Wayne County’s Dafler competes in age-group state meet

Wayne County homeschooler Julia Dafler recently qualified for the Indiana Swimming Age Group State meet in the 50 Long Course Meter Breaststroke. Dafler achieved a qualifying time of 0:40.97, surpassing the state cut of 0:41.19 in her final qualifying meet prior to the July 24-27 championships at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis.

“I’d been trying for this my whole life,” Daffler said. “Finally, the pressure was off. [The state meet] was amazing, [and] the atmosphere was great.”

Dafler finished thirty-sixth in the 11–12-year-old division and marked her first state qualification after seven years of swimming, including three years with the Archway Swim Club in Wayne County. Connersville native Darren Ridenour, who previously served as head coach at Centerville High School and now coaches at Manchester University, has guided Dafler for three years at Archway.

“She’s just a great kid [with a] great personality,” Ridenour said. “She loves the sport of swimming. She’s very driven and is willing to put in whatever work it takes to achieve her goals. It’s pretty special. She’s a great teammate. She’s very kind to her teammates, and loves to support them, cheer for them, and to be a part of the team.”

Leading up to the race, Dafler concentrated on hand positioning, kick speed, and underwater technique. During qualifications at ages 10 and 11, she fell just short of the state cut. This year, as a 12-year-old, Dafler surpassed the cut by nearly half a second after being a tenth of a second away throughout the summer.

Connersville Head Coach Stephen Keaffaber joined Ridenour at Archway this summer with members of the Connersville Area Swim Team during renovations at the CHS Natatorium.

“I just met Julia this summer,” Keaffaber said. “I came over to help Darren and had an absolute blast working with the kids. When I came in, Julia was one of the swimmers who knew she had a lot to do to get that cut. She was close to it in the winter season, so she was trying to make sure she secured it in the summer.”

Dafler’s journey reflects years of effort in the 50 Long Course Meter Breaststroke. Her qualification for the state meet, held in a prominent swimming facility, represents a milestone in her swimming career.

“After the race, I thought it was probably my fastest turnover,” Dafler said. “I thought my underwater was too deep, but I did my best, even though my time was not the fastest.”