North Vermillion High School Athletics

This week, the North Vermillion High School Falcons showcased their swimming at the IHSAA Crawfordsville Sectional Swim Meet. The meet served as a platform for the Falcons to demonstrate their hard work and dedication in the pool, resulting in numerous achievements and personal bests. In a display of remarkable improvement, nearly every Falcon swimmer recorded faster times in at least one event, a testament to their commitment to excellence. This dedication was particularly evident during the Consolation portion of the meet on Saturday, where the Falcons excelled in four key events: the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay, and Emery Strubinger's 100 Backstroke. Led by Payton Russell, Owen Hazelwood, John Clay, and Austin Ball, the 200 Medley Relay team showcased their efforts, achieving notable time drops on both Thursday and Saturday. The team dropped .01 seconds on Thursday followed by another 1.32 seconds on Saturday. Dylan Lamb's impressive performance in the 200 Freestyle on Thursday, marked by a personal record improvement of 7.21 seconds, marks his 4th meet in a row with a time improvement of 7 or more seconds. Austin Ball's consistent time drops in the 50 Freestyle on Thursday demonstrated his determination and skill, lowering his personal record to a team fastest, 27.37 seconds. The 200 Freestyle relay team, comprised of Brandon Miller, John Clay, Ben Winland, and Austin Ball, achieved significant improvements in their times, setting a new PR of 2:00.34 seconds, the team’s first relay at 2:00 minutes. Emery Strubinger's advancement to the consolation heat as an individual was a standout moment for the Falcons, marking the first time since 2019 that an individual has represented NVHS in the consolation or finals portion of the Sectional Meet. Strubinger dropped .47 seconds to finish 14th with a time of 1:16.95. This accomplishment holds particular significance for the team, as it signals a positive step towards reclaiming a spot in the top eight in any event, a feat last achieved by Kevin Byrum in 2016. Owen Hazelwood's impressive performance in the 100 Breaststroke, which saw a nearly four-second improvement in his time, reflected his dedication and determination. Similarly, Oakley Downs' near miss of his personal record by just one second in the 100 Breaststroke underscored the Falcons' collective commitment to excellence. As the season comes to a close, the Falcons can take pride in their strong finish and look ahead with optimism to the future. With their sights set on continued progress, the team is poised to build upon their successes in the upcoming 2024/2025 season, aspiring to reach even greater heights in the Wabash River Conference and the IHSAA tournament.