PREP PROFILE: South's Lauritzen seeking time drops Friday
Feb. 23—Heading into last Saturday's boys high school swimming sectional at Plainfield, Terre Haute South's Connor Lauritzen had seed times that all but guaranteed he would win his two individual events.
Mission accomplished and now the South sophomore is headed to the state finals in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke.
But when he gets to the IUPUI Natatorium for Friday's preliminary swims, he'll face the same situation — in reverse — that he took advantage of at the sectional.
Lauritzen is seeded 24th in IM and 25th in breaststroke, with the top 16 in each event Friday advancing to Saturday's finals.
"It's not impossible [for him to make it to Saturday]," coach Cristina Elliott said this week, "but it would require him to drop about two seconds in each event."
The maintenance issues at the Vigo County Aquatic Center haven't been resolved, so Lauritzen — and quite a few swimmers from the Terre Haute Torpedoes, who are preparing for the upcoming state club finals — practiced again this week in the Rose-Hulman pool.
That hasn't been a problem, Lauritzen indicated, and practice at this point in the season is mostly a matter of fine-tuning things.
"We're able to hone in on parts [of Lauritzen's swims] that need improvement," Elliott said, "keep him geared toward state."
This week is the culmination of work that began at the end of Lauritzen's freshman season, the coach added.
"He's had the mind-set for about a year, that he could be a contender in the state," Elliott said.
"I'll try to stay with the same game plan [as the sectional]," Lauritzen said. "If I am able to make the finals, it would be amazing."
If nothing else, this weekend's swims will give Lauritzen some state-finals experience that he may be able to use again the next two seasons. As a veteran of club swimming, he knows or is aware of many of the competitors he'll be facing Friday. He's also studying video of some of the other swimmers in his events.
"There's a ton of seniors and juniors this year," he said — but also some precocious freshmen that he might have to contend with in future seasons.
So, the sophomore concluded, his strategy is simple.
"Just swim as fast as I can," Lauritzen concluded.
