TERRE HAUTE —
When Terre Haute South’s Grace Padget competed in the IHSAA girls swimming state finals as a junior last season, she thought she had a good chance to bust out of the preliminaries into Saturday’s final round in the 100-yard backstroke.
But her time (59.70 seconds) ended up a hair too slow and she placed 23rd out of 32 competitors. Looking back, she admits nerves may have gotten the best of her.
“I’m ready this year,” Padget promised as she prepares for her state-finals return in the 100 backstroke (seeded eighth), 100 butterfly (seeded 17th), 200 medley relay (seeded 19th) and 400 free relay (seeded 22nd) this weekend in the Indiana University Natatorium at Indianapolis.
Also going from the Wabash Valley are South junior Katherine Senseman, Terre Haute North sophomore Maria Kline and South Vermillion senior Payton Thomas.
Swimming preliminaries will take place tonight, with the top 16 out of 32 in each event moving on to Saturday’s consolation and championship finals.
The IU-bound Padget will bring a 100-backstroke time of 57.05 after winning the sectional last Saturday at Avon.
“I’m really excited,” she told the Tribune-Star this week. “But it’s not too much pressure because I know that I’m not done with my career. I will be done with my high school career after this, but I know I have a lot more to look forward to, so I’m excited.
“I want to make the championship finals [in the 100 backstroke]. I know that I can drop time because I wasn’t feeling well before my 100 back[stroke] in the sectional.”
South coach Jeff Thompson remembers a conversation he had with Padget two months ago when she emphasized that she really wanted to be ready for the state finals this season.
“I fully expect her to be swimming on Saturday,” he said. “She has a great shot in the 100 butterfly too. She is prepared for this meet. … Grace’s head is in a good spot. It has been for a long time.”
Senseman also is entered in the 100 backstroke as the No. 15 seed, even though she finished third in the sectional, as well as the 50 freestyle (seeded 24th).
“The 50 free is a start and a turn,” Thompson stressed in the simplest of terms. “Not much swimming goes on. Katherine’s athletic and anything can happen Friday night [in the preliminaries]. There’s a lot of nerves involved. You can be the fastest seed and be a nervous wreck. That can be everything in a 50 free. You’ve just got to be a cool customer.”
Senseman thinks she can improve her time in both of her individual events.
“The sectional atmosphere is great, but the state is on a whole ‘nother level,” she explained. “So I think I can feed off that energy and go a lot faster.”
Members of South’s 200 medley relay squad, in order, are Padget (backstroke), Katherine Senseman (breaststroke), sophomore Rachel Senseman (butterfly) and senior Hannah Stelflug (freestyle).
“We’re going to have to step up and really be on our game to make it back Saturday [for the final 16],” Katherine Senseman admitted.
“Just in relay exchanges, I think we can drop some time,” Thompson mentioned. “But they’ve got some work to do to make it back on Saturday.”
As for the Braves’ 400 free relay — which consists of Katherine Senseman, sophomore Ashton Dillon, Rachel Senseman and Padget — Katherine Senseman pointed out that this foursome barely missed the school record in the sectional. Their time was 3:39.99.
“We want to get that record,” she insisted. “We will be pushed. There will be a lot of good competition. Hopefully, we’ll get that record and make it back [to Saturday] as well.”
Meanwhile, North’s Kline is seeded 23rd in the 500 freestyle and South Vermillion’s Thomas is seeded 32nd in the 50 freestyle.
“I think to swim a little faster would be a good goal … and just see what happens,” North coach John Newhouse said about Kline. “All we can control is what we swim. I think she’s going to do really well.”
High School
Related Photos
-
Back(stroke) to state: Terre Haute South's Grace Padget practices the backstroke as she prepares for state competition Wednesday in the South pool. (Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza)
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis On to state: Terre Haute North swimmer Maria Kline will compete in the 200 yard freestyle in the state swimming competition.
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Freestyle to state: Terre Haute South's Katherine Senseman practices in the South pool Wednesday to prepare for state competition.
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza 24:55: Terre Haute South swim coach Jeff Thompson hugs Katherine Senseman after she won the 50-yard freestyle swim at the Avon swimming and diving sectional Saturday, Feb. 2.
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Freestyle to state: Terre Haute South's Katherine Senseman practices in the South pool Wednesday to prepare for state competition.
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Sportsmanship: Terre Haute South's Grace Padget shakes hands with a fellow Avon competitor after Padget won the 100 yard Butterfly Feb. 2 at the Avon swimming and diving sectional.
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Starting off right: Terre Haute South's Katherine Senseman propels into the water as she practices for the state finals freestyle competition Wednesday at the South pool.
