Chronicle-Tribune
by chuck landis

MIER — Mark Yordy has taken male and female swimmers to the IHSAA state swim finals before. But this time, the van will be jam-packed.

Diver Chris Simmons and the 200-yard medley relay team of senior David Wood, juniors Willis Brookshire and Nick Walker and sophomore Jake Althouse will accompany Yordy on the trip to Indianapolis. It’s the largest contingent of Golden Eagles boys’ swimmers to qualify for the state meet.

The 72nd meet begins at 6 p.m. today at the IU Natatorium on the IUPUI campus. The medley relay preliminaries will be the first event.

Simmons will compete in the diving preliminaries at 9 a.m. Saturday. Final and consolation rounds follow at 1 p.m. Admission is $8 for each session or $12 for both days.

Oak Hill’s last boys’ state qualifiers were Brett Pettit and Tyler Hodge in 2004.

“The difference this year is this is the first time we have had a group make it by time and not as a sectional champion,” Yordy said. “It’s hard to make it on time. You’ve got 20 sectional champions who qualify, and then 12 more positions are based on time.”

Also for the first time, Oak Hill is sending a boys’ relay team to state. The medley relay finished fifth in the Fishers Sectional but had the 27th fastest time from all the sectional meets across the state. Thirty-two teams will take part in the medley relay prelims.

The relay set a school record of 1:40.77 in the sectional, eclipsing the old standard of 1:42.92 set one year ago. The only change this year was Walker, replacing the graduated Tyler Andrews.

“We had been close the past two years,” Brookshire said. “We were 33rd (in the state) my freshman and sophomore years, and we really wanted a chance to go this year.”

The medley relay includes all four swim strokes. Brookshire will lead off and perform the backstroke, followed by Wood (breaststroke), Walker (butterfly) and Althouse (freestyle).

“It means a lot to go as a senior,” Wood said. “It’s good to know after all the hard work that you have made your goal.”

Althouse added: “Just going to state has been the goal of everybody. The big thing is we’re down there on our time and it’s not a fluke. We were meant to be there.”

After the relay came within one-10th second of the state finals last year, the three veteran team members believed they could advance if they eliminated the mental mistakes. Walker was the last part of the equation and admitted he was under some pressure to perform.

“I knew I would be part of (the relay), but I didn’t know how good we would be,” Walker said. “I just had to stay focused and work hard in practice.

“This has been a goal to make state and it’s awesome,” Walker added. “I couldn’t be any happier.”

Yordy’s objective for the relay is to improve on their seeding and their school record time. It should help that each swimmer will compete in only one event.

“I’m kind of excited to see how we do,” Yordy said. “We have not yet had everybody swim their best time at the same time.”

Simmons was Fishers Sectional diving champion, but struggled at regional and earned the sixth of eight state qualifying berths.

During the regular season, the junior had the best six-dive score in the state. Although Simmons hopes to contend for a state title, his focus is on a high finish.

“I don’t know if I can win it, but I feel that I can at least be in the top five,” Simmons said. “I am going to go down with the idea of winning it.”

Diving coach Bobby Hart also believes Simmons has a shot at first place. Hart said it will help that meet officials will take over judging of the divers from coaches for the first time.

Simmons said he’s considering adding a reverse 2½ dive but doesn’t plan any other major changes to strengthen his program.