Paige Miller placed fourth in the 500 free at Saturday’s IHSAA State Finals. (Photo by Madi McBride)

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2015-16 girls swim season drew to a close Saturday afternoon. Two local swimmers, Wawasee’s Paige Miller and Warsaw’s Brenna Morgan, were lucky enough to end their seasons with finals races, both improving from their showings in Friday’s prelims.

Miller entered the day seeded third in the 500 free after a spectacular race in the prelims which gave her a time of 4:55.01. The Warrior junior came into the weekend looking for a 4:54 and would accomplish that goal in Saturday’s finals.

Miller swam a 4:54.37 in the distance to event to earn herself a fourth place finish and further lowering her own school record.

“It felt amazing to know that I accomplished everything I wanted to this year,” Miller stated. “At the beginning of the year I wrote down 4:54 on my goal sheet. To know I achieved that is an awesome feeling.”

Earlier in the day Miller finished 12th in the 200 free (1:52.04).

“This season has really helped me get to where I need to be mentally,” added the Wawasee junior. “I’ve struggled with the mental aspect in the past but am past that now.

“Looking ahead to my senior year I honestly just want a relay team down here with me and to be able to place top eight in both of my events.”

Brenna Morgan placed fifth in the 50 free at Saturday’s IHSAA State Finals. (Photo by Madi McBride)

Morgan’s performance on Saturday mirrored Miller’s in some ways.

The Warsaw junior began her day in the 50 free and moved up a spot from her sixth place seed to fifth. Morgan swam a 23.56, setting a new time for her own school record yet again.

Morgan, who struggled on Friday after her suit ripped, appeared to be much more focused Saturday. It was evident with the improved time in the 50 as well as her performance in the 100 free.

In that second event Morgan won the consoles race, swimming a 50.96, much better than her prelims time of 51.45.

Warsaw head coach Tony DeBrota offered thoughts on the weekend for his team.

“There was good and bad at this meet,” DeBrota stated. “I think the team was a little taken back by the pressure of state but they are all very excited to get to work for the offseason and next year. We have this whole group back next year and are really looking forward to it.”

Northridge finished fifth overall as a team at Saturday’s meet. The Raiders 200 medley relay team placed fifth (1:45.75) while the 200 free relay team was seventh (1:36.57).

Katie Hughes highlighted the finals for the NLC school. The junior finished fifth in the 200 free (1:50.23) and was runner-up in the 500 free (4:53.57).

Northridge’s Katie Hughes took two top five spots at Saturday’s finals. (File photo by Nick Goralczyk)

In the diving portion Northridge was well represented. Mary Grossman (424.65), Ryle Dahlman (417.90) ans Sarah Troyer (417.85) finished eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively.

Lauren Miller was sixth in the 100 back (56.06).

A recap from the IHSAA is below.

Carmel Girls Run Away with National Record 30th Consecutive State Championship
The Carmel girls swimming and diving team won nine of 12 events in claiming a national record 30th consecutive state championship at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Senior classmates Claire Adams and Veronica Burchill each won four events to help the Greyhounds accumulate 438 points, the second-most in state finals history. The nine individual and relay crowns the school won today also tied the record the Greyhounds set a year ago. 

Hamilton Southeastern edged out Chesterton by one-half point for the runner-up spot (193.5-193) followed by fourth-place Zionsville with 164 and Northridge in fifth with 150.

Now with the longest streak in any sport in any state, Carmel broke the tie it held with Punahou High School (Honolulu, HI) which had won 29 straight boys swimming and diving crowns from 1958-86.

Adams became the first to win the 100 backstroke four straight years setting the state record during Friday’s prelims in 51.65. She also won the 100 freestyle and led off the winning 200 medley relay team and anchored the 400 freestyle relay. By winning four times, she went a perfect 16-for-16 during her high school career to become the most decorated swimmer in state history surpassing Carmel’s Emily Ayers who won 14 during her 1992-95 career.

