A year ago, Franklin’s girls swim team gleefully celebrated on deck at the IU Natatorium, having earned a state runner-up finish for the first time.
Once the pool party ended, however, Sarah Hoffman went home and marinated in her own anger. She was, to put it mildly, displeased with her own individual performances after finishing 10th in the 200-yard freestyle and 14th in the 500 free.
“I was very upset,” Hoffman said. “I was really happy for the team because we did so well; it’s kind of hard to be upset about yourself when it’s about everyone else. But I didn’t really want to feel that way again.”
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Determined to redeem herself as a senior, Hoffman put in the necessary work — and the results followed. She placed third in the 500 freestyle at last month’s state meet, also contributing a pair of relay medals and a 10th-place showing in the 200 free while leading the Grizzly Cubs to a third-place team finish.
For her efforts, Hoffman is the Daily Journal’s 2020 Girls Swimmer of the Year.
Far from the most vocal presence on deck, Hoffman nonetheless served as a leader by example for Franklin this winter, setting a tone in practice with her work ethic.
“She’s not someone that speaks with her mouth; she’s someone that speaks with her actions,” Franklin coach Zach DeWitt said. “She lets her work do the talking for her. She’s kind of always been like that.
“She leads the team with her body of work. … She probably doesn’t know how many people look up to her.”
Hoffman was the area’s dominant distance freestyler, comfortably winning the 200 and 500 at the Johnson County, Mid-State Conference and sectional meets. She capped off her season with a season-best effort in the 500 at state, finishing in 4:56.31.
“”Normally, I don’t take out as fast,” Hoffman said after that race, “but I had (Josephine Ramey of Fishers) there, and so I was like, ‘If I take it out with her, we’ll see where I end up’ — and I ended up pretty fine.’”
Hoffman helped the Grizzly Cubs finish third in the 200 freestyle relay and seventh in the 400 free relay while also duplicating her 10th-place showing in the 200 free. All told, she had a hand in 79 of Franklin’s 165 points at the state meet.
Since she’s become accustomed to team success, perhaps it shouldn’t be all that surprising that Hoffman passed up some Division I opportunities and signed with Kenyon College in Ohio, which has won 23 NCAA Division III national championships and finished second nine other times, including the last two years.
“I looked at other teams,” Hoffman said. “The thing with D-I is that they’re there for the money a lot; for (some other schools), it was, and they didn’t really enjoy it as much. At Kenyon, they’re all there because they want to be there and they want to swim fast for their school. It’s not just about the tuition.”
If Hoffman’s reaction to her state-meet showing this year is any indication, she’ll fit right in with the Lords during their title quests the next four years.
“My times weren’t fantastic,” she shrugged. “(But) I scored the points I need to score for the team.”
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The 2020 All-County team for girls swimming and diving:
Kabria Chapman, Franklin junior: Finished as the state runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke, posting a school-record time of 1:03.09 … Also helped the Grizzly Cubs to a third-place medley relay finish.
Sarah Hoffman, Franklin senior: Closed her career in style with a third-place state finish in the 500 freestyle and two state medals in freestyle relays … Was 10th in the 200 free … Will swim for perennial Division III powerhouse Kenyon next winter.
Allie Lacy, Franklin freshman: Qualified for state in the 200 individual medley, placing 10th, and the 100 backstroke … Earned state medals in the 200 medley relay (third) and 400 freestyle relay (seventh).
Kenzie Mills, Center Grove junior: Won the Johnson County diving championship and was the lone local state qualifier on the 1-meter board, finishing 19th.
Grace Nuhfer, Greenwood junior: Returned to the state meet in the 100 butterfly, finishing 12th … Also helped qualify the Woodmen for state in the medley relay (23rd) and 400 freestyle relay (19th).
Gracey Payne, Franklin junior: Returned to the state meet in the 50 and 100 freestyle, finishing ninth in both … Helped the medley and 200 free relays place third.
Bella Ratzlaff, Franklin senior: The Air Force recruit finished 10th in the state in the 100 breaststroke, was 16th in the 50 freestyle and swam on the third-place 200 freestyle relay.
Honorable mention
Sierra Bowman, Indian Creek; Lina Caudill, Franklin; Addison Daily, Whiteland; Grace DeLuna, Center Grove; Grace Fisher, Franklin; Alex Halle, Whiteland; Alea Hensley, Franklin; Lucy Ho, Franklin; Alayna Kenworthy, Greenwood; Paige Lawrence, Franklin; Gracie Marsh, Center Grove; Madison Peckinpaugh, Greenwood; Ava Ray, Franklin; Molly Stiles, Center Grove; Kiersten Smith, Center Grove; Devin Trammell, Center Grove; Naomi Weaver, Greenwood
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