BA Earns 2nd Place Team at Indiana Open Water State Championships

Boilermaker Aquatics added a new competition opportunity to our team calendar for the 2025 Long Course season by participating in the Indiana Swimming Open Water State Championships for the first time! The team took 21 qualifying athletes down to Fishers, Indiana to race not inside a pool, but outside in the open water at Geist Waterfront park. 

Race organizers set up four large triangular buoys and several smaller orange buoys to mark the approximately 400 meter rectangular race course with athletes racing a variety of distances based on their age by swimming either one, two, three or four laps around the course.

The sun was shining, the music was playing and the atmosphere was fantastic at the race site. Athletes, parents and coaches set up a five-canopy team camp where our BA crew stayed comfortable in the shade. Spectators, athletes and siblings stood on the shore or even waded into the cool water to get a better view to watch races and cheer athletes into the finish. 

Top 5 Team Scores
Fishers Area Swimming Tigers (FAST): 644
Boilermaker Aquatics (BA): 295
Zionsville Swim Club (ZSC): 258

Here's a breakdown of our team's results for the day:

Top 8 Finishes: Individual Medalists
Rocco Tajc: 7th in Boys 15+ 1.6K
Evan Stergar: 6th in Boys 11-12 800
JJ Bonfitto: 1st in Girls 10&U 400

Top 16 Finishes: Ribbon Finishers
Austin Pritts: 16th in Boys 15+ 1.6K
Reid Leeper: 11th in Boys 13-14 1.2K
Jason Yang: 15th in  in Boys 13-14 1.2K
Wynton Kim: 9th in Boys 11-12 800
Krish Jain: 12th in Boys 10&U 400
Joshua Lee: 14th in Boys 10&U 400
Emma Dorribo: 10th in Girls 10&U 400
Maya Hanthorne: 12th in Girls 10&U 400

Individual Finishers
Boys 15+ 1.6K: Jaxon Ersland, Myron Miller
Girls 15+ 1.6K: Erin Cahoon
Boys 13-14 1.2K: Alex Burgess
Girls 13-14 1.2K: Jayda Huang, Jocelyn Taylor
Girls 11-12 800: Maddie Clampitt-Morales, Natalie Bonfitto, Enqi Gan

In addition to the individual events listed above, every participating BA athlete also participated in a relay in which three athletes worked together to complete a total of 1.2K, with each athlete completing one loop of the course. Every single athlete in attendance at the meet helped score points through their relay participation, even if they did not score points individual. Building as many relays as we did played a key role in earning the second place overall team award! 

Relay Results: Top 3 Teams Earn Medals
Boys Open 3x400
                   3rd Place: Boilermaker Aquatics A: Rocco Tajc, Bryce Hopson, Austin Pritts
                   9th Place: Boilermaker Aquatics B: Jaxon Ersland, Evan Stergar, Myron Miller
Girls Open 3x400
                   8th Place: Erin Cahoon, Jocelyn Taylor, Jayda Huang
Boys 14&U 3x400
                   3rd Place: Reid Leeper, Alex Burgess, Jason Yang
Boys 12&U 3x400
                   3rd Place: Wynton Kim, Krish Jain, Joshua Lee
Girls 10&U 3x400
                   1st Place: Emma Dorribo, Maya Hanthorne, JJ Bonfitto

Congratulations to all of our BA athletes who participated in the 2025 Indiana Open Water State Championship! It takes a lot of courage to attempt something new and step into the unknown of open water swimming for the first time! 

Thank you all of the parents, grandparents and supporters who came out to the race site to support and cheer on the athletes! It takes a village to stay safe, shaded, hydrated and sunscreened during an outdoor competition. Your support makes it possible for the athletes to grow in the sport.

Already looking forward to next year's Open Water State Championships!

Leaders Everywhere