-
Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis On to state: Terre Haute North swimmer Maria Kline will compete in the 200 yard freestyle in the state swimming competition.
Discussion
State bound: South's Padget leads Valley girls into state finals
- High School
-
-
Olds pitches South to share of MIC baseball title
Friday night, winning the second game 5-0 and earning a share of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title.
Damon Olds was dominant on the mound for the Braves, striking out 14 and walking just one while pitching a three-hit shutout. -
South wins first half of doubleheader against Lawrence North
Host Terre Haute South kept its Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball title hopes alive — and clinched no worse than second place in the process — by downing Lawrence North 4-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night.
The second game, which started after Senior Night festivities between games, ended past the Tribune-Star deadline. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Calleja pitches West Vigo past South Vermillion
Brandon Calleja had 13 strikeouts to lead West Vigo to a 5-1 victory against South Vermillion in high school baseball Friday.
Brandon Behringer went 2 for 4 with two RBI for the Vikings, who secured second place in the Western Indiana Conference.
Kaden Lawson had double for South Vermillion (15-7), which finished 4-2 in the WIC. -
Seibert returns from injury to win three events as Braves win sectional crown
His baseball equivalent might be Rick Sutcliffe of the 1984 Chicago Cubs.
When Tyler Seibert returned to the Terre Haute South track and field lineup Thursday for sectional action at Terre Haute North, it was like the midseason trade the Cubs made for Sutcliffe that earned them a playoff spot. -
South switches up lineup to defeat North in tennis sectional
Terre Haute South coach Bill Blankenbaker said two weeks ago that he would change the Braves’ lineup after the 3-2 dual-meet loss to Terre Haute North.
The Patriots knew it was coming, but they couldn’t do anything to stop it. -
PREP ROUNDUP: North slips past Northview in eight-inning baseball game
Colton Pittman drew a bases-loaded walk to score Zach Milam with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as host Terre Haute North edged Northview 8-7 in high school baseball Thursday at Jennings Field.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: North and South to face off for tennis sectional title
The winner of the Terre Haute sectional for girls high school tennis will come down to Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South.
-
Terre Haute North gets 10 event victories to claim 12th straight sectional crown
Terre Haute North won 10 events Tuesday night while winning the Indiana High School Athletic Association girls track and field section at South Putnam High School for the 12th straight year.
-
North, South to meet in first round of baseball sectional
The Indiana High School Athletic Association announced pairings for the baseball state tournament Tuesday and the draw offered up a Vigo County battle in the opening game.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: West Vigo softball clinches share of WIC title
West Vigo clinched at least a share of the Western Indiana Conference softball title with a 6-4 victory over Edgewood on Tuesday.
Jacy McClain and Bailee Waters had RBI singles in the fourth inning to break the game open for the Vikings. -
Track sectional titles on the line
Expect one heck of a high school dual track meet Thursday night when Wabash Valley boys visit Terre Haute North for sectional action.
-
Prep report: Patriots, Braves favored to advance from tennis sectional 1st round
Persons attending this week’s girls tennis sectional championship match at Terre Haute North might want to pack a lunch.
-
Local ADs happy to see spring come to a close
Brian Mancuso is the most experienced of the high school athletic directors in Vigo County — and that’s a very relative term — but even he wasn’t quite ready for the headaches that have accompanied spring sports the last few weeks thanks to rain, rain and more rain.
-
South baseball remains in first-place tie with Center Grove
Heading into Saturday’s Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference baseball doubleheader against Center Grove, coach Kyle Kraemer of Terre Haute South wasn’t completely optimistic.
-
Kehrt Award goes to Emily Bell, Lee Davis
Emily Bell of Terre Haute South and Lee Davis of Terre Haute North are the 2013 recipients of the Willard M. Kehrt Mental Attitude Award.
Bell and Davis were nominated by their schools and chosen in a vote by the Kehrt Award panel. Both will be recognized at awards assemblies later in the month at the schools.
Bell played varsity basketball four years at South and is competing in track this season, running the 800 and two relays. “I wanted something to do my senior year,” Bell said.
She plans to attend DePauw University and play basketball. DePauw is the reigning NCAA Division III champ in women's basketball.
Bell tore an AÇL playing in a basketball tournament the summer after her sophomore season. She missed most of her junior season but came back to play her senior year and was second leading scorer and leading rebounder her final season.
Bell also was leading rebounder her sophomore year. -
South softball's power display earns Braves share of MIC
The fun that the Terre Haute South high school softball team had Saturday — including those five home runs — was all the result of the hard work the Braves had put in before the game, coach Dwayne Stout said after the game.
