Western’s boys swimming and diving team has enjoyed a terrific run of success that includes back-to-back Hoosier Conference championships and having representatives in two events at the 2024 IHSAA State Finals.
The Panthers believe they can build on their success in the new season.
“We finished the season on such a high note last year and I’ve been excited to get this team in the water and the boys have been excited to be in the water,” Western coach Brad Bennett said. “It’s been a really positive and enjoyable [start to the] season. Our boys are doing what any coach would want them to do right now, they’re working hard, they have goals and they’re being good stewards of the program.”
Brad Bennett has a deep and talented senior class to lead the way.
Noah Broyles and Ashton Tso anchor the class. They were part of Western’s 4x200-yard freestyle relay that advanced to the State Finals last season. Western took 24th place out of 32 teams in the relay.
Broyles is a versatile swimmer. In the Hoosier Conference meet last season, he won the 100 backstroke (:57.18), was runner-up in the 100 freestyle (:51.75) and helped the Panthers win the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.
“Every year since he was a freshman, his focus and dedication have grown and this season it’s as high as I’ve ever seen it,” Brad Bennett said.
Like Broyles, Tso is a versatile swimmer. He swims the breaststroke and individual medley in addition to freestyle sprints. He swam on the winning 200 free and 400 free relay teams in the HC meet last season.
“Ashton is hands down one of the hardest working kids that I’ve ever coached,” Brad Bennett said. “He’s focused, he’s very intelligent, he puts a lot of thought into his workouts, and he just grinds in practice. Everybody fights to keep up with his intensity.”
The other lettermen in the senior class are Wyatt Edwards, Gavin Bourff, Zach Bourff, Coley Bevington and Milan Bennett. They are joined by Giovanni Rivera, a move-in from Texas, and exchange student Mio Neuhaus. Gavin Bourff swam on the winning 200 medley and 200 free relay teams in the conference meet.
Milan Bennett is a diver. The Panthers graduated three-time state diver Evan Butcher.
“Milan kind of always got a little overshadowed in our conference by Evan and the state champion and state runner-up from [Hamilton] Heights. Milan was fourth last year,” Brad Bennett said.
Charlie Brewer leads the junior class. In the conference meet last year, he was runner-up in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke and he swam on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relay teams.
“Charlie really shined bright last year in the IM and the breaststroke last year. We’re looking at the butterfly and the breaststroke this year, but he laid down some phenomenal relay splits [in Western’s opener] against Harrison. He had a really big-time swim against their No. 1 sprinter so we could win that 200 free relay,” Brad Bennett said.
Ashton Castillo, Lawson Smith, Brian Vandall and Miles Rudy round out the junior class. Vandall is another strong diver. Rudy is new to the sport, coming off a successful cross country season.
Ethan Moore leads a small sophomore class. He excels in the 200 and 500 freestyle and can also swim the IM. Johnathan Carpenter is another sophomore.
Brad Bennett has a deep freshman class.
“These guys remind me a lot of those seniors when they came in,” he said.
The freshmen are Lucas McLaughlin, Austin Eads, Ren Pierce, Logan Wyrick, Abe Wheeler, A.J. Dojcinovski, Liam Castillo, Beck Bennett and Tyler Blunck. Beck Bennett joins his brother, Milan, and Vandall to give Western three divers.
All in all, Brad Bennett is excited about the potential of his 20th Western boys team.
“I have numbers, I have talent, I have drive. I have no excuses. I have the challenge to get these guys in the best shape they can be in and figure out what a successful lineup looks like. February is a long time away and there’s a lot of laps to be swam until we get to conference and sectional, but we’re excited for those meets,” he said.
Western is 1-1 following a loss to Tippecanoe County power Harrison and a victory over Carroll.
The following are looks at Howard County’s other teams.
EASTERN
Amanda Condon is Eastern’s new coach. She served the last two years as an assistant coach for the girls team and the middle school coach.
“I am excited to coach the boys team, we had a good turnout this year and I am hoping that we can reach some personal goals by working hard and having some fun along the way,” she said. “I am so glad to have Caleb Vogl helping coach again this season as I get used to working with the boys team.”
Condon has a nice mix of returning swimmers and new swimmers to build around.
Eastern’s returners are seniors Obi Greene and Parker Smith-McCombs, juniors Zander Forman, Amos Greene, Caden Kerns, Evan Lapp and Reagan Long and sophomores Grant Kerns and Kaeden Romero. In addition, senior Charlie Kendall is back after sitting out a year.
Juniors Drew Conner, Adam Duchateau and Christian Martin and sophomores Aiden Tobin, Allen Tobin, Trenton Smith and Justice Gunter are new to the team. The three juniors are all divers.
