It was quite an IHSAA girls swimming state finals debut for Fishers High School freshman Emily Wolf.
Wolf placed second in the 100-yard butterfly in 53.45 seconds. Carmel’s Alex Shackell won in a state record time 50.25. Wolf finished fifth in the 100 backstroke and helped two relay teams reach the podium
The Tigers finished third with 202 points Feb. 10 at the IU Natatorium at IUPUI. Hamilton Southeastern placed sixth with 127 points. Carmel High School won for the 38th consecutive season with 433 points, and Penn was second with 210.
“This is my first high school state, so getting the experience racing against fast girls I’ve looked up to my whole life and making sure I get in and out of the wall (was rewarding),” Wolf said. “It was really cool being able to race (Shackell).”
Wolf said it was special to get a second-place finish in her first state meet.
“This is the most hyped atmosphere I’ve been in,” she said.
Fishers coach Joe Keller said Wolf’s performance was awesome.
“We had her swimming the 100 backstroke, which isn’t one of her best events, but needed her because of the team component,” Keller said. “She is going to do some special things.”
Wolf was joined by senior Avery Stein, junior Emma Schumacher and junior Claire Francis on the second-place 400 freestyle relay team. Wolf was on the fourth-place 200 medley relay along with sophomores Avery Hannon and Polina Sopova and junior Emma Schwertfeger.
Stein, who will swim for the University of Missouri next season, won the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award, which is presented to a senior swimmer competing in the state finals. Stein finished third in the 200 individual medley and fifth in the 100 breaststroke. Stein was on the third-place 200 freestyle relay team with Francis, Schwertfeger and sophomore Frankie Ramey.
Stein was the only senior to score points for the Tigers. Fishers coach Joe Keller praised her leadership.
“I said here at the end of the season this team had the ‘it’ factor,” Keller said. “For them to come within 10 points (of placing second) is just phenomenal. No one will ever know that or appreciate that, but this group is a special group. The program overall is getting better.”
The Tigers finished second in each of their previous four state finals appearances.
“There’s nothing wrong with third,” Keller said. “The beginning of the season, I was thinking we could be in the top five, so we exceeded expectations.”
Schumacher was fifth in the 500 freestyle.
Hamilton Southeastern senior Audrey Crawford, who will swim for Auburn University next season, capped her impressive high school career with four medals. She placed second in the 200 individual medley and third in the 100 butterfly. She was on the third-place medley relay team with sophomore Naomi Haines, senior Julia Kiley and junior Kiley Zoeller. Crawford was on the fourth-place 400 freestyle relay with sophomore Mia Henderson, Kiley and Zoeller.
Zoeller placed eighth in the 50 freestyle.
