Hot Champions of CGHS Trojans Winter Sports
Writer / Kevin Conrad, CG Sports Network
Photography Provided
The Athletic Hall of Fame in Center Grove High School (CGHS) will grow by several faces this spring thanks to a successful winter sports season. Joining the hallowed hall will be two individual state champions, a team state runner-up and numerous state
finalists.
Swimming and Diving
CGHS junior Mia Prusiecki won her second state championship in the 2023 IHSAA diving state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis. She also holds the 2022 state title and 2021 runner-up. This season she broke her 11-dive school record, and also defended her county, sectional and regional titles.
“I was so excited to know I could bring home another state title,” Prusiecki says. “I was proud of myself to end the season how I did. It’s a great feeling knowing I accomplished my goal of winning again. All of the hard work I put in this year and it paying off was a relief.”
While she makes it look effortless, she had to overcome physical adversity to earn her place on the podium this year.
“I think with every sport, there’s no such thing as feeling 100%,” Prusiecki says. “This year I have been dealing with a pretty bad hip, but have been going to physical therapy two times a week to get the pain level down. I always try to block out the pain. With diving, you are only competing for six or 11 dives. I think of it as, ‘Just get through the dives the best you can and then you can ice and rest.’ In my freshman year I had a wrist injury that required surgery a week after state, and that built up my mental and physical toughness when it came to competing with an injury.”
Brad Smith, first-year CGHS boys and girls swim and dive head coach, was proud of Prusiecki.
“Mia did not let the obstacles of battling an injury and the pressures of winning the title again stand in her way,” Smith says. “She fought through the entire day and stepped up her performance in the finals. It shows the fortitude that she has. Mia is a true champion.”
The Ohio State commit is proud of her mental and physical improvements over the last two seasons.
“In my freshman year I was not the best at managing everything when it came to school, club diving, high school diving and maintaining a social life,” Prusiecki says. “Throughout the last three years I have become so much better at finding a balance between focusing and having fun. My diving has become so much more consistent compared to freshman year. I think this all falls back on being mentally more mature and staying focused with one dive at a time, and not trying to jump ahead and worry about the end result.”
Smith’s inaugural season with CGHS also saw two sectional and Johnson County team championships. The Trojan girls and boys swim and dive teams captured their second-straight sectional and county titles. It was the girls’ 28th sectional in school history and the boys’ 29th.
The girls team placed ninth in the state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium and the following swimmers earned all-state honors:
- 200 Individual Medley: Lara Phipps placed eighth
- 100 Butterfly: Lara Phipps placed seventh
- 200 Freestyle Relay: Lexi Stuart, Grace Clarkston, Lara Phipps and Tenley Wilkins placed sixth
- 400 Freestyle Relay: Lexi Stuart, Clara Brandon, Tenley Wilkins and Lara Phipps placed eighth
“It was great to get the team back in the top 10,” Smith says. “Throughout the tournament we wanted the girls to just focus on the race in front of them and not worry about everything else. This group did just that. Each step of the way, we were able to make small adjustments that resulted in time drops through each stage. With the high caliber of swimming in this state, we are excited
to be on the podium. We hope to take this excitement and build upon it for next year, as all of those that earned top spots will be back.”
The boys team just missed the top 10, placing 11th in the state finals, and the following swimmers had all-state performances:
- 50 Freestyle: Evan Hernandez placed sixth
- 100 Butterfly: Sam Smith placed fifth
- 500 Freestyle: Sam Smith placed seventh
- 200 Freestyle Relay: Henry Lyness, Jonah Brandon, Isaac Lewis and Sam Smith placed eighth
“We swam amazingly during the state preliminary session, dropping time and moving up places,” Smith says. “We just hit a roadblock during the finals when our medley relay was disqualified, and then Evan Hernandez suffered an injury that affected his 100 free and the 200 freestyle relay. I was proud of our guys for being able to rally together to push through the meet and continue to swim well. Even though we didn’t have the team results we wanted, the accomplishments of these boys keep our heads held high.”
