Columbus East High School

The Columbus East Olympian H2O’s were in Bedford Thursday night for a Hoosier Hills Conference dual meet against the Bedford North-Lawrence Stars. The Olympian boys delivered a strong, well-rounded performance, earning an 83–68 conference victory. East showcased its depth across multiple events, highlighted by several individual wins and dominant relay swims that helped separate the meet as it progressed. Alex Stilson continued to be a consistent force for the Olympians, capturing victories in both the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. Josh Pendleton also put together an impressive night, winning the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke. Mason Bean added another individual win for East in the 200 individual medley. Relay events proved to be a major strength for the Olympians, as East swept all three relay races on the night, taking first in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay, and closing the meet with a win in the 400 freestyle relay. Additional points came from strong runner-up finishes by Ryan Turner in the 50 and 100 freestyle, along with a second-place swim from Ryan Lienhoop in the 200 freestyle, helping East secure the team victory. On the girls side, the Olympians faced the Bedford North-Lawrence squad with a very limited roster and came up short, falling 131–11. Despite the score, East had several solid swims that provided valuable conference experience. Savannah Burton placed third in both the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle, while Baylee Benefield earned a third-place finish in the 200 freestyle to account for the Olympians’ top individual performances. Columbus East will look to build on the boys’ momentum and the girls will continue to give full effort, despite it's limited roster as the H2O’s move forward in the swim season. The H2O's will be back in the water when they travel to Madison, IN to face the Madison Cubs on Tuesday, January 13th starting at 6 p.m. Good luck, Olympians!