South Putnam finishes fifth at THS Girls' Swim Sectional, Pastore, Eagle 200 medley relay as runners-up

Though she kept pace most of the race, South Putnam's Kallie Pastore (top) finished as runner-up to Plainfield's Taylor Brackney in the finals of the 100 breaststroke at Saturday's IHSAA Terre Haute South Girls' Swimming and Diving Sectional. The Eagles reset several school records on the way to a fifth-place finish with North Putnam ninth and Greencastle 10th overall.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

TERRE HAUTE – South Putnam finished its season with two runner-up finishes at the IHSAA Terre Haute South Girls’ Swimming and Diving Sectional Saturday afternoon.

Eagle senior Kallie Pastore improved upon her 100 breaststroke school record, finishing in a time of 1:07.08 while the 200 medley relay team of Pastore, Megan Bumgardner, Elise Kendall and Bella Fanning finished in 1:56.89.

Pastore also reset her 50 free record (25.66) in finishing third in the event while the 400 free relay team of Pastore, Bumgardner, Kendall and Josey Helton reset their school record (3:55.72) in finishing fourth in the event.

Plainfield won nine of 12 events and cruised to a sectional title with a team score of 520. Avon finished as runner-up (327), winning the other three events, with hosts Terre Haute South third (262), Cascade fourth (252) and South Putnam fifth (230).

Danville (180), Terre Haute North (141) and West Vigo (97) took the next three spots with North Putnam (88) ninth and Greencastle (74) 10th.

North Putnam topped Greencastle largely off the back of a sixth-place finish for Barbie Fuchs in the diving competition (325.95) with another sixth-place finish coming in the 200 free relay through Fuchs, Addison Jones, Addison Everman and Graci Hollis (1:51.66) along with a seventh-place finish in the 200 medley relay through Fuchs, Hollis, Jones and Tayler Sillery (2:09.41).

"The girls had been chasing our 200 free relay record the whole season and finally accomplished setting a new record that was set in 2005," North Putnam head coach Wes Richardson said. "They were really psyched up and had a positive attitude going into the 200 and did an awesome job at the finish.

"Barbie was disappointed; however, she has nothing to be ashamed of," Richardson added about the freshman diver, who was in the regional qualifier positions going into the final three dives. "Barbie has accomplished a lot as a freshman diver and swimmer. I believe what she has learned from competing at such a high level will only make her better and stronger next season.

"She broke the county diving record and broke the school's diving record. Learning how to deal with the pressure of sectional finals isn't something you can know, until you experience it for yourself."

The Tiger Sharks finished seventh in the 400 free relay through Meredith Ball, Taylor Ball, Kylie Flint and Avery Capps (4:20.75) and eighth in the 200 free relay through the same quartet (1:56.25).

Other individual finishes for the Eagles included sixth-place finishes for Kendall in the 50 free (26.29) and 100 free (57.55), seventh-place finishes for Bumgardner in the 200 IM (2:35.03), Fanning in the 100 breaststroke (1:14.06) and the 200 free relay team of Fanning, Helton, Stevie Keenan and Victoria Paige (1:54.56), an eighth-place finish for Helton in the 200 free (2:13.30), ninth-place finishes for Helton in the 500 free (6:03.95), a 12th-place finish for Paige in the 100 breaststroke (1:30.73), a 13th-place finish for Paige in the 200 IM (2:54.66), 15th-place finishes for Addalyn Brinkman in the 200 free (2:25.06) and 500 free (6:35.80) and Addi Gibson in the 100 fly (1:28.37) and 16th-place finishes for Keenan in the 200 free (2:25.92), July Owen in the 200 IM (3:31.45) and Fanning in the 50 free (29.09).

“We had outstanding swims throughout the two-day meet and I’m really proud of the way the girls competed in the face of such dominant club teams,” South Putnam head coach Anna Kendall said. “They’re an incredible group that hasn’t shied away from challenge this season and they’ve seen their hard work and delayed gratification pay off.”

Other individual finishes for the Cougars included a 10th-place finish for Jones in the 100 back (1:11.29), an 11th-place finish for Fuchs in the 100 free (1:00.86), a 12th-place finish for Jones in the 200 IM (2:40.68), a 13th-place finish for Hollis in the 100 free (1:01.59) and a 14th-place finish for Hollis in the 50 free (27.66).

"The team is young and growing," Richardson said. "As they continue to grow and mature, they will only get better.

"I am very excited where this team is headed. We are also looking forward to several very strong eighth graders that will help this team with numbers and strength."

Other finishes for the Tiger Sharks included a ninth-place finish for Capps in the 100 breaststroke (1:17.42), a 10th-place finish for Capps in the 200 IM (2:35.76), 12th-place finishes for Meredith Ball in the 100 free (1:01.34) and Ella Tischer in the 100 back (1:15.10) and a 15th-place finish for Meredith Ball in the 50 free (27.70).