Girls Swimming and Diving Takes 12th in State Finals
A young CGHS girls swimming and diving team, primarily sophomores and freshmen, placed 12th in the state finals.
“The girls swam really well but, more importantly, gained much experience competing at this level,” said CGHS Head Coach Brad Smith. “Hats off to our one senior, Clara Brandon, for leading the team this season. We are excited that the experiences gained from this season will spring us into returning to the top 10 next year.”
Congratulations to the following CGHS boys and girls swimmers and divers for their podium finishes at the state finals and for earning all-state honors:
BOYS:
200 medley relay – 3rd place: Henry Lyness, Isaac Lewis, Mason Bridges, Anthony Cuadros
200 freestyle – 8th place: Max Hite
Diving – 7th place: Dathan Schramm
100 butterfly – 2nd place: Henry Lyness
500 freestyle – 7th place: Max Hite
200 freestyle relay – 7th place: Isaac Lewis, Camron Mazdai, Nikhil Iyer, Max Hite
100 backstroke – 2nd place: Henry Lyness
400 freestyle relay – 3rd place: Henry Lyness, Max Hite, Anthony Quadros, Mason Bridges
GIRLS:
100 butterfly – 7th place: Addy Matern
200 free relay – 7th place: Averie Matern, Santana Gonzalez, Addy Matern, Clara Brandon
Boys Wrestling State Runner-Up for Third Straight Year
Center Grove High School (CGHS) boys wrestling capped off another fantastic season with a runner-up finish in the state tournament. After winning the sectional at Mooresville, the Trojans placed second to Brownsburg in the regional, semi-state and state finals. CGHS had eight wrestlers qualify for the state meet at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The following were state runners-up: seniors Julian Weems and Eddie Goss, sophomore Peyton Hornsby, and freshman Daniel Brown Jr.
“Our goal is to get over that hump and get a state championship,” said CGHS Head Coach Maurice Swain. “Coming in this year, we graduated seven senior starters from last year, six of which were state placers. So, you graduate half your varsity lineup, can still compete for a state championship, and finish in the top two against two other teams in Brownsburg and Crown Point – nationally ranked teams. That’s pretty good. We hope the guys that are coming back the next few years can get over the hump and win a title.”
Goss competed in the 132-pound weight class this season and ended his career as a four-time state qualifier. “For 14 years of my life I’ve been wrestling and have had the same dream,” said Goss. “It started with me wanting to wrestle [at the state finals]. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world when I was 10 and I went with my dad. It’d be so cool if I were down there one day just wrestling. I did it four times, which is awesome. Once that happened, I dreamed of getting a blue medal; a blue ring became everything. I didn’t get it done, but you have to move on with your life.”
Weems wrestled in the 175-pound weight class in his final season as a Trojan, battling back from a significant knee injury early in his high school athletic career. “[I had] a lot of ups and downs throughout my career,” said Weems. “It was just great to wrestle a full season and wrestle under the lights [at the state finals]. Even though it didn’t turn out how I had hoped, it was good to experience wrestling under the lights.”
Hornsby’s trip to the state finals was the first of his young career. He competed in the 144-pound weight class. “I’ll take it as a positive,” said Hornsby. “I had a few losses during the season but I still always saw myself as the best in the bracket regardless. I didn’t get the result I wanted, but I didn’t qualify for the tournament last year, so I will take it as a positive for now and keep moving forward. Wrestling is different than any other sport. You can’t just come to practice and expect to win. You’ve got to come to practice, and you’ve got to go home, recover the right ways, you’ve got to watch film, you’ve got to get in extra workouts. Every day you’ve got to be doing this stuff. Wrestling is a lifestyle, not just a sport.”
Brown Jr. learned a lot during his first season as a varsity wrestler in the 106-pound weight class. “I started the season fighting for a varsity spot,” said Brown Jr. “I got the varsity spot, and then after that I was just focusing on most of the big tournaments. I learned not to ride on a win too long. Be happy on a win, be disciplined and always look ahead. Don’t just stay in the past. Look in the future.”
The future looks bright for the Trojans as they continue to work toward their first state championship.
Boys Swimming and Diving Finish Strong at State Finals
CGHS boys swimming and diving set a preseason goal to finish in the top five in the state finals. The Trojans achieved this goal by securing a fourth-place finish, their best in the state finals.
“The boys swam a perfect preliminary session to set themselves to be in the fight in the finals,” said CGHS Head Coach Brad Smith. “I am so proud of every one of our boys. They really stepped up and gave it their all for their team. It was a true team effort.”
The Trojans set six school records at the state finals and tied one. Junior Henry Lyness had the best finishes for CGHS, taking second in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
“We had a flawless season,” said Lyness. “We knew we would have a good chance of placing high at the meet, so we just executed and swam the best we could. I’m super proud of myself. I lost to my friend less than a tenth of a second, so I can’t be mad about that. I also had my best two times, which was great overall.”
Lyness has high hopes for his final season in 2025-2026. “I’m going to try to win both my races next year,” he said. “It’s looking pretty good for that, and then maybe try to get the top three as a team. We’re gonna have a really strong team next year. We lose three seniors, but we got some good replacements, so it’ll also be a great year next year.”
Boys Basketball Ends Season in Sectional Semifinals
The CGHS boys basketball season ended in the second round of the sectional at Decatur Central with a 60-47 loss to Mooresville. Sophomore Klint South led the Trojans with 22 points. CGHS won its opening-round sectional game over Perry Meridian 50-36. South was the top scorer with 15 points, and junior Braden Goodpaster added 10 points. The Trojans concluded the season with an 11-12 record and were 2025 Johnson County Tournament Champions.
