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.”
