Bloomington swimmers were certainly at their best in the preliminaries of the IHSAA boys state finals on Friday at the IU Natatorium.
South broke three school records, two in the relays, as the Panthers earned six individual and two relay A Finals swims, adding an individual and relay spot in the B Finals. North's Jay Stewart earned two A Finals swims after resetting his mark in the 50 freestyle and the Cougars also got their 200 free relay into the B Finals.
Saturday's finals begin at 1 p.m.
South started the night with a 1:31.48 for third in the 200 medley relay, which took down the old mark of 1:32.08 set by South's title-winning team in 2012. David Kovacs (22.10 backstroke), Leo Nelson (26.64 breaststroke), Lukas Paegle (21.15 butterfly) and Kian Kadlec (21.59 freestyle) finished behind only Carmel (1:29.70) and Valparaiso (1:30.59) as it took a sub-1:33 to make the A Final.
Next event, South freshman Peter Kovacs covered the 200 free in a school record 1:39.07 just a week after resetting the mark with a 1:40.30 at sectional. He placed sixth, while teammate Botond Kun was 18th (1:43.51). Peter went on to take second in the 100 free prelims with a career best 45.06, closing in on Ian Finnerty's South record 44.44. A 43.93 was the top time.
Older brother David set himself up well for the finals, starting with setting the top time by .25 in the 200 individual medley in a career best 1:48.01. Five broke 1:49. He was also No. 2 in the backstroke in 48.33 (.06 off his school record from sectional), trailing only defending champ Henry Lyness of Center Grove (48.26).
The capper of the night for South was watching Paegle (45.44), Kadlec (47.75), Peter Kovacs (45.09) and David Kovacs (44.72) combine for a school record 3:02.00 to finish first in the 400 free relay. It broke the 3:04.90 that won the 2012 state title for the Panthers.
South's 200 free relay was not quite as fortunate, coming up .08 short of the A Finals with a 1:25.86 for ninth as Peter Kovacs opened with a 20.71, followed by Kadlec, Nelson and Kun. North also sent its 200 free relay to the B Final, taking 13th in 1:26.66 as Stewart (20.58) and Landon Mobley (21.58) bookended the effort with Wyatt Norrick (21.67) and Luke Miller (21.58).
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Stewart flew to a 20.25 for second in the 50 free to lower his school record from last week by .22. He trails only Jake Tarara of Brebeuf Jesuit (20.18). Stewart then had a career best 48.31 to take second only to Olympian Andrew Shackell of Carmel (47.29). North's school record of 47.88 by Max Irwin is within sight.
Paegle cruised to fourth in the 50 free in 20.66, exactly matching his sectional time, and had a 48.53 for fourth in the 100 backstroke.
Kun also made it back for the B Finals of the 500 free with a 12th-place time of 4:38.27, which is a career best.
South sophomore Cameron Seidenfaden was 23rd in the back in 52.69. North's medley relay was 20th in 1:38.07.