-
Pirtle takes medalist, leads Sullivan to WIC title
Sullivan took team and individual honors in the Western Indiana Conference boys high school golf championships played Saturday at Idle Creek.
-
Prep roundup: Patriots drop doubleheader to Carmel baseball
Host Terre Haute North saw its Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference baseball championship hopes suffer what was probably a fatal blow on Saturday as the Patriots lost a doubleheader to Carmel by scores of 8-7 and 11-8.
-
Timely hits: After slow start, Terre Haute North rallies to beat Mooresville
No-hit through three innings, Terre Haute North’s bats came alive — especially Sam Wolf’s — just in time to rally for a 4-2 home victory over Mooresville in high school baseball Friday evening at Jennings Field.
-
Linton’s Weber to coach at BNL
Bedford North Lawrence High School has announced that Steve Weber will be the Stars’ head coach for the 2013 season.
-
Freshman group adds to Big Four teams' baseball tradition
The Terre Haute North-Terre Haute South high school baseball series wasn’t an inning old last week before T.J. Collett of the Patriots lashed a run-scoring single.
That hit helped the Patriots take a 2-0 lead, but in the top of the second inning a three-run double by Justin Jenkins sparked the visiting Braves to a four-run inning.
North tied the score in the bottom of the second inning, Collett driving in another run. And just before rain caused the game to be suspended, South called Logan Ames in from its bullpen for some solid pitching.
Not bad for a trio of freshmen. And the weekend hadn’t even started yet. -
Pairings drawn for high school softball sectionals
The IHSAA announced Thursday its pairings for the 2013 sectional softball tournament slated for May 20-25.
Regionals will take place May 28. -
North boys make it three consecutive Vigo County golf titles
Terre Haute North made it three in a row in Vigo County boys high school golf championship action Wednesday at Hulman Links.
The Patriots shot 161 to edge Terre Haute South with 165. West Vigo carded 222. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Wolf homers as North baseball wins 16th game
Terre Haute North erupted for seven runs in the third inning on its way to routing visiting White River Valley 14-1 in 41⁄2 innings of high school baseball Wednesday afternoon at Don Jennings Field.
-
Northview's Carter strikes out 19 in 10-inning win against South Vermillion
Northview’s Taylor Carter and South Vermillion’s Daphne Dunegan locked into a 10-inning all-star softball pitching duel Tuesday night at Northview High School.
Unfortunately, one of them had to lose. -
PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP: South Vermillion 4-0 in WIC after 4-3 win at Northview
Jordan Branz won his ninth game of the season, scattering six hits over eight innings to lead South Vermillion to a 4-3 victory at Northview in a Western Indiana Conference battle.
-
Thompson going into Indiana High School Football Hall of Fame
Former Terre Haute North High School standout Anthony Thompson is the newest member of the Indiana High School Football Hall of Fame.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: South tennis wins against Oldenburg Academy
Playing on Ben Davis’ courts, Terre Haute South pulled out a 4-1 victory over Oldenburg Academy in girls high school tennis Tuesday.
-
Multiple records fall in Big Four track meet
Terre Haute North dominated the girls competition, as expected, and Terre Haute South’s boys edged the host Patriots in what turned out to be a rain-soaked Big Four Classic high school track and field meet Saturday at North.
Despite the less-than-ideal weather, North’s girls set four meet records in compiling 132.5 points, outdistancing the runner-up Braves, who had 63.5. -
Four teams still in running for Big Four baseball crown
The 2013 Big Four baseball tournament was going to last longer than Saturday anyway, thanks to a schedule change this season.
Thanks to steady rain at Terre Haute North, it will last even longer than planned.
Terre Haute South beat West Vigo 2-0 in Saturday morning’s first game, and the second contest between Northview and the host Patriots was halted in the top of the third inning as the field became unplayable. - More High School Headlines
-
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Raw: Germany Protestors Picket Barbie House
China, Others Want What's Under the Arctic Ice
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Raw: 6 Die in Russian Ship Fire
Raw: Suicide Bomber Kills 2 Americans, 13 Others
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
One Million Evacuated As Cyclone Hits Bangladesh
Raw: Pope Frees Doves From Cage
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
Raw: Texas Gov. Flies Over Tornado Damage
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
Cindy Crawford Stuns At Cannes
Raw: Marines Come to Obama's Aid in the Rain
CUTE: Monkey shares lollipop with dog, then HITS pooch on head with it
Miranda Kerr Looks Sexy in a Bikini Photo Shoot