Burchill also leap-frogged Ayers for second-most all-time finishing with 15 state titles. She broke her own state record set during Friday’s prelims in the 100 butterfly (52.13) by finishing the championship heat in 51.79 to repeat as event champ. She also led off the winning 200 free relay and 400 free relay and swam the third leg on the 200 medley relay.

Junior teammate Emma Nordin finished as a double-champion winning the 200 and 500 freestyle and Burchill’s younger sister Sammie Burchill won the 200 individual medley. It was also the 10th state championship under coach Chris Plumb who surpassed former Carmel coach Tony Young for the most in state history.

Homestead freshman Jackie Brenn showed promise of things to come by winning the one meter diving competition with 485.45 points. She was the first freshman diver to win the state title and the first from her school to win the event. Hamilton Southeastern’s Robyn Clevenger won the 50 freestyle in 22.91 and Yorktown freshman Emily Weiss took home the 100 breaststroke hardware in 1:02.20.

State Champions
200 Medley Relay: Carmel (Claire Adams 12, Kendall Smith 12, Veronica Burchill 12, Trude Rothrock 10) 1:39.86.
200 Freestyle: Emma Nordin, 11, Carmel, 1:47.95.
200 Individual Medley: Sammie Burchill, 11, Carmel, 1:57.99.
50 Freestyle: Robyn Clevenger, 12, Hamilton Southeastern, 22.91.
One Meter Diving: Jackie Brenn, 9, Homestead 485.45 points.
100 Butterfly: Veronica Burchill, 12, Carmel, 51.79. State Record
100 Freestyle: Claire Adams, 12, Carmel, 48.83.
500 Freestyle: Emma Nordin, 11, Carmel, 4:52.09.
200 Freestyle Relay: Carmel (Veronica Burchill 12, Kendall Smith 12, Grace Pangburn 9, Kelly Pash 9) 1:31.59.
100 Backstroke: Claire Adams, 12, Carmel, 52.39.
100 Breaststroke: Emily Weiss, 9, Yorktown, 1:02.20.
400 Freestyle Relay: Carmel (Veronica Burchill 12, Trude Rothrock 10, Sammie Burchill 11, Claire Adams 12) 3:16.15.

Top 10 State Championship Record Streaks Across the Nation 
Longest streaks of consecutive state championships, all sports, all states
30: Carmel, Ind., girls swimming, 1986-2016.*
29: Punahou, Honolulu, Hawaii, boys swimming, 1958-86.
28: Bolles, Jacksonville, Fla. boys swimming, 1988-2015.*
27: Mt. Anthony Union, Bennington, VT, wrestling, 1989-2015.*
27: Pickford, Mich., boys track and field, 1952-78.
27: St. Xavier, Louisville, Ky., boys swimming, 1989-2015.*
26: Hopi, Keams Canyon, Az., boys cross country, 1990-2015*
26: Mt. St. Charles Academy, Woonsocket, R.I., boys hockey, 1978-2003.
25: Paulsboro, NJ, wrestling, 1983-2007.
24: Bishop Hendricken, Warwick, RI, boys swimming, 1990-2013.
24: Wilson, Tacoma, Wash., boys swimming, 1960-83. 
*Active streak.
(Source: National Federation of State High School Associations)

State Records During Saturday’s Championship Finals
100 Butterfly: Veronica Burchill, 12, Carmel, 51.79. 

State Records During Friday’s Preliminaries
100 Butterfly: Veronica Burchill, 12, Carmel, 52.13.
100 Backstroke: Claire Adams, 12, Carmel, 51.65.

Career State Championships by an Individual (Individual and Relay Events)
16: Claire Adams, Carmel, 2013-16.
15: Veronica Burchill, Carmel, 2013-16.
14: Emily Ayers, Carmel, 1992-95.
11: Lindsay Benko, Elkhart Central, 1991-94.
11: Lacey Locke, Carmel, 2010-13.
10: Allison Bock, Lafayette Jefferson, 1987-90.
10: Debbie Daniel, Anderson, 1981-84.
10: Katie Simmons, Carmel, 1997-2000.