Cristina Elliott says she pays no attention to the high school swimmers in adjacent lanes to her during a meet.
“It freaks me out sometimes,” she explained. “I try not to look at my competition, just my times.”
So apparently the Terre Haute South junior didn’t notice Saturday that the swimmers next to her in Elliott’s two individual events for the Braves, 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, were the defending sectional champions and holders of sectional records in those events.
Or at least they used to be.
Elliott has both those sectional records now, after a pair of swims so dominant that they inspired the South boys team/cheer squad — resplendent in body paint and vocal the entire meet (as were the toga-clad Terre Haute North boys) — to call-and-response poetry: “Cristina’s what? Red hot!”
The rest of the Vigo County contingent also swam well, but thanks to competition in one of the toughest sectionals in the state there won’t be many of them swimming again next week at the IUPUI Natatorium. South also got a win in the 200 medley relay — Grace Padget, Sarah Senseman, Elliott and Mercedez Bray — and coach Jeff Thompson is hopeful that Bray’s runner-up finish in the 100 breaststroke (in school-record time) might also get her to the state finals.
South placed fourth as a team and North was fifth. West Vigo placed 12th.
How tough is the Zionsville Sectional? Well, the host Eagles swept the top three places in both the 100 and 200 freestyles, all bettering state-cutoff times; a total of 12 non-winning times in the meet bettered the state-cutoff standard; and one of those 12 state-qualifying times came from the winner of a consolation race — seventh place, in other words.
“It’s probably one of the best three [sectionals] in the state,” Thompson said after the meet. “To come out of here, that says something. I’m proud of the kids today, really proud.”
“We knew what we were getting when we came here,” said North coach John Newhouse when asked about the excellence of competition.
“This was a great day for us,” Newhouse noted. “We have some drops [in time] again from Thursday [the qualifying swims] … it’s been a great year, beyond expectations.”
“As a team we had a great meet,” Thompson echoed. “We’re a young team. A lot of sophomores and juniors scored, and [two] freshmen [Hannah Stelflug and Padget].”
“The girls improved their times, and we had four freshmen scoring,” said coach Doug Tilford of West Vigo. “That says a lot about our future. And both our divers finished in the top 12.”
Diver Caitlyn Tilford’s seventh-place finish was West Vigo’s best — “the county champion,” West Vigo boys coach Dave Cooper quipped — while Celeste Kline was third in backstroke as the top Patriot individual finisher. North’s only two seniors, Haley Tisdale and Katie Shew, “both had great days,” Newhouse said.
The greatest day, perhaps for the entire meet, was Elliott’s, however.
“Two school records,” Thompson noted, “and she was just short of another in the medley relay.”
“I’ve definitely matured a lot, and that really paid off this time,” Elliott said. “I just go swim … it’s always good to go faster than you previously did.”
High School
South’s Elliott has memorable day, breaking meet records in triumphs
- High School
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THN SECTIONAL: Braves to play Mooresville for sectional title tonight
Terre Haute South continued to show what’s new and Terre Haute North unfortunately reverted back to what’s old in Class 4A high school girls basketball sectional action Friday night at North.
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OWEN VALLEY SECTIONAL: Eagles bring Vikes down to earth
Baby steps. A baby takes that first step and grins, then attempts the second step and tumbles. The West Vigo High School girls took their first step with a victory Tuesday night in the Class 3A basketball sectional at Owen Valley.
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BLOOMFIELD SECTIONAL: Sullivan jumps to early lead in sectional victory
Sullivan jumped out to a 9-0 lead and were never threatened in a dominant 48-25 win over Eastern Greene in a semifinal game of the Class 2A Bloomfield girls basketball sectional inside Glover Gymnasium on Friday.
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North Vermillion Sectional: Panthers, Falcons to meet for NV title
Outstanding defense and quality passing landed Riverton Parke in the championship game of the Class A North Vermillion Sectional. The Panthers will have to get through the host school tonight in order to secure the program’s first sectional crown since 1992.
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South swimmers don’t advance at Finals
Terre Haute South’s trip to the IHSAA girls swimming state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium was a short one Friday night.
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South runs into talented North Central team
Terre Haute South players and coaches knew when they got off the bus Saturday afternoon that they couldn’t run with the Class 4A No. 3-ranked Indianapolis North Central Panthers.
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BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Duncan’s OT free throws help Marshall down H-P
Jacob Duncan hit four free throws in overtime Friday night as visiting Marshall defeated Hutsonville-Palestine 51-49 in Little Illini Conference action.