Freshmen Garrett Condon, Dylan Foland, Ethan Heck, Colten Marmouze and Logan Miller round out the squad.
“We have a handful of swimmers that are new to the pool, but most have been a part of a swim team in the past so that is helpful,” Condon said. “We have had some injuries and illness starting out but I am excited to see the determination especially in some of the newer swimmers.”
Eastern was runner-up in the Hoosier Heartland Conference meet last season. Grant Kerns was a double winner, taking first in the 50 free and 100 free.
“My goal for the team is to reach small goals weekly to get them closer to their bigger goals both individually and as a team,” Condon said. “We have many striving for certain time goals and I think they can achieve those through hard work and encouragement.”
Eastern dropped matches to Hamilton Heights and Oak Hill to open the season.
KOKOMO
Kokomo’s roster remains the same size as last year, but coach Zach Whiteman sees signs of growth in the program.
“Our boys team has grown and matured in the water from where we began last season. Although our roster number is still at 14 swimmers, we now have an even split of seven veterans and seven rookies,” he said. “Most of our athletes have done a fantastic job of building upon the foundation we laid out last season.
“It’s great to have trusty veterans who can lead by example, alongside our rookies who are eager to learn what Katfish swimming is all about,” he added.
Isaac Flamino leads the veterans as the team’s lone senior. Whiteman also returns juniors Hayden Moore and Ethan Lytle and sophomores Bryce Brassard, Jesse Cummings, Kyrii Minor-Thornton and Oliver Taskey.
Flamino had Kokomo’s best showings in the North Central Conference meet last season. He was sixth in the 100 butterfly (:59.48) and seventh in the 50 free (:24.26).
Whiteman said Brassard and Minor-Thornton join Flamino as strong options in the sprint events. Moore swims the 200 freestyle, Taskey swims the IM and breaststroke, Lytle works the distance events and Cummings is looking to make an impact as well.
“Aside from our veterans, it’s a little up in the air — but our rookies are ready to get out and race,” Whiteman said.
The rookies are junior Andre Gomez, sophomores Odin Salinas, Tae Ow Kanayama and Yusei Tsuchiya and freshmen Zavier Larmer, Carter McClain and Hutch Munsey.
“Our primary goal is continuing to get better and being consistent with the work we’re putting in each day at practice,” Whiteman said. “Being willing to push yourself each day is the only way you improve and be competitive in this sport — we’re finally trending in the right direction.
“I’d love to see more dual meet victories and have athletes reach the podium in their respective events at the NCC and sectional meet. We have a ton of room for growth and plenty of potential, we simply have to buy into the process and put in the work.”
Kokomo won its opener against Manchester on Nov. 25.
NORTHWESTERN
The Tigers are off to a 2-0 start following dual victories over Lafayette Jeff and Oak Hill.
“The boys are on a pretty exciting roll,” coach Donita Walters said. “Beating Oak Hill was a pretty big win. That’s a talented program.”
Senior Rowen Elmore and juniors Landon Munoz and Kai Shoaff are the Tigers’ captains.
“The leadership we have within the team is just fantastic. It really helps from a coaching standpoint when you have great leadership,” she said.
Munoz and Shoaff are part of a strong junior class that also has Sam Martin, Maverick Harrell and Kaden Herschberger.
“My juniors are very experienced and carrying the brunt of the load,” Walter said. “We’re also very young. We have a lot of brand-new kids.”
Martin is the Tigers’ top swimmer. Last season, he won the 50 freestyle (:22.77) and took third in the 100 butterfly (:55.64) in the Hoosier Conference meet and took sixth in the 50 free (:22.49) and eighth in the 100 butterfly (:55.68) in the loaded Carmel Sectional.
“The kid is a machine,” Walters said. “He is involved in everything, but he trained in the offseason, he does extra dry-land [workouts], he’ll go the Y and swim if we don’t have a practice. He is going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
Logan Phillips joins Elmore in the senior class. The sophomore class has Mason Broeker, Riley Brumley, Bryan Burkhalter, Jonah Jones, Devin Morrow, Sedrick Garcia and exchange student Albert Szanto. Walters said Szanto is an experienced water-pool player. Braylen Collins and Paxton Power make up the freshman class. Collins is a year-round swimmer.
Broeker is the Tigers’ diver.
“He is learning diving because he knew we needed a diver this year,” Walters said. “That kid is a workhorse. He’ll come in during his study hall and work on diving and then work on diving after school.”
Northwestern is new to the Three Rivers Conference this season.
“We’ll see what that looks like for us this year,” Walters said. “I’m just excited to see how the season goes. The boys have some big goals. Obviously these first two meets were kind of nice surprises for us. They were close battles last year with both of those teams. The veterans are teaching the rookies, ‘We don’t give up fifth-place points. We fight for every point.’”
