Pick from any class and you’ll find a handful of top returners for the Crawfordsville boys’ swimming and diving team.
Sam Decker and Hunter Conrad join fellow senior and returning co-swimmer of the year Jack Pendleton coupled with senior diver Eli Reeves. As juniors, Benjamin Brown, Evan Chaney, Marshall Horton, Nicolas Rincon, and Joseph Sanchez all join reigning co-swimmer of the year Thristan Callejas as returning lettermen. Sophomore Airton Schu is back as well.
Longtime coach Kevin Hedrick will look to his freshmen class to help fill out the lineup.
“Campbell Mason, Whitman Horton, Rylan Huckstep, and Ryan Miller,” Hedrick said. “These four guys will solidify our ability to compete this year and will be the strong base needed to continue our strong winning tradition for the next four years.”
Crawfordsville is looking to continue its Montgomery County dominance, and win a sixth IHSAA Sectional title in the last seven years.
“Our guys just need to dig in and train really hard every day so that we can inch our way back to being able to compete with the Brownsburg, Harrison teams who are always very strong and stay healthy,” Hedrick said.
The biggest motivation?
Danville.
The Warriors snapped a five-year Sagamore Conference winning streak for the Athenians last year, defeating Crawfordsville 468-433.
Callejas and Pendleton were both two-event state qualifiers last season, along with all three relay teams for the Athenians.
On the girls’ side, Alyx Bannon, a state qualifier in 2020 will be back to lead the Athenians. Divers Ella Hudson and Trinity Deck, along with Ashly Reagan and Ashlyn Risley also return. Sadie Walker joins the Athenians this season as well.
As the Athenians face new practice parameters set forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hedrick says they are doing their best to build a team-oriented program.
“Our biggest adjustment so far has been the separation, with only two swimmers per lane on separate ends of the pool,” he said. “It’s a challenge to create the ‘team’ culture needed to generate the excitement.”
Crawfordsville opens the season tonight with a dual meet against Western Boone.
