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BROKEN RECORD
Boys: City 106, LP 80; Girls city 109, LP 76

Nick Dettmann
Staff Writer

MICHIGAN CITY - One record fell.

Two more nearly went with it.

Not bad for the first meet of the season.

In the season-opener for the Michigan City boys swimming & diving team, the No. 11 Wolves broke one school record, and came just shy on two more en route to a 106-80 victory over rival La Porte on Tuesday night.

The City girls were also victorious, claiming a 109-76 triumph Tuesday night against La Porte.

City's Cameron Miller broke the 50-yard freestyle record with a time of 22.46 seconds, breaking his old mark of 22.83 set last year. However, he broke the record while swimming the first leg of the 200 freestyle relay. He's credited with the record because it was the start of a race and not during an exchange.

He nearly broke a second record later on.

Swimming the 100 backstroke, Miller finished with a 54.95 - two-tenths shy of the school record, set by Brett Warnke in 2001 (54.75).

"My coach came up to me about a week ago and said, 'Cameron, which record do you want to break? The 500 free or the 100 back Tuesday?'" Miller said. "It took me a second. I said, 'The 100 back.' I felt I was most prepared for that."

Miller, a state champion contender in the 100 breaststroke, holds nine of the 12 school records - one that he doesn't hold is diving. No plans to try to break that one, though.

He doesn't hold the 500 free or the 100 back. He owns all the others.

"I'd rather have 56 (seconds) and be two seconds off than be two-tenths off the record," Miller said with a smile. "That's a pushoff or a turn."

Additionally in the 100 free, Ryan Byers finished with a 51.88, just short of Miller's school-record 49.72 set last season. A strong statement from the highly-touted Wolves.

The Wolves begin the 2009-10 season ranked 11th in the state coaches poll. On Tuesday night, they showed why.

"That was a really good meet," City coach Dan Jenkins said. "For a boys opener, I'm very happy."

For the girls, it was their third meet of the season. They are now 2-1, 1-1 in the Duneland on the season.

Winning individual events for the Wolves were Kristina Parrish (200 individual medley), Elizabeth Dobben (50 and 100 frees), Katelyn Shebel (diving) and Bridget Callaghan (100 back).

Dobben turned in a solid 100 free effort, breaking the one-minute mark with a 59.01. Jenkins added he was pleased with Beth Gregory's performance after struggling last week against Crown Point.

Jenkins said she was on a mission.

For La Porte, the Slicers got victories from Carly Jackson (200 and 500 frees), Emily Metheny (100 butterfly) and Brittany Morgan (100 breast).

"It was a good, close meet," La Porte coach Bart Frank said. "It always is. There's always a good crowd."

Back to the boys.

Michael Moore had a good night in the 100 back for City, swimming a 1:01.49, setting a new personal best.

City also got victories from Byers in the 100 free, Kyle Plummer (50 free) and Nate Quinlan (100 breast). For La Porte, the Slicers' Chris Klimczak (200 IM, 100 fly), Josh Batten (diving) and Aaron Dobben (500 free).

The boys 200 IM was one of the closest races of the night.

Klimczak and Quinlan battled to the very end in that race. Klimczak led through the first two legs - back and fly. But in the breast, Quinlan caught and passed Klimczak. Then in the final 50 - the free - Klimczak retook the lead with about 15 yards to go.

Klimczak won the race by a half second.

"We did well," Frank said. "... I'm really pleased with the times, and the efforts they put in.

"... Chris did a great job."

The chain of events of Tuesday night were capped off in the proper way for a City-La Porte sporting event.

With the meet long decided - with nothing riding on it points wise - City's Ryan McCoy and La Porte's Paul Gary were the final legs of the final race - the 400 free relay.

But bragging rights, pride and heart were on the line. Both teams screamed as loud as they could. So did the large fan turnout. Everybody doing what they could to make McCoy and Gary swim faster.

It was almost deafening.

McCoy touched the wall before Gary.

"It's great to hear everybody cheering," Frank said. "That's neat. To me that's what it's all about. ... That's a good thing to see."

Contact sports writer Nick Dettmann at ndettmann@thenewsdispatch.com or 874-7211, Ext. 447.