bettered her sectional time in the 200 individual medley by a half second over the sectional meet for a career-best time. She finished in 2:18.45 for 31st place, matching her seed going into the meet.

Peyton O’Connor of Carroll was the final qualifier for Saturday’s consolation finals at 2:07.36.

Friday’s effort capped a career in which Bader was a six-time state qualifier in individual events. She made it to the finals in the 200 individual medley in all four seasons and in the 100 breaststroke in her junior and senior years.