IHSAA boys swimming finals: Drew Kibler, Carmel dominate yet again

INDIANAPOLIS – At the boys state swimming and diving meet, the indecision was not about whether there would be a Carmel three-peat or records by Drew Kibler. No, the questions were these:

>> Was Carmel good enough to achieve an unprecedented sweep of boys and girls national championships in the same year?

>> Is this version of Carmel the best boys swim team in Indiana history?

“I just hope it’s enough. You do what you can,” coach Chris Plumb said. “But that’s a lot of points.”

He was referring to projected points Carmel would have after Swimming World assembles results from state meets nationwide at the end of 2017. He could have been referring to the actual 359 points scored Saturday at the Natatorium at IUPUI, 10 off the record 369 by another Carmel team in 2003.

Put it this way:

Zionsville set a national public school record in the 200-yard medley relay, earned the equivalent of nine medals (nine top-three finishes, compared with Carmel’s 10) and affirmed its status as one of the nation’s top high school teams. And the Eagles’ 229 points were so far behind that Carmel’s 130-point victory margin was fifth-largest in 80 years of this meet. They finished second for the third year in a row.

“It was a lot of fun getting to see them dominate the way they do,” Zionsville sprinter Jack Franzman said. “We’re friends.”

Franzman had his own fun when he wore a Spiderman costume during introduction to finals of the 50-yard freestyle. He had been planning that since Halloween.

He could not break his state record of 19.85 seconds from Friday’s prelims, but he repeated as champion in 20.00. Earlier, he had clocked 19.79 on the freestyle anchor as the Eagles flew to 1:29.44 in the 200 medley relay, breaking the state and public school record of 1:29.64 set by Chesterton in 2014.

In the 100 freestyle, Franzman was not as close to Kibler as he was in prelims Friday. Kibler won in 43.20, breaking his state record of 43.25. Franzman was second in 44.13 and Carmel junior Andrew Couchon third in 45.27.

Kibler’s 19.27 anchor nearly carried Carmel to a public school record in the 200 freestyle relay. The Greyhounds’ time of 1:21.21 broke their state record of 1:22.67 from prelims and nearly eclipsed the national mark of 1:21.01 set by Hershey, Pa., in 2011. Couchon, Charles Vaughan and Stefano Batista swam the first three legs.

Kibler led off the 400 freestyle relay in 43.02, lowering the state record for the 100 free for the third time in his seventh race in 22 hours. The Greyhounds’ 3:00.06 challenged state (2:59.36) and public school (2:59.00) records.

“I think he finally just let it loose,” Plumb said. “He finally just said, ‘Hey, I’m almost done with this.’”

Oddly, the most unremarkable Saturday swim by Kibler was his first, the 200 freestyle. His 1:33.79 fell short of his state and public school record of 1:33.30 from prelims. Franklin sophomore Jacob Destrampe cut his best by more than two seconds to finish second in 1:37.91.

Kibler acknowledged this meet was “definitely not how I envisioned” but said his goals are intentionally ambitious.

“Sometimes that sets me up for failure a little bit and it leads me to be disappointed,” he said. “But I think having those really high goals motivates me.”

Not only is he motivated by the challenge posed by Franzman, but by the presence of teammate Wyatt Davis, who  finished second in the 500 freestyle. Then about 20 minutes later, he won the 100 backstroke by beating defending champion Tyler Harmon of Zionsville. Davis became only the second freshman in state history to win the 100 backstroke and first since 1985.

Quite a pair, those two Carmel swimmers: Kibler is 6-4, 190 pounds, and Davis 5-8, 139.

“I just think a lot of people underestimate me just from my mere appearance, being small,” Davis said. “I really think I get them on my underwaters (kicks).”

Carmel’s only national boys title came in 2004. Chesterton was national champion in 2014, but scored just 240 points at state. Carmel’s girls were fast enough at their state meet to be designated national champs for a fifth year in a row. No school has swept in the same year.

The other Indianapolis-area champion was Greenfield-Central junior Zachary Cook with a time of 48.60 in the 100 butterfly.

Fishers (111) was eighth in team standings, Greenfield-Central ninth (107) and Franklin 10th (102).

Etc.

Richmond’s Isaac Khamis edged Fishers’ Cole VanDevender in a dramatic 1-meter diving duel by less than a point, 519.95 to 519.40. Pike’s Aiden Werner was third with 506.90. … Indiana University recruit Spencer Lehman of Northridge won the 200 individual medley in 1:47.35 and beat Davis to repeat as champion in the 500 freestyle in 4:23.10. … The Yale-bound Harmon won the Mental Attitude Award.

Call IndyStar reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

Record rundown

National public school

200 medley relay – 1:29.44, Zionsville (old record 1:29.64, Chesterton, 2014).

200 freestyle – 1:33.30, prelims, Drew Kibler, Carmel (old record 1:33.70, Maxime Rooney, Granada HS, Livermore, Calif., 2016).

National age-group (15-16)

200 freestyle – 1:33.30, prelims, Kibler (old record 1:33.36, Kibler, 2016).

State

200 medley relay – Zionsville, same as above

50 freestyle – 19.85, prelims, Jack Franzman, Zionsville (old record 20.06, Kyle DeCoursey, Zionsville, 2015).

200 freestyle – 1:33.30, Kibler (old record 1:37.02, Peter Jameson, North Central, 2006).

100 freestyle – 43.25, Kibler (old record 43.52, Blake Pieroni, Chesterton, 2014).

200 freestyle relay – 1:21.21, Carmel (breaks record of 1:22.67 from prelims; old record 1:23.20, Avon, 2016).

100 freestyle – 43.02, Kibler, leadoff of 400 freestyle relay

EVENT WINNERS

200 medley relay: Zionsville, 1:29.44 (Tyler Harmon, Brock Brown, Andrew Schuler, Jack Franzman)

200 freestyle: Drew Kibler, Carmel (1:33.79)

200 IM: Spencer Lehman, Northridge (1:47.35)

50 freestyle: Jack Franzman, Zionsville (20.00)

1-meter diving: Isaac Khamis, Richmond (519.95)

100 butterfly: Zachary Cook, Greenfield-Central (48.60)

100 freestyle: Drew Kibler, Carmel (43.20)*

500 freestyle: Spencer Lehman, Northridge (4:23.10)

200 freestyle relay: Carmel, 1:21.21* (Andrew Couchon, Charles Vaughan, Stefano Batista, Drew Kibler)

100 backstroke: Wyatt Davis, Carmel (48.43)

100 breaststroke: Matthew Jerden, Bloomington South (54.66)

400 freestyle relay: Carmel, 3:00.06 (Drew Kibler, Wyatt Davis, Brett Sherman, Charles Vaughan)

* state records