South Gibson Star-Times

$1.00 14 PAGES Tuesday, FeBRuaRy 21, 2023 VOLUME 68, NUMBER 32 NEWS TIPS Phone: ������������������������812-753-3553 Email ��������������� editor@sgstartimes�com INSIDE Classifieds �������������� B6 Sports ����������������� B1-3 Opinion ������������������ A3 Church ������������������� B4 History ������������������� B5 Two Sections Fort Branch 47648-0070 (USPS #205-620) Titan senior Tristan Coburn swims the butterfly leg of the 200 medley relay for Gibson southern. They placed eighth in the event in a time of 1:57.19. Titan freshman Owen Mercer competes in the 200 freestyle. He placed ninth in the 200 in a time of 1:54.31 and fourth in the 500 freestyle in a time of 5:17.29. Dawson Maurer Qualified for the State Finals By andy Heuring Gibson Southern's Dawson Maurer qualified for the state finals for the second year in a row as the Titan boys had their best-ever performance to place fourth in the Evansville North Sectional on Saturday. "By now we shouldn't be surprised when this team drops time, but it's still amazing and exciting to watch," said Titan Swim Coach Erin Maurer. "Every single swimmer and our diver had a personal best. It was a terrific ending to an impressive swim season," added Maurer. The season isn't over for Dawson Maurer, who led the way for the Titans as he won the 50 free in a new school record time of 21.76. He tied with Oliver Theby of Evansville Memorial and in doing so, qualified for the state finals in Indianapolis on Feb. 24. "I knew going into the meet there was no guarantee that I would make it to state. The margin for error is so small in such a short race," said Dawson. He added, "I'm friends with a lot of the guys I swam against, so I also knew how tight the race was going to be. I do feel like I know what to expect at the state meet this year. I'm excited to have the chance to race again!" "When I first saw my name and I saw that I was first and then saw the other places I was confused. I'm happy that Oliver and I both get to go to state," said Maurer. He and Theby had the fastest times in the first of four heats of the 50 free at the state finals. Of the 32 finalists, 25 of them have times in 21 seconds, two did not break 22 seconds. There are four with times in the 20 second range and Matthew Klinge of Harrison of W. Lafayette is the only swimmer to break 20 seconds. Maurer also placed fourth in the 100 free- style in a time of 48.55. It is better than four swimmers in the state finals had to qualify, but because the Ev. North sectional is so competitive, he did not qualify. "Gibson Southern placed second in the 400 free relay. I think the boys turned a lot of heads and folks took note of what our kids are capable of doing. Gibson Southern swim is on the rise!" Freshman Owen Mercer was the other Titan to place in the top eight in an individual event. He swam to a fourth place in the 500 free in a time of 5:17.29 to lead a field of three Titan swimmers, who placed in the 500. Junior Logan Tooley placed 11th in the event with a time of 5:55.27, while senior Tristan Coburn swam a 6:00.69 to place 15th. "We had three swimmers in the finals of the 500 free. That's impressive," said Coach Maurer. Mercer also placed ninth in the 200 free with his personal record of 1:54.31. Senior Lingafelter placed 10th in the event at 1:55.56. "I think the highlight of the meet and the mo- ment when I realized these kids are competitive on a big stage was the race for the 200 free relay and the second place finish of the 400 free relay. That has to be the highest relay placing in Titan swim history," said Coach Maurer. Gibson Southern's 400 free relay placed second, setting a new school record in the event with a time of 3:24.96 by the team of Jake Richter, Mercer, Lucas Lingafelter and Maurer. They were eight seconds out of first place, the team from Castle, but four seconds faster than Evansville North's time of 3:28. They also were four seconds faster than two of the state finalist teams in the 400 free. The same four boys also set a school record in the 200 free relay in a time 1:30.27. It also was faster than three of the state finalist times from other sectionals. Other individuals to place and score points for the Titans included Jake Richter who was sixth in the 50 free in a time of 22.73 and ninth in the 100 free in a time of 50.24. His time was the sixth fastest, but because his preliminary time wasn't in the top eight times he could not place higher than ninth. The 200 medley relay team of Aiden Love- less, Coburn, Logan Tooley and Kyle Stunkel placed eighth in a time of 1:57.19. Each member of that relay also placed in individual events. Stunkel placed sixth in diving with a new school record score for 11 dives at 249.10. Loveless was 11th in the 100 backstroke in a time 1:06, while Coburn was 15th in a time of 1:09.99. Tooley, along with his 11th in the 500 free, was 13th in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:09.91. "We are losing some talented senior swim- mers, but our future looks bright based on the success our underclassmen had," said Coach Maurer. Meet The Editor By James Rae, Jr. Hello, I am the new Editor for the South Gibson Star-Times and I am excited to join the team! I have a BA in Journalism from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and I have been a freelance writer for over 17 years. I have contributed to many publications including: Herald Times Newspaper in Bloomington, IN, NUVO Newsweekly in Indianapolis, IN, Into Art Magazine in Nashville, IN, Bloomington Alternative Newspaper in Bloomington, IN, Musik and Film, Inc. out of Palm Coast, Florida, Skope Entertainment, Inc. out of the Boston, MA area and many others. I am married to my wonderful wife, Heather Rae, who I have been with for 20 years and we enjoy spending quality time together. Faith and family is ever ything to me and a huge part of my life. I appreciate a good sense of humor as laughter is important, so will usually find me joking around with people on a regular basis. In my spare time, I enjoy: walks with my wife and relaxing at home with my wife, spending time with family, nature, listening to music (mainly streaming and vinyl), being outdoors, reading, watching television and/or a movie, jogging/exercise, playing video games and board games with my wife, and discovering new places. Some fun facts about me are: I was born in Yonkers, New York, I am a former alto sax player, my favorite band is Electric Light Orchestra and favorite music artist is Jeff L ynne. I consider Jeff L ynne to be a Modern Day Mozart and my dad, James Rae, Sr., will attest to that also. My parents, Michele Rae and James Rae, Sr., are a big influence on me when it comes to my love of music as classic rock and oldies were on regular rotation in our household. My wife also opened me up to a lot of new music including countr y music artists, which was fairly new territor y prior to meeting her. My brother, Jonathan Rae, plays guitar himself and got me more in- volved with some heavier music acts in the metal and hard rock categories. Finally, Skope Entertainment Inc. has opened my ears to an array of musical talent from all over the world. I look forward to being the Editor for South Gibson Star-Times and look to provide high-quality, engaging content for all of the valued readers. I am also eager to find out more about the South Gibson County community including the areas of: Fort Branch, Haubstadt, and Owensville, IN. South Gibson Star-Times is your community newspaper and I hope to do it justice. James Rae on vacation near a stream by Great Smoky Mountains National Park Titan Boys Beat Wood Memorial 66-48 Sports A6

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