Tiger Sharks swim on to state finals

Sunday, February 23, 2014
Elijah Brattain celebrates the Greencastle 200 freestyle relay team's school record as teammates Nash Firebaugh, Taylor Secrest and Nathan Gardner cheer from the deck. The boys found out on Sunday they qualified for state. (Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGA)

AVON -- The Greencastle Tiger Sharks saved the best for last at sectional on Saturday.

Even with Nash Firebaugh advancing to state in the 100 butterfly and the 200 free relay of Firebaugh, Taylor Secrest, Nathan Gardner and Elijah Brattain also moving on, coach Kent Menzel was wowed by the swims he saw across the board from the Tiger Sharks.

"It's not about the place, it's about the swim, it's about the time," Menzel said. "We're still dropping times."

Those impressive swims included a seventh-place finish from the 400 medley relay team of Isaac Harms, Jacob Kessler, Jason Ummel and Brant Mangrum.

"The 400 free relay was just a phenomenal end to the meet," Menzel said. "We have two seniors on the relay paired with a junior and a sophomore. That is just really the springboard to what we'll be able to accomplish next year.

"All four of them swam lifetime bests on Thursday and all four swam lifetime bests again tonight."

The impressive performances also included Brattain, who had a pair of disappointing swims on Thursday to miss out on the championship finals.

The junior refocused and came back to dominate his consolation finals in the 100 and 200 freestyle, something Menzel said he and Brattain discussed before the meet.

Menzel also pointed out his breaststrokers, three underclassmen who returned for Saturday swims. Junior brothers Taylor and Zach Secrest finished neck-and-neck at 11th and 12th, while freshman Logan Wood placed 16th.

However, as usual, Nash Firebaugh stole the show for the Tiger Sharks. While he did not win another sectional championship, the senior will be making his fourth appearance at the IHSAA State Finals on Saturday.

Nash Firebaugh

Firebaugh finished second in the 100 butterfly, but his time of 50.60 was easily better than the state cut time of 52.30. He will be seeded seventh in the state preliminaries of the event on Friday at the IUPUI Natotrium.

The senior's 21.81 in the 50 free, while nearly a half-second faster than his sectional-winning time from last year, was only good enough for third and 23rd-best in the state, leaving him on the outside of the state finals in the 50.

Menzel is excited for Firebaugh's opportunity in the butterfly, however. After a fifth-place state finish last year and having not rested or shaved for the state meet, the coach is excited for his senior.

Exciting news also came for the 200 freestyle relay team on Sunday. While setting a school record of 1:29.48 was exceptional, Menzel learned the following morning the team is moving on to state.

"Sending this relay forward was one of our main goals this year, and we are all very excited about the opportunity to go even faster at the state meet," Menzel said. "While the school record is important to us, swimming at state is the driving goal every fall when we begin the season."

Additionally, having Gardner, Taylor Secrest and Brattain at the meet along with Firebaugh will make for an exciting day for the GHS program.

The relay is seeded 26th at state.

The Greencastle medley relay of Gardner, Taylor Secrest, Firebaugh and Brattain also turned in a nice swim to place third in the opening race of the day.

The other Tiger Shark to make individual finals swims was Gardner, who was sixth in the 100 backstroke and eighth in the 100 butterfly.

Fellow seniors Harms and Mangrum made swims in consolation finals, with Harms placing 13th in the 500 freestyle and 16th in the 200 freestyle and Mangrum coming home 14th in the 50 freestyle and 15th in the 100 freestyle.

"I've talked about the leadership that our seniors have provided to the team before," Menzel said. "But when you come into an important and challenging meet like this, it just becomes more apparent how much leadership they provide to the team."

While two of the seniors are moving on to state, the season's end will mean the end of the high school careers of Firebaugh, Gardner, Harms, Mangrum and Elliot Dunbar.

"Our seniors really lead us and calm us and teach the younger members of the team how to prepare and stay relaxed and get ready for the races," Menzel said. "It is a phenomenal senior leadership we have from the team and it's going to be very hard to see those guys go."

A number of returning Tiger Sharks also got key experience with Saturday sectional swims. Sophomore Jacob Kessler was 10th in the 50 100 butterfly, junior Taylor Secrest was 13th in the 50 free and junior Mitchell Johnson was 16th in the 100 backstroke.

"Overall, we just swam great today, start to finish," Menzel said. "We were on top of our swims. They were all well prepared and pretty much everybody dropped time off their phenomenal performances on Thursday."

"It's hard to be prouder of them -- the way they're supporting each other," Menzel added. "The way the Lady Tiger Sharks are out here supporting the boys."

Friday and, if all goes well, Saturday leave some unfinished business for this team.

"I'm very proud of the team and looking forward to the state meet next Friday," Menzel said.

Greencastle junior Taylor Secrest placed 11th in the 100 breaststroke and was part of a 200 freestyle relay team that advanced to the state finals. (Banner Graphic/JARED JERNAGAN)
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