Central floats past ND, Jackson

~ Competitors met state qualifying times in the season-opening meet.

Central's Caleb Coots, Jackson's Ryan Gibson and Notre Dame's Logan Bollinger swam the 100 butterfly neck and neck Monday at the Central Municipal Pool to earn state-qualifying times.

"It was probably the best race of the day as far as excitement," Central coach Dayna Powell said.

Coots won that race in 56.69 seconds, helping the Tigers to a first-place team finish with 132 points. Notre Dame followed with 92 points and Jackson rounded out the scoring with 76 points. It was the first meet this fall for all three schools.

"You have to attribute those places [in the 100 butterfly] right there with everybody making state to such tight competition," Notre Dame assistant coach Pat Kuper. "If someone had been way in the lead all three of them probably would not have made it. "

Notre Dame head coach Lenny Kuper called it the most thrilling race. Gibson (56.80) finished second and Bollinger (57.51) captured third. The state time is 57.89.

The other big winner was Central senior Peyton Waggener. He qualified in the 200 individual medley (2:09.39) and the 100 breast stroke (1:04.44). He also qualified with Central's 200 medley relay team.

"It was huge for us to get the relay right off the bat," Powell said. "And then to get some of these individual cuts, it's a great start to the season. ... But one thing about Peyton is that he's been a workhorse even as a freshman. Peyton is serious, he's committed and you just love to see an athlete like that excel and do some of the things he did today."

It was the Jackson program's first meet. Indians assistant coach Casey Brennan was happy her team had two state qualifiers: Gibson and Nick Welker who made it in the 50 freestyle.

"Ryan is a freshman and he did fantastically, and we're real proud of him," she said. "He's capable of going stronger. He just needs to get some more good sets in the water and he's going to burn it next time. Nick Welker, same with him. He needs more water time because he's running cross country and he's swimming right now."

State qualifiers include:

100-Butterfly: Caleb Coots (56.69); Ryan Gibson, (56.80); Logan Bollinger (57.51).

100-Breast stroke: Peyton Waggener (1:04.44)

200-Individual medley: Peyton Waggener (2:09.39)

500-Freestyle: Sam Grambling (5.02.76) Nick Welker: 5:07.65;

200-Medley Relay: Grambling, Waggener, Coots, Matt Holmes (1:48.67).

200-Medley Relay – 1. (C) Sam Grambling, Peyton Waggener, Caleb Coots, Matt Holmes 1:48.67; 2. (ND): Jacob Buckenmyer, Logan Bollinger, Coleman Schott, Matthew Caplan 1:53.58; 3. (J): Nick Welker, Ryan Gibson, Austin Gilliard, Miles Puls, 2:07.24.

200-Freestyle – 1. Caleb Coots (C), 1:55.90; 2. Nick Welker (J), 1:58.31; 3. Sean Doyle (ND), 2:05.69.

200-Individual Medley – 1. Peyton Waggener (C), 2:09.39; 2. Ryan Gibson (J), 2:15.37; 3. Logan Bollinger (ND), 2:17.25

50-Freestlye – 1. Matt Holmes (C), 25.18; 2. Mathew Caplan (ND), 25.19; 3. Austin Mehner (C), 25.70.

Diving – 1. Trey Simpson (C), 1:58.60; 2. Austin Gilliard (J), 1:19.45; 3. Taylor Herbst (C), 101.80.

100-Butterfly – 1. Caleb Coots (C), 56:69; 2. Ryan Gibson (J), 56.80; 3. Logan Bollinger (ND), 57.51.

100-Freestyle – 1. Sean Doyle (ND), 54:31; 2. Matt Holmes (C), 55:47; 3. Matthew Caplan (ND), 56.36.

500-Freestyle – 1. Sam Gramling (C), 5:02.68; 2. Nick Welker (J), 5:07.65; 3. Coleman Schott (ND), 5:51.48.

200-Free Relay – 1. (C): Austin Mehner, Trey Simpson, Michael Merritt, Matt Holmes, 1:46.37; 2. (ND): Aaron Tomaszewski, Sean Doyle, Daniel Neff, Jake Burns, 1:46.66; 3. (J): Miles Puls, Zach Dumey, Kevin Goodman, Zack DeBoe, 2:04.11.

100-Back Stroke – 1. Sam Grambling (C), 1:04.11; 2. Aaron Tomaszewski (ND), 1:14.23; 3. Ian Spaeth (ND) 1:21.65.

100-Breast Stroke – 1. Peyton Waggener (C), 1:04.44; 2. Coleman Schott (ND), 1:10.82; 3. Jacob Buckenmyer (ND), 1:17.34.

400 Freestyle Relay – 1. (C) Austin Mehner, Peyton Waggener, Caleb Coots, Sam Gramling 3:41.9; 2. (ND) Logan Bollinger, Matthew Caplan, Sean Doyle, Jacob Buckenmyer, 3:43.64; 3. (J) Nick Welker, Austin Gilliard, Ryan Gibson, Brad Groening, (4:12.33).