Four Swimmers Heading To State After Record Days
21 Feb 2008

Records were made to be broken.
It’s an old cliché, but it couldn’t have been more true this past weekend at the Warsaw Swimming and Diving Sectional.
Four swimmers combined to break three Manchester High School swimming records, two of them twice in three days, and in the process, all four will be representing MHS at the state finals this weekend.
D.J. Brown, Gavin McNeeley, Josh Kissinger, and Joey Rich teamed up to break the record in the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay, while McNeeley broke the record in the 100 breaststroke.
Despite McNeeley’s success in the breaststroke, all he wanted to talk about were the relay teams.
“I thought it was a possibility, but everything kind of clicked and we all swam our hearts out,” he said. “It just all came together.”
Brown was overwhelmed at the possibility of having his name in the record books and going to state.
“I never thought I would be thinking about being up on the board, but it happened,” he said. “I’m pretty excited about that. I didn’t think we’d ever come close to the 200 free relay, but we all just swam our hearts out.”
“This is great,” Rich added. “We knew that we could do it, but nothing was sure. It was pretty exciting, and this is a great season. It’s also cool that we have (current assistant coach) Rod Smith and that we have that coaching connection (breaking his records).”
In the medley relay, the team was going after the record held by current assistant coach Rod Smith, Nick Vermuelen, Aaron Cassel, and Reed Christiansen, who had held the record time of 1:43.91 since 2000. Rich (back), McNeeley (breast), Brown (butterfly), and Kissinger (free) beat the record with a time of 1:43.58 for the first record of the night.
Saturday afternoon in the finals, they broke the record again with a time of 1:43.09.
In the 200 free relay, the same foursome was going after the record held by Smith, Christiansen, Jeremy Stacy, and Charlie Summerland, who had held the record time of 1:33.55 since 1998. Thursday night, the current Squire team shattered the record that seemed untouchable with a time of 1:32.00. Saturday, they shattered it again, with a time of 1:30.84. In the process, they won the sectional title and advanced to state.
“That was unbelievable,” said head coach Kyle Wieland. “And with the way D.J. Brown brought it home with a split of 21.8 made it even better. I’m so proud of these guys. They have put in so much hard work, and it is paying off.”
Smith couldn’t have been happier to see his name taken down.
“Records are made to be broken,” he said. “I’m excited for them. I know the hard work they put in, and it’s paying off.”
Christiansen was also very diplomatic. “When I heard they broke the records, I was happy, because I know what it takes to swim that well. It takes discipline, determination, and a lot of work,” he said.
Smith and Christiansen each still hold two other school records, Smith in the 100 back and the 200 Individual Medley, and Christiansen in diving, six dives, and 11 dives.
McNeeley broke his third record of the night by breaking the oldest school record.
Doug Lance has held the record in the 100 breaststroke since 1979, with a time of 1:03.00. McNeeley beat it by over 1 1/2 seconds, finishing with a time of 1:01.4 in the preliminaries Thursday night.
Saturday, McNeeley didn’t break his own record, but was only .01 behind his preliminary time with a 1:01.41.
“It really didn’t even bother me that I didn’t make it to state in the breast,” McNeeley said. “I was so excited that both relay teams got in, it really doesn’t matter. I would have been happy if I won (the breast stroke), but my time was good. “
Both relay teams have a chance to break their records again this weekend at the state finals. Both teams finished first at sectional, which earned them a trip at the state finals this weekend at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis.
Brown also won the 50 free and will compete at state as well in that event.
“I didn’t know I won it until I looked up at the board,” Brown said. “When I touched (the wall), I still thought I had second. I think I was just going on adrenaline.”
Brown hopes to be able to break the school record this weekend at the state meet, which is currently held by Craig Briner, who swam a 21.8 in 1992. Brown’s time in the sectional finals was 22.51, but his split in the 200 free relay of 21.88 gives him a realistic shot at it.
“This is just amazing,” Wieland said. “The fact that all of these guys are multi-sport athletes says a lot about how hard they have worked. A lot of swimmers specialize in just swimming, so for these guys to perform at the level they have been really says a lot.”
Also swimming at the state meet will be Northfield swimmer Eric Stearley, who practices and competes with the Manchester team.
Stearley won the 200 free with a time of 1:51.52. He just missed the chance to advance to state in the 500 free, finishing second.
The state meet begins Friday night at 6 p.m. with the preliminaries. The finals begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday.