Carmel Girls Chase 25th Consecutive State Title

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Six individuals who have previously stood on top of the awards podium return and Carmel’s quest for a 25^th consecutive state championship highlight this weekend’s 36^th Annual Girls Swimming & Diving State Finals.

Preliminary swimming heats will begin Friday at 6 p.m. (ET) at the Indiana University Natatorium with the top 16 in each event returning Saturday for the championship and consolation finals scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET). The state diving competition begins Saturday at 9 a.m. (ET).

Should it win a 25^th consecutive title on Saturday afternoon, Carmel would tie for the nation’s fourth-longest string of state championships in any sport. With fifth-year coach Chris Plumb guiding the team, the mark continues to be the longest active streak in the country regardless of sport or gender.

Three individuals who left the Natatorium with blue ribbon medals 12 months ago are back.

Emma Schoettmer, a Center Grove junior, is the defending champion in the 100 breaststroke. She’ll begin the weekend with the third-best time (1:02.87), just a fraction of a second behind the 1:02.44 put up by Mount Vernon’s Erika McCormick.

Carmel sophomore Lacey Locke became the first frosh to win the 100 backstroke since 1991 last year and enters with the second-fastest time (56.05) just behind teammate Alexis Bullard’s 55.06 in the event.

Chesterton’s Olivia Kabacinski, last year’s 200 freestyle winner, is not entered in this year’s event but will take the second-best time into the 100 freestyle (51.78) and eighth-fastest in the 50 free (24.20).

Three other individual state champions from previous years include Noblesville senior Katie Bittner, the 2009 champ in the one-meter diving competition. She finished fourth a year ago and finished third in Tuesday’s regional at Fishers.

Carmel senior Lauren Jordan is the top seed in the 500 freestyle (4:54.51). She won the 2009 title and was nipped at the wall and took second in last year’s final.

After capturing the 100 breaststroke as a sophomore and settling for third last year, Homestead senior Tori Bagan is the second seed this weekend (1:02.63). She also had the state’s top sectional time in the 50 free (23.76).

Other top seeds include Elwood’s Mary Beth Dunnichay, a 2008 Olympian, who is competing in the one meter spring board and accumulated a whopping 560.65 points in the Fishers Regional on Tuesday night. The state meet record of 504.10 would appear to be in jeopardy.

Rhiannon Sheets of Carmel holds the top spot in both the 200 freestyle (1:49.47) and the 100 butterfly (55.04), Plymouth’s Kenzie Miller sits first in the 200 individual medley (2:04.72) and Zoe Mattingly of Zionsville swam a 51.19 in the 100 free.

State Finals
Admission: $8 per session or $12 both days.
Site: Indiana University Natatorium, IUPUI, 901 W. New York St., Indianapolis | Website
Advancement
The top 16 in each swimming event during Friday’s prelims will return for competition on Saturday with the top eight individuals vying for state championship honors. Those finishing nine through 16 on Friday will make up the competitors in the consolation heats. All diving will take place on Saturday with the top 21 of 32 competitors advancing from the prelims to the semis after five dives each. After three dives each in the semis, the top 16 will advance to the final round for another three dives each.

Webcast: Saturday’s championship and consolation events will be streamed live at www.ihsaatv.org beginning at 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT. Mark Jaynes, Tony Young, Matt Taylor and Sean McCarthy will serve as the announcing crew.

State Finals Heat Sheets | Psych Sheets | Diving Order

Notables

State Championship Record Streaks
Longest streaks of consecutive state championships, all sports, all states
29 – Honolulu Punahou, Hawaii, boys swimming, 1958-86.
27 – Pickford, Mich., boys track and field, 1952-78.
26 – Woonsocket Mt. St. Charles Academy, R.I., boys hockey, 1978-2003.
25 – Paulsboro, NJ, wrestling, 1983-2007.
24 – Carmel, Ind., girls swimming, 1986-2010.*
24 – Tacoma Wilson, Wash., boys swimming, 1960-84.
22 – Honolulu Punahou, Hawaii, girls swimming, 1974-95.
21 – Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest, Fla., girls swimming, 1956-76.
*Active streak.
(Source: National Federation of State High School Associations)

Defending State Champions in Field (Individual Events)

100 Backstroke: Lacey Locke, 10, Carmel is the second seed in this year’s event; also fourth seed in 200 IM.

100 Breaststroke: Emma Schoettmer, 11, Center Grove is the third seed in this year’s event.

Note: Olivia Kabacinski, 11, Chesterton, won last year’s 200 freestyle but is not entered in this year’s event.

Other Former State Champions in Field (Individual Events)

One Meter Diving: Katie Bittner, 12, Noblesville won the diving competition in 2009 and finished fourth in 2010.

500 Freestyle: Lauren Jordan, 12, Carmel is the top seed this year; she won the event in 2009 and finished second in 2010.

100 Breaststroke: Tori Bagan, 12, Homestead is the second seed this year; she won the event in 2009 and finished third in 2010.

Top Seeds

200 Medley Relay – Homestead, 1:44.72.

200 Freestyle – Rhiannon Sheets, 12, Carmel, 1:49.47.

200 IM – Kenzie Miller, 12, Plymouth, 2:04.72.

50 Freestyle – Tori Bagan, 12, Homestead, 23.76.

One Meter Diving – Mary Beth Dunnichay, 12, Elwood, 560.65.

100 Butterfly – Rhiannon Sheets, 12, Carmel, 55.04.

100 Freestyle – Zoe Mattingly, 11, Zionsville, 51.19.

500 Freestyle – Lauren Jordan, 12, Carmel, 4:54.51.

200 Freestyle Relay – Homestead, 1:35.92.

100 Back – Alexis Bullard, 11, Carmel, 55.06.

100 Breast – Erika McCormick, 11, Mt. Vernon, 1:02.44.

400 Freestyle Relay – Carmel, 3:32.43.