Cougar boys win big to improve to 3-1, girls lose heartbreaker

Thursday, December 6, 2012
North Putnam swimmer Samantha Freije competes in a meet earlier this year. Freije was part of the 400 free relay team that had a close victory against Owen Valley on Tuesday. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

The Cougar swim and dive teams battled Owen Valley on Tuesday. The boys won 123-54, while the girls lost a heartbreaker, 65-64.

"I am so proud of my girls' team for the way they competed," North Putnam coach Tony Gray said. "The girls were again outnumbered but showed a lot of guts and made the meet a close call. I could not ask anything more from the girls, they left it all in the pool tonight."

Leading the girls was Elizabeth Alford with individual victories in the 200-IM and the 100-free.

Also picking up victories were Hannah Gray in the 100-back and Rebecca Muse in the 100 fly.

The 200 medley relay team of Gray, Lyndsay Roberts, Alford and Muse and the 400 free relay team of Muse, Samantha Freije, Alford and Roberts also had close victories.

The Cougar boys got contributions from top to bottom, Gray said.

Individual winners on the night were Jonah Creamean, with victories in the 200- and 100-free, Dane Gray, in the 200-IM and 100-back, Nick Kaufman, with wins in the 50-free and diving, Joe Lehr, in the 500-free, and Trevor Troyer, in the 100-fly.

Contributing to sweeping the relays were Lehr, Gray, Troyer, Kaufman, Allen, Hinners and Creamean.

"We got one our captains and leading swimmer back tonight, so the boys were fired up," Gray said. "We have three more boys still out but expect to be at full strength for conference."

Gray said he continues to be happy with how the young team has progressed.

"My nine freshman are developing and growing up quick," he said. "Even though we are in a hard cycle and the kids are swimming tired, we managed to post 34 lifetime bests tonight. All I can say is, 'wow!'"

On Saturday NPHS traveled to Edgewood to participate in a three-way meet with Edgewood and South Vermillion.

The lady Cougars fought hard but came away 0-2 for the day. The Cougar boys finished the day 1-1.

"I am very proud of the fight our girls showed (Saturday)," Gray said. "The girls' team only has seven active swimmers, so scoring enough points to win a meet is difficult."

Numerous girls posted personal bests set on Saturday, Gray said.

Leading the lady Cougars were Alford, with a second place finish in the 200 IM, and Roberts, with a third place finish in the 100-breast.

On the boys side the Cougars fought hard but could not overcome the absence of four key swimmers, Gray said, and a disqualification in the deciding relay that kept the Cougars boys from going 2-0 for the day.

NPHS had a swimmer false start in the relay.

"When the freshman who left early in the relay approached me, he was apologetic," Gray said. "I told the young man not to hang his head. The mistake was made while trying to be aggressive, and I never fault a kid for being aggressive."

Top performers for the day were Lehr, Hinners, Troyer and Kaufman, combining to win the 200 medley relay, while Lehr, Creamean, Troyer and Kaufman combined to win the 200 free relay.

Individual winners on the day were Creamean in the 200-free, Kaufman in the 50-free, and Lehr in the 100-backstroke.

The Cougars are in action Saturday at the Clinton Central Invitational.

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