Swimmers set for sectional

Assistant Editor

The three Putnam County girls' swim teams are gearing up for the postseason as they will compete in the Crawfordsville Sectional, beginning on Thursday.

Swimmers from Greencastle, North Putnam and South Putnam will compete against Attica, Clinton Central, Crawfordsville, Fountain Central, Frankfort, North Montgomery, North Vermillion, Seeger, South Vermillion and Southmont at the sectional.

The preliminary round is scheduled for Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. The finals are set for Saturday, starting at 9 a.m.

First-place finishers in each event will advance to the state finals, scheduled for Feb. 9-10 at the Indiana University Natatorium.

Divers who advance out of the sectional will compete in the Avon Regional on Feb. 6 prior to advancing to state competition.

Heading into Thursday's competition, Crawfordsville has the most top seeds at eight, while Southmont has two. North Montgomery and Fountain Central each had one top seed.

Greencastle does not have a top seed. However, the Tiger Sharks have swimmers in three events that have the chance of advancing.

Junior Erica Soster has the fifth-best time in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 26.53. Crawfordsville's Missy Robinson, only a freshman, has the top time a 25.26.

In addition, Soster's time in the 100-yard freestyle is the fourth-best heading into the sectional at 58.88. The top seed in the event is Crawfordsville senior Cailee Timmons at 56.55.

Greencastle sophomore Kelsey Murtagh is also seeded high heading into the sectional. She has the second-best time in the 100-yard backstroke with a 1:01.36, while Southmont's Hilary Mishler is seeded first at 1:00.05.

Murtagh also has the third-best time in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:04.73, behind Crawfordsville's Catherine Howland (1:02.48) and Crawfordsville's Kaeleigh Carrier (1:03.17).

South Putnam's Laura Manninen also has a legimate chance of advancing in the 500-yard freestyle.

Manninen, an exchange student from Finland, has the third-best time in the event at 5:45.72, trailing only Crawfordsville's Rebecca Howland (5:34.18) and Crawfordsville's Sarah Howland (5:40.47).

Crawfordsville Girls' Swimming Sectional

(Top Seeds Only)

200 Medley Relay -- Crawfordsville 1:56.40

200 Freestyle -- Mishler (SM) 1:57.12

200 IM -- 1. Howland (CHS) 2:18.54

50 Freestyle -- 1. Robinson (CHS) 25.26

Diving -- 1. Johnson (FC) 389.90

100 Butterfly -- 1. Howland (CHS) 1:02.48

100 Freestyle -- 1. Timmons (CHS) 56.55

500 Freestyle -- 1. Howland (CHS) 5:34.18

200 Freestyle Relay -- 1. Crawfordsville 1:42.87

100 Backstroke -- 1. Mishler (SM) 1:00.05

100 Breaststroke -- 1. McIlrath (NM) 1:11.39

400 Freestyle Relay -- 1. Crawfordsville 3:48.20