Wrestling
The CGHS wrestling team had a season unlike any other. The Trojans took home the championship hardware at the county, sectional, regional and semi-state tournaments, and were the state finals runner-up for the first time in school history and ranked 34th in the nation.
“Proud of our guys,” says Maurice Swain, CGHS wrestling head coach. “It’s been a long season. It’s been a lot of highs and you don’t want the season to end. With that being said, you want those guys who didn’t get what they wanted this year to have another shot next year. We’re excited about next year for those guys who didn’t reach their goal to get another chance to do that. You also want to sit back and enjoy this a little bit.”
One young man that reached the ultimate goal was CGHS junior wrestler Charlie LaRocca, winning the state title in the 113-pound weight class Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. LaRocca recalls his emotions the moment he won the state championship.
“I vividly remember being super lightheaded once the final whistle blew,” he says. “It was a rush. Wow, I’m a state champion. I had a couple of tears in my eyes. I think even my coaches did a little bit. It was just awesome. I pointed to my mom and dad because I owe it all to them.”
Swain says LaRocca won the state title the old-fashioned way – through hard work.
“He does everything we ask him to do,” Swain says. “He doesn’t miss workouts. He listens. He’s coachable. He doesn’t take a rep, practice or match off. He does everything right. He has a 4.7 GPA. He’s one of the guys you can always depend on being at practice during the off-season and in season. He’s one of the toughest guys in the room. He always shows up with his ability when he competes.”
LaRocca shares his state title with those who helped him to get there.
“I have the best parents anyone could ever ask for,” LaRocca says. “They support me every step of the way – hard weight cut, school. They push me in every aspect of life. They have been confident in me since day one. I just love them. We have the best coaching staff in the state, no doubt. Coach Swain and Coach Curry have turned me into the wrestler that I am. My teammate and practice partner, Eddie Goss, we go hard every day. We push each other, even when we get mad at each other. That’s part of it. I love him like a brother. I owe it all to my parents, coaches and teammates. It’s just not me who won the state title. It’s them too.”
The Trojans set a state record with 12 of 14 wrestlers qualifying for the state finals. Of the 12, eight were podium finishers and five advanced to the state championship round. Besides LaRocca winning state, the following CGHS wrestlers were state runners-up: Wyatt Krejsa, Reese Courtney, Hyatt Yeager and Kaden McConnell. CGHS loses two senior starters from this year’s squad. Swain has high expectations for next season.
“We think we have a good team coming back,” Swain says. “We think we can push again to be in the top two or three teams in the state and hopefully be the state champion. We think we have a good team returning, and hopefully put ourselves in a position to win a state title.”
Basketball
The CGHS girls basketball team had a great season with a 22-5 record, won sectional and regional titles, and was two wins away from playing in the 4A state championship game. Trojan senior Savanna Bischoff was named first-team all-state, and junior Audrey Annee was named underclassman honorable-mention all-state and first-team all-county.
The CGHS boys basketball team concluded the season at 22-3, the second-most wins and third-best overall record in school history, and was runner-up in the sectional. Trojan seniors Marcus Ankney, Ethan McComb and Micah Robertson earned academic all-state honorable-mention honors.
“What an amazing winter season for our athletic teams and individuals,” says CGHS Principal Jeff Henderson. “We are incredibly proud of these student-athletes and coaches. We thank them for their hard work and dedication during another successful winter season.”
“We just picked up where the fall left off,” adds CGHS Athletic Director Joe Bronkella. “We had so many student-athletes excel and represent CG well – Charlie and Mia have made us proud, the whole wrestling team as state runner-up with a record number of state qualifiers, girls basketball making it to semi-state, boys basketball having a great regular season, and boys and girls swimming having many representatives at the state finals. With this type of start for two-thirds of the school year, I cannot wait to see what spring brings.”
