The Indiana High School Girls State Championships are looking like a full-on assault on the record books after prelims. 5 records fell in 11 contested events, with multiple swimmers under the old records in several races. In addition, 4 more records look dangerously close to falling with athletes sitting well within striking distance.
All 5 state records that fell now belong to Carmel High School. The Carmel onslaught started from the very first race, where the 200 medley relay team of Hanna House, Haley Harris, Veronica Burchill and Amy Bilquist went 1:41.17 to exactly tie the school’s own state record from a year ago. This crew will still have finals on Saturday to finish off the record, and with three of the four swimmers being juniors or younger, it’s quite possible they could be back for another shot in 2015.
Bilquist came off that relay to set two individual state records. The junior went a screaming 22.15 to nab the top seed in the 50 free and absolutely demolish the old state record of 22.90. In fact, Bilquist is now just .16 off of the national high school record, 21.99 set by Olivia Smoliga two years ago.
And Bilquist wasn’t the only swimmer under the old record in that event. Zion’s Alex Cleveland went 22.69, well under the old mark herself, and still has a shot to push Bilquist at finals tomorrow.
The 100 free went the exact same way. Bilquist went 49.06 to smash the old state record of 49.77. Meanwhile Cleveland also snuck under the old mark, going 49.69 to grab the second seed.
The other two state records went to Carmel sophomore Claire Adams. Adams first went 1:46.96 to easily take the top seed in the 200 free. That shaved a tenth off the old state record of 1:47.09. Then, in the 100 back, Adams did just enough to sneak under her own state record, going 53.38 (her 2013 state record mark was 53.40). She’s heavily favored to win both at finals, and should have a shot to lower the records even further.
Teams got moderately close to state records in both freestyle relays as well. Carmel’s 200 free squad of Kendall Smith, Emma Nordin, Shelby Spitz and Veronica Burchill went 1:33.82, just about a second off of the state mark Carmel set back in 2009. Depending on how safe their relay exchanges were and how much the team saved for finals, that record could be under attack as well.
Same goes for the 400 free relay, except this time it’s Zion and Crown Point joining Carmel in the hunt. All three relays were 3:24s at prelims, with the state record standing at 3:23.37 from a year ago. In an intense three-team battle at the end of the championship final tomorrow, it’s not crazy to think the atmosphere could propel all three teams below the old state mark.
The 100 breast looks set up for a crazy showdown with the current state record of 1:00.12 in possible jeopardy. Penn’s Bethany Galat holds the top seed at 1:00.67, while NAG record-holder Lily King of Evansville is second with a 1:01.39. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see one or both break a minute Saturday night.
In addition, Chesterton’s Vanessa Krause finds herself just a hair away from a state record in the 100 fly. The sophomore went 53.74 to earn the middle lane for Saturday’s final, just three tenths off the state mark of 53.41. She’ll have company, though, as Munster High’s Nicole Smith is the second seed by just a tenth, and also within striking distance of the record.
Other top seeds are Penn’s Galat in the 200 IM (1:59.97) and Crown Point freshman Hannah Kukurugy in the 500 free (4:51.76).
The finals will take place at 1:00 Eastern Time Saturday at IUPUI.
All Carmel relays were not fully stacked. Will be in beast mode today so look for more drops and records this afternoon.