By Frank Bonner
For the Daily Journal
COLUMBUS
Franklin’s girls and boys swimming and diving teams traveled to Columbus North for the first meet of the year and earned a total of 19 first-place finishes during a season-opening sweep.
Franklin coach Zach DeWitt said this was the best Columbus North team that he has seen in five years, but the eighth-ranked Grizzly Cub boys were still able to get the 99-87 victory while the No. 4 girls won 133-50.
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“I thought (North) fought all night long, which is really fun to be in a meet like that, because a lot of times in a dual meet season you never know when kids are going to be rested or feeling good,” Dewitt said. “I don’t know where they are in their season, but they were unbelievable. I was really impressed.”
Cade Oliver finished the 200-yard individual medley in one minute and 57.39 seconds to break the Franklin boys freshman record. DeWitt said he believes Oliver has the ability to compete for a top-eight spot at the state meet in his first high school season.
DeWitt expects Jacob Destrampe to do well in most meets, so it may take a little more for the junior to impress him. Destrampe still managed to win the 200 freestyle (1:44.54) and the 500 freestyle (4:44.74). The other double event winner for the boys was Griffin Edwards in the 100 backstroke (55.39) and the 100 butterfly (53.58).
Max Kramer won the 50 freestyle in 22.04, while Gauge Creech’s 280.45 was good for the win in the diving competition. Michael Couet won the 100 breaststroke in 57.81.
DeWitt said his girls team is a lot deeper than his boys team, and it showed. Double event winners were Sarah Hoffman in the 200 freestyle (1:57.48) and the 500 freestyle (5:11.87), as well as Carla Gildersleeve in the 200 individual medley (2:06.83) and 100 butterfly (57.23).
Madison Wheeler won diving with a 188.30 score. Jessie Fraley won the 100 backstroke in 59.25, and Ali Terrell won the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.91.
“We decided to swim a stacked lineup, which is something we’re probably going to swim for the rest of the season for championship meets,” DeWitt said. “I just wanted to see where we are, and for lifting this morning I thought that they were really, really fast.
“Normally our girls don’t come around until later in the season, so for us to be swimming this fast this early is encouraging.”
