INDIANAPOLIS — Though he may have been disappointed at not making the “A” final in either of his individual events, Christopher Lee was more than satisfied with how he finished his high school career on Saturday at IUPUI’s Indiana University Natatorium.
The Columbus North senior won the consolation heat in the 100-yard backstroke in 50.81 seconds to finish ninth overall in the event in the Boys Swimming State Finals. Lee earlier had placed 11th in the 50 freestyle in 21.18.
“I was looking to do a little bit more, but I’m really proud of how we did today,” Lee said. “My 50 free, I just had a rough swim. But winning the consolation heat (in the 100 backstroke) is a really nice way to end my career.”
Lee, who was making his third consecutive state appearance in both of his individual events, also swam on the Bull Frogs 400 freestyle relay team that finished 14th in 3:13.36. He was joined by sophomore Daniel Utterback and juniors Carlos Fabian Aguilar and David Fry.
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North’s Utterback, Fry, junior Matthew Goble and senior Aidan McAlister finished 15th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:28.20.
In Friday’s prelims, Utterback took 22nd in the 100 freestyle (47.34) and 26th in the 200 freestyle (1:44.91). Lee, sophomore Pratt Badve, Fry and Goble were 20th in the 200 medley relay in 1:38.20.
“The relays were fantastic,” North coach Logan Schaefer said. All of our Bull Frogs today and (Friday) brought everything we needed. They brought the energy, they brought the attitude and really worked together as a team to score those relays.”
Meanwhile, Columbus East sophomore Brady Beyer scored in both of his individual events in his first year of high school swimming. He lowered his own school record in the 500 freestyle in Friday’s prelims, then broke it again with a 4:39.46 on Saturday to finish 13th.
Beyer came back with a 16th-place finish in the 100 breaststroke in 58.86.
“I would have liked to make it back (to the finals), but it didn’t happen,” Beyer said. “Today, my 500 was still not quite what I wanted, but it was better. My 100 breast, that was a little rough. It’s not quite the ending I was hoping for, but it was still a great year.”
Beyer was just four-hundreths of a second off his school record in the 100 breaststroke with his 57.73 clocking on Friday.
“His 500 was good,” East coach Doug Trueblood said. “(Friday), he was a little tight and struggled on kind of getting his rhythm. He definitely looked better today than he did (Friday). The breaststroke, I think he was really wanting it and putting some pressure on himself. He still had a really good swim. It’s just not quite where he wanted it to be.”
On Friday, Beyer teamed with junior Dathan Wolf and seniors Mason Curry and Chad Kelly to finish 27th in the 200 medley relay in 1:39.81.
“I think all of our guys had good swims,” Trueblood said. “We were blessed to get pulled in. It was good for the guys and a couple of seniors that got to swim. We tapered those guys down for sectional, and to hold that taper for a week and still go pretty much the same time, that was good for them, and I was proud of the way they swam. It was a good weekend, and we’re pretty happy with where we’re at.”
