2019 Indiana Girls High School State Championships
- February 8th-9th, 2019
- IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
- 2019 State Series
- 2019 Psych Sheets
This weekend, February 8th-9th, the 2019 Indiana Girls High School State Championships will be held at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis.
Looking into the psych sheets, Carmel looks to defend another state title and establish their 33rd year of dominance at the state championships. Yet, an interesting twist came about when senior Kelly Pash, a Texas Longhorn commit, appeared to be held from the 200 free, where she was the defending state champion.
Carmel’s Pash-Strategy
At the Carmel Sectional, Kelly Pash showed her versatility and swam the 200 IM and the 100 fly. Pash easily won those events with times of 2:02.47 and 54.44, respectively. However, Pash is the defending state champion in the 200 free and 100 free. So why is she not defending her titles and instead swimming off-events?
From looking at the graduated 2018 Carmel swimmers, it seems that Pash is visioned to replace Trude Rothrock, who won both the 200 IM and 100 fly at the 2018 meet. Putting Pash in the 100/200 would leave an empty 40 point hole that Rothrock earned in 2018. Not to mention that Carmel has a trio of 3 girls who are all under 1:50 in the 200 free.
Pash’s best times in the 200 IM (1:58.02) and 100 fly (53.02) surpass Rothrock’s 2018 winning marks, so she has a very good chance at filling those IM/FL 40-point shoes. However, after having easy 2018 wins, Pash does have other competitors to fend off.
Emily Weiss (Yorktown) already has the 100 breast in the bag, as she is the 3-time defending state champion and national record holder (58.40). In 2018, she also was the runner-up in the 200 IM behind the now-graduated Rothrock and finished in a 1:58.50. While Weiss is seeded 10th in the event at a 2:05.36 and seeded at 1:00.97 in the 100 breast, it is almost evident that Weiss will not be rested until the state meet. Could Pash hold off Weiss?
While Carmel looks to seal another state title, who is in contention for state runner-up?
Scoping the Top Three
| 2019 IHSAA Girls State Psychs Scoring | |||||
| 2018 | Rank | School | Total | Individuals | Relays |
| 1 | 1 | Carmel | 395 | 295 | 100 |
| 10 | 2 | Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 192 | 78 | 114 |
| 5 | 3 | Fishers | 178 | 92 | 86 |
| 9 | 4 | Homestead | 145 | 51 | 94 |
| 2 | 5 | Northridge | 142 | 64 | 78 |
Scoring the psych sheets, unless Carmel disqualifies a relay or a stronger swimmer crashes out of the top 16, no one can stop them. Carroll (Fort Wayne) currently looks to take second behind powerhouse Carmel.
Carroll’s Second Place Pursuit
Carroll currently holds the top seeds in the free relays and the #2 seed in the medley relay behind Carmel. Looking at Carroll V. Carmel in the relays, Carroll could potentially have stronger relays and out-score them in the relay points.
| 200 Medley | 200 FR-R | 400 FR-R | |
| Carroll | 1:43.85 (2nd) | 1:34.87 (1st) | 3:27.81 (1st) |
| Carmel | 1:43.34 (1st) | 1:35.51 (2nd) | 3:30.85 (6th) |
Although Carmel has a projected 295 points from individual scorers, Carroll does have 2 swimmers that could potentially knock that intimidating number down. In the 100 back, Mallory Jackson returns as the 2018 runner-up. Jackson currently sits in second (55.11) behind Carmel’s backstroker Madelyn Christman.
In the 100 fly, Teagen Moon is the top seed for Carroll with a 54.24. Carmel’s Kelly Pash is seeded at #2, but a reminder that her personal best is a 53.02. But, Franklin’s Carla Gildersleeve, the 2018 runner-up, could stop the show. Despite her 55.42 #7 seed, Gildersleeve went a 53.75 at the 2018 meet. Will Jackson and Moon prevail along with Carroll’s relays? Or will they have to battle Carmel in the individuals as well?
Fishers’ Second Place Contention
Looking in the third place spot is Fishers, who is only 14 points behind Carroll. Like Carroll, Fishers also has strong free relays, holding #3 seeds in the 200 (1:36.03) and 400 (3:30.01) relays.
Along with their relays, Samantha Hieptas and Hannah Pratt could also make some strong individual scoring efforts. Pratt is the #4 seed in the 200 free (1:51.14) behind the Carmel trio. On a different note, Hieptas is the top seed in the 500 free (4:51.45). Yet right behind her are Carmel’s Ashlyn Underhill and Kendra Bowen, who are part of the 200 free trio under 1:50.
Could these strong Fishers swimmers take some of Carmel’s points and potentially take out Carroll for second?
Does Northridge Have A Chance to Defend?
Northridge was the state runner-up in 2018, but they currently are scored to place 5th. Looking at their relays, they have 4th place seeds in the free relays and a 9th place seed in the medley relay. Northridge was the state champion in the 200 free relay and runner-up in the 400 free relay. Could Northridge be holding back until the state meet?
Northridge only has one stand-out swimmer who could top the sprint free events: Elsa Fretz. As a freshman in 2018, Fretz was the runner-up in the 100 free and third place-finisher in the 50 free.
Currently, Fretz is the top seed in the 50 free (23.44), but right behind her is the 2018 runner-up, Elizabeth Broshears (Evansville). Broshears is seeded only 0.02 behind Fretz and could potentially knock out those 20 points from Fretz.
With Kelly Pash also absent from the 100 free, it could be anyone’s race. The top seed is currently Emma Wright (Hobart) with a 50.00. The second seed is the third Carmel girl in the powerful 200 free trio, Gretchen Lueking (50.66). Fretz sits in third place with a 51.16, however, she went a 49.64 in 2018.
Could Fretz fend off her foes and come through for Northridge?
The answers to these many questions will happen this weekend. Prelims begin at 6 pm ET on Friday, finals begin at 1 pm ET on Saturday.
