All-RTC4 boys swimming: Valley’s record-breaking Smith is RTC4 Swimmer of Year for 3rd time

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

RTC4 Boys Swimmer of the Year Marcus Smith

To participate in the IHSAA boys swimming state finals means one is one of the 32 best swimmers in that event in the state.

But to swim in the state final race in an event is another level beyond that.

Typically, the final eight in most any race consists of swimmers from high-enrollment schools from large urban and suburban areas like Carmel, Center Grove, Homestead and Penn.

Schools from rural areas with enrollments under 600 are just about never represented.

Tippecanoe Valley senior Marcus Smith bucked decades-long trends and traditions when he qualified for the 100 backstroke state finals, and he wound up finishing sixth. He added a 10th place finish in the 100 butterfly, and for those two races, he is our RTC4 Boys Swimmer of the Year.

We would like to thank area coaches for their assistance by sending results and talking to us after meets.

Having said that, this list is our creation, and we take full responsibility for this list. We place extra emphasis on the conference and sectional meets, as they typically have larger fields and are populated by swimmers participating in their best events.

First team

• Marcus Smith (Tippecanoe Valley) – A Grand Valley State recruit, Smith not only won the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke at sectional, but he also won the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly at the conference meet. His nearly 15-second victory over the rest of the field at the Indiana Northern State Conference meet just showed how dominant he was against most of his local competition.

• Isaac Whetstone (Tippecanoe Valley) – Whetstone won the 200 freestyle at the INSC by more than 17 seconds and the 100 freestyle by more than eight. He then beat Warsaw’s Griffin Brown in a showdown in the 200 free at the sectional and then swam a sizzling 46.22 to win the 100 freestyle. He wound up taking 13th at state in the 100 free.

• Ian Kitchell (Pioneer) – Kitchell, a senior, was third in the 50 freestyle in 22.45 seconds and fifth in the 100 freestyle in 50.01 seconds. He was a huge force in the sprint freestyle events for Pioneer.

• Austin Brooke (Pioneer) – Brooke, a senior, switched to the 50 freestyle and finished sixth in that event at the sectional. He also took sixth in the 100 breaststroke.

Honorable mention

• Tucker Whetstone (Tippecanoe Valley)

• Aaden Bowers (Tippecanoe Valley)

• Reece Johnson (Rochester)

• Brevin Nicholson (Rochester)

RTC Boys Swimmer of the Year

• 2021 – Brandon Hoffman (Tippecanoe Valley)

• 2022 – Marcus Smith (Tippecanoe Valley)

• 2023 – Marcus Smith (Tippecanoe Valley)

• 2024 – Carson Parker (Tippecanoe Valley)

• 2025 – Marcus Smith (Tippecanoe Valley)