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O'Leary pours in career-high 34 for Terre Haute North
Matt O’Leary poured in a career-high 34 points, 17 in each half, to lead Terre Haute North to a dominant 69-46 home victory over Center Grove in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference boys high school basketball Saturday afternoon.
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Davis hits layup in double overtime to lift Terre Haute North at Bloomington North
Playing without their two leading scorers against a team that — most of the time — seemed more determined to win than they did, Terre Haute North's Patriots got a driving layup from Steven Davis with 2.8 seconds left in the second overtime to escape Bloomington North with a 54-52 win in high school basketball Thursday night.
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Sullivan stays on top of WIC for third straight year
Western Indiana Conference boys basketball teams have been trying to storm the Sullivan castle for three years now. The Golden Arrows have endured nearly every kind of strategy in the effort to breech their wall. West Vigo tried a few more on Thursday in a showdown for the WIC championship.
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South girls looking for solid performances at swimming state finals
One individual and one relay team, which includes that same individual, will represent Terre Haute South in the IHSAA girls swimming state finals today and possibly Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cesinger, Jones each score 24 in Clay City win
Blake Cesinger and Brylan Jones poured in 24 points apiece to lead visiting Clay City over North Central 67-53 in SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference boys high school basketball Thursday night.
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Teutopolis knocks off record-setting Marshall girls in regional championship
Marshall jumped ahead 4-0 only to watch Teutopolis score the next 11 points Thursday in the championship game of the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
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Sullivan wins battle in low post
Sullivan dominated the low block at both ends of the court Wednesday to defeat South Knox 43-30.
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State wrestling berths won't come easily
If high school wrestlers thought regional competition was tough last weekend, they can expect the competition, as Keegan Michael Key used to say on MADtv, taken to “a whole notha level” on Saturday.
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South pulls upset
Plainfield’s 16-5 record made the Quakers the team to beat in the Class 4A Terre Haute North Sectional.
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Vikings break long sectional drought
You’ll have to forgive West Vigo for celebrating just a wee bit prior to the postgame handshake with South Vermillion, but its first victory in a sectional game in 11 years was worthy of celebrating.
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PREP ROUNDUP: RP rolls past Attica
Riverton Parke jumped to a 20-point halftime lead and easily defeated Attica 59-34 in the Class A North Vermillion girls basketball sectional on Tuesday.
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They’re the pride of Marshall
With a 24-1 record, coach Kathy Miller’s Marshall team earned the top seed in the Class 2A Teutopolis Regional.
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Union season more fun with Talpas around
The Union boys basketball team has had its share of fun moments in the past, arguably the most fun being its Class A state runner-up in 2000.
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Injury bug follows girls into postseason
Who’s healthy is the question at least three of the four teams will be asking tonight when Class 4A girls high school basketball sectional play begins at Terre Haute North.
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Rockville needs late run to stop West Vigo
It was a game of fits and starts, but host Rockville finally overcame a stiff challenge from visiting West Vigo in a 53-46 victory in boys high basketball action on Saturday.
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Northview holds off Plainfield
Northview got its sixth victory in boys high school basketball action Saturday night, defeating Plainfield 59-56.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Cloverdale helps Rady to career win No. 714
Brandon Dorman and Joe Fidler combined for 37 points and six 3-pointers Saturday night as visiting Cloverdale defeated Turkey Run 63-45 in boys high school basketball.
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North seniors enjoy hot start
The appearance of balanced scoring in the Terre Haute North High School basketball lineup Saturday night was a little bit deceiving as the Patriots held on to defeat visiting Evansville Reitz 62-48 in North’s Senior Night contest.
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Ben Davis Giants top South Braves
Visiting Ben Davis nearly went to sleep on a sizeable lead against Terre Haute South in Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school basketball Friday night.
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No. 3 Panthers too much for Patriots
After trailing by 15 at halftime, Terre Haute North’s boys basketball team got off to a nice start in the second half and cut its deficit to seven against Class 4A No. 3 Indianapolis North Central.
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Clay City gives Shakamak first SWIAC loss
Clay City shook up the top echelon of the SouthWestern Indiana Athletic Conference with a solid 52-41 victory Friday over visiting Shakamak in a boys high school basketball game at the Eel Dome.
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Regional wrestlers know importance of opening-round matches
Eight in each weight class. Four of those advance to the semistate. No byes.
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PREP ROUNDUP: Mahurin leads Rox to victory
Lane Mahurin tallied 10 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter to help Rockville hold off Wabash River Conference foe Fountain Central 80-72 in boys high school basketball Friday night.
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