Franklin wasn’t expecting a serious challenge to its team reign at Saturday’s girls swimming and diving sectional — the Grizzly Cubs’ focus was on getting as many swimmers through to the state meet as possible.
Mission complete.
Winning all three relays and all but one of the swimming events on the day, Franklin cruised to its fifth consecutive sectional crown, outpointing runner-up Center Grove 504-385.
In the process, the Grizzly Cubs positioned themselves well for another high finish at this weekend’s state meet.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
"Nearly all the swims we thought we had a shot at getting out, we got out," Franklin coach Zach DeWitt said, "and the girls, even, that maybe that wasn’t the aspiration or the goal, they really swam well."
The Grizzly Cubs started their day with a win, taking the 200-yard medley relay in a time of 1 minute, 46.16 seconds behind the quartet of Allie Lacy, Grace Fisher, Kabria Chapman and Ava Ray.
Sarah Hoffman (1:51.54) then led a 1-2-3 Franklin finish in the 200 freestyle, and after Lacy won the 200 individual medley in 2:05.02, the Grizzly Cubs swept the top three again in the 50 free behind winner Gracey Payne (23.79).
Payne (52.03) then took the 100 freestyle, and Hoffman earned her second individual win in the 500 free, going 5:03.68 to pace another Franklin sweep.
After Ray, Ho, Bella Ratzlaff and Hoffman claimed the 200 free relay in 1:37.31, the Grizzly Cubs got a win in the 100 backstroke from Lacy (56.70), who enjoyed a banner day in her first sectional meet.
"I’m very happy with how that went," the freshman said. "I felt very excited. Just the energy made me so excited during it."
Then came the meet’s biggest surprise, when Ratzlaff put up a 1:03.57 in the 100 breaststroke to edge teammate Chapman by two tenths of a second. Both were among the state’s five fastest sectional times.
"I think I knew it was possible," said Ratzlaff, who shaved nearly three and a half seconds off of her preliminary time. "I’ve put in a lot of work. I couldn’t have done it without Kabria; she’s been pushing me all season.
"Being able to train with someone like Kabria, nobody else has that opportunity across the state. … I think she’s going to pull off something really great next week, and I hope to be along with her."
Franklin closed out with a winning time of 3:33.73 in the 400 free relay behind the team of Alea Hensley, Ho, Paige Lawrence and Hoffman.
Greenwood’s Grace Nuhfer broke Franklin’s swimming monopoly with a first-place effort in the 100 butterfly (57.35). Teammate Alayna Kenworthy was second in the IM, posting a state cut time of 2:06.65.
"I’m so excited for her," Nuhfer said of Kenworthy. "Also, she made the NCSA Junior Nationals cut, so this year I’ll have a buddy going to that with me, too. It’s just super fun to see everyone on the team really rising up to what they were called to do and kicking butt."
The Woodmen also qualified for state in the medley and 400 freestyle relays.
Team runner-up Center Grove had two state qualifiers, earning callbacks in the medley and 400 freestyle relays as well. In addition, Kenzie Mills finished fourth in diving to advance to Tuesday’s regional.
Whiteland, which finished third as a team on Saturday, is also sending its 400 freestyle relay quartet to state.
As has been the case in each of the last few years, though, it’ll be Franklin carrying the lion’s share of the weight for the county at IU Natatorium.
They’re fine with that.
"We got a lot of people into the meet, which is good, and so now we just have to advance everyone in the meet into finals at state," Hoffman said. "Everyone who needed to get there is there."
