Wawasee’s Nathan Harper had a big day at the Elkhart Boys Swim Sectional, winning a title in the backstroke and placing top four in three other events. InkFreeNews file photo by Mike Deak

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

ELKHART – It’s been eight long years since Wawasee was able to send a boys swimmer to state the easy way.

Nathan Harper won Wawasee’s first boys swimming sectional event title since 2013, motoring to a 54.34 in the backstroke to claim honors. The freshman held off a late charge on both sides of his hips of Ethan Davies of Concord and Jeremy Stutzman of Goshen to win by a half length. All sectional champions are automatic qualifiers for the IHSAA State Finals next weekend in Indianapolis.

Harper would also post a third-place finish in the individual medley (2:01.90) and helped the Warriors to a third place swim in the 400 relay (3:19.98) and fourth place in the medley relay (1:42.10).

Nathan Kryder had a pair of top threes in his individual efforts, placing third in the individual medley (1:48.49) and second in the butterfly. In the latter, Goshen’s Nick Zehr and Kryder were nearly level off the final wall, Zehr getting a late burst to win at 52.88, Kryder in at 53.75.

Blake Roose had the other top five for the Warriors, dropping to a season-best 4:57.97 in the 500 freestyle to take fourth. Roose was also the consolation winner in the IM (2:06.29).

NorthWood had four entries in championship finals. Its 200 free relay was sixth (1:37.70) and 400 free relay was seventh (3:41.18). Joe Hahn was in the other two, taking third in the 100 free (50.21) and had heartbreak in the 50 free, coming in as the top seed after the prelims, but disqualifying in the championship.

Northridge had four event champions, with Luke Dibley winning both the 200 free (1:42.60) and 500 free (4:41.35), Tristan Bratt taking the IM (1:57.02) and the Ridge 400 free relay closing with a 3:19.14, edging Concord and Wawasee at the wall.

Elkhart’s Lucas Byrd was a two-time champion in the 100 free (46.32) and breaststroke (57.01), teammate David Welles beat Goshen’s Skye Steury by a thousandth of a second for the title in the 50 at 22.12, and fellow Lion Nick Hardy claimed the diving title at 451.30.

Concord won both the medley relay (1:39.53) and 200 free relay (1:30.30).

The diving regional, which will include Hardy, Concord’s Ethan Smith, NorthWood’s Nick Jones and East Noble’s Owen Fleck, will take place Tuesday at Valparaiso.