Nothing came easy for Cathedral High School girls swimming in 2020-2021. A decidedly unusual season was at once difficult and memorable – and throughout it all, Ashley Hill said one thing remained clear. Every day was special. Every opportunity mattered. “We talked about it all year: Every day was a high moment,” Hill, in her third season as the Irish’s girls and boys swimming coach, said. “This was a season that for everybody was just going to be different. Like every sport, we had some things canceled and some thi...

Ashley Hill left no doubt. The 2019-2020 Cathedral High School girls swimming season was as successful as any in recent program history, and Hill – the program’s coach – said it will be remembered as such. “The girls had a spectacular season,” she said. The Irish, a team of seven seniors and significant youth, not only won a fourth consecutive city championship in 2019-2020, they also had an individual performer – senior diver Sophie Mernitz – finish with the best individual performance at the state meet...

Sophie Mernitz is a senior diver who recently competed in State Finals in one-meter diving. Out of 31 state qualifiers, Mernitz was able to secure the bag and place eighth. Finals took place on Feb.15 at the IU Natatorium where she earned an overall score of 447.00. On behalf of being eighth in the state, Mernitz accepted a brief interview about her experience in states and additional information people might like to know about Sophie Mernitz.   When did you start swimming? I started swimming my sophomore year, the same year starte...

This was the perfect mix. Not only did Cathedral High School’s girls swimming team have a solid season in 2018-2019, the Irish had that season with a young team that gained valuable experience. As Ashley Hill sees it, that makes for an optimistic combination. “It was a fantastic year with a lot of potential for the future, which is a lot of fun,” said Hill, who in ‘18-‘19 finished her second  season as the Irish’s swimming coach. Irish girls swimming in 2018-2019 not only won the City Championship, the...