Ainsley Sherlock
ST. LEON — Ainsley Sherlock is headed to state.
The Columbus North sophomore won the 100-yard breaststroke in Saturday’s East Central Sectional and qualify for next weekend’s Girls Swimming State Finals. She swam 1 minute, 6.87 seconds.
Sherlock, who also placed third in the 200 individuual medley (2:19.49), led the Bull Frogs to a runner-up team finish. Bloomington South won the sectional with 503 points, while Columbus North slipped past Bloomington North 323-314. Columbus East finished fifth with 228.
The Bull Frogs’ Mridula Muthukumaran finished third in the 100 butterfly (1:02.59) and fifth in the 100 backstroke (1:03.56), Katie Frazier took fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:03.52), Sanaa Kulkarni was sixth in the 200 IM (2:29.72) and seventh in the 100 butterfly (1:07.41), Brooklyn Pendleton finished sixth in the 50 freestyle (26.13) and Cora Tregoning took seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:17.52), Georgia Abdallah was eighth in the 50 freestyle (26.37) and Ella Gray Partin finished eighth in the diving competition (276.55).
North finished third in the 200 medley relay (1:54.04) and fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:43.20) and 400 freestyle (3:57.10) relays.
Gabbie Meier
Meanwhile, East’s Gabbie Meier scored a 408.00 to win her fourth consecutive sectional diving title and qualify for Tuesday’s Jasper Diving Regional. The top eight in the regional qualify for state.
The Olympians’ Connelly Furnish finished second in both the 200 IM (2:14.63) and 500 freestyle (5:17.50). Ali Trueblood took fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.15), Cassidy Furnish was sixth in the 500 freestyle (5:37.85), Kira VanValkenburg finished seventh in the 200 IM (2:32.04) and took Abby Proffitt eighth in the 500 freestyle (5:51.86).
East finished second in the 400 freestyle relay (3:50.80) and fifth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:45.98) and tied for fifth in the 200 medley relay (2:05.85).
The state prelims are Friday at IUPUI’s Indiana University Natatorium. The top eight in each swimming event qualify for Saturday’s championship finals, while 9-through-16 in each event make the consolation finals.
