Posted: Feb. 15, 2010 |(0) Comments

Menomonee Falls/Germantown/Hamilton junior diver Nathan Cox passed the ultra-elite 500-point mark for 11 dives earlier this year.

You'd think that would give him the program record and a whole lot of bragging rights around town.

But as it turns out, the defending WIAA state champion is not even the best in his own household as he still has to look up to 2005 state champ and big brother, Danny, on the days Danny makes his way home from Purdue University.

"Nope, I'm still 10 points away from him," said Cox, who will head an Indians group of seven individuals and three relay teams who have qualified for this Saturday's WIAA State Division I meet at the UW-Madison Natatorium. "He's doing well down there (at Purdue). He had surgery on both his shoulders and is now back in shape. And his advice really means a lot. I really take what he says to heart."

Cox will look to defend his title at 10 a.m. on Saturday, while the rest of the team will compete in the swimming finals at 3 p.m.

He sees fellow Schroeder Aquatic Center (where he trains most of the year) divers Erik Larsen of Homestead, Richard Bradley of Racine Case and Andy Janny of Waukesha West/Mukwonago as his primary competition. Larsen beat Cox at an invitational earlier this season.

"I'm not getting caught up in thinking about defending too much," Cox said. "I'm just going to go in there as if it's just another meet. I don't want to get all worked up about it. … It would be great to defend, but I'm not going to think about it right away.

"I'm more confident this year. Last year was a bit of a surprise, but now I know I'm capable of it."

His victory in diving keynoted a spectacular sectional effort for the Indians in the meet held Saturday at Waukesha South. Falls/GT/Hamilton finished in fourth with 245 points, as state meet favorite Arrowhead won with 351.

Cox scored 462.45 points in winning diving while sophomore teammate Ryan Thomann also qualified for state after taking sixth (328.1).

The Indians also had one other victory, as the 200 freestyle relay team of Nick Bietz, Taylor Hernikl, Ben Perry and Sean Kimmitt turned in a three-second drop in winning in one minute, 28.45 seconds. The time is the fourth-best in division I.

In addition, the local co-op's other two relays also posted impressive drops. The 200 medley relay team of Bietz, Kimmitt, Taylor Ladd and Hernikl dropped more than four seconds in finishing second (1:37.81). Coach Jim Weitzer said the time is close to a program record.

That relay is seeded second in state only to Arrowhead, which won the sectional race in 1:36.9.

The 400 free team of Bietz, Hernikl, Perry and Kimmitt dropped five seconds from its season-best time in taking fifth in 3:17.46. That unit will be seeded 11th at state. Weitzer was impressed with Perry's 48.9 100-split in the race.

Kimmitt will be seeded third in the 100 butterfly after taking second in the sectional (52.19), while other individual state qualifiers will include Ladd in the 200 individual medley (2:01.69) and the 100 breaststroke (100.49, sixth seed) and Bietz in the 50 free (22.12).

Weitzer was impressed with this season-best day for the Indians.

"Everyone swam well," he said. "You could see that things were going a lot smoother in the water. There are some things we have to clear up, but we have such experienced guys (most of the team is seniors) that they know how to hold the taper a little longer."

"This was a good meet. The guys worked hard for it."

Indians set for state

WIAA SECTIONAL RESULTS

Team scores (top five): Arrowhead 351; Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial 328; Brookfield 247; Menomonee Falls/GT/Hamilton 245; and New Berlin 236.5

OTHER FALLS/GT/HAMILTON RESULTS: 200 free: Tyler Kloehn, 13th (1:53.54); Michael Pellechia, 16th (1:54.89); 200 IM: Ben Midlikowski, 11th (2:10.83); 50 free: Perry, 12th (22.96); 100 butterfly: Kloehn, 12th (57.27); 100 free: Hernikl, 11th (50.28); Perry, 14th (50.63); 500 free: Pellechia, 11th (5:07.42); 100 backstroke: Cole Becker, 12th (1:01.97); 100 breaststroke: Midlikowski, 11th (1:05.51)