The Little Giants took first place in 10 of the 13 events. The relay team of R.J. Morgan (Indianapolis, IN/North Central), Craig Haupert (Cedar Lake, IN/Lowell), Brandon Peacock (Crawfordsville, IN/Crawfordsville), and Ben Long (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville)set the tone with a victory in the first event, the 200-yard medley relay. The four combined for a winning time of 1:38.56. It was the first of three victories for Morgan as the junior also took first place in the 50 and 100 freestyle. He took the 50 free with a time of 22.26 and finished the 100 free in 49.10 ahead of teammates Brett Findley (Bargersville, IN/Franklin Community)and John Sessa (Valparaiso, IN/Valparaiso). Findley took second, finishing in 50.01, with Sessa in third with a time of 50.94.
Sean Gallagher (Lawrence, KS/Freestate)was first in the 1000-yard freestyle, touching in 10:12.27 ahead of Little Giant Gary Mineart (Noblesville, IN/Noblesville), who finished second in 10:16.20. Nick Collins (Michigantown, IN/Clinton Central) took first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:48.41, and Long took first in the 100-yard backstroke by finishing in 55.23. Mineart, Gallagher, and Collins took the top three places in the 500-yard freestyle event. Mineart captured first place by finishing in 4:57.93. Gallagher was second (4:58.85) with Collins taking third (4:59.90).
The Little Giants finished with a three-place sweep in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Former Crawfordsville High School and Sugar Creek Swim Club members Jon DeSmet (Crawfordsville, IN/Crawfordsville) and Peacock combined with Dan Burleigh (Great Falls, MT/Russell) and Findley to take first place with a time of 1:31.24. The team of Stephen Birrer (Indianapolis, IN/Brownsburg), Dean Fox (Aurora, IN/South Dearborn), Karl Grimmer (Griffith, IN/Griffith), and Sessa was second (1:32.28), and Jimmy Daruwala (Indianapolis, IN/Ben Davis), Ben Vidic (Elkhart, IN/Elkhart Central), John David Spencer (Valparaiso, IN/Valparaiso), and Mineart took third (1:35.92).
Sophomore diver Nick Roersma (Grand Rapids, MI/Northview) took first in both the one and three-meter diving events. Roersma scored 242.35 points for first place in the one-meter competition. He missed an NCAA national qualifying score by only 2.85 points in the three-meter event, scoring 272.15 points.
“I’m pleased the the continued improvement in our times,” said coach Gail Pebworth. “Now we look forward to traveling as a team to Florida for our annual holiday training.”