Seaman's Gabby Grace won the 100-yard backstroke and the 100 freestyle in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural and Hayden rode their depth to a one-two team finish in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational swimming meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, while Seaman and West combined for seven individual victories.
Washburn Rural's Ellie Armstrong won the one-meter diving event with a score of 208.50 points and the Junior Blues' Mara Bare, Aubrey Fritsch, Jeisscafaith Ndungu and Makenna Pritchard won the 200-yard free relay in 1 minute, 50.96 seconds, but it was depth that paved the way for a 473-392 team victory over Hayden, with Rural posting top-three finishes in eight of 12 events.
Makenna Pritchard anchored Washburn Rural's 200-yard freestyle relay to a win in the Topeka West Invitational and finished second in the 100 and 200 freestyle. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Hayden, meanwhile, did not post a win, but the Wildcats finished in the top three places in five events, including a second-place finish in diving by Tatum Trent and thirds from Audrey Kuta in the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, Olivia Kerr in the 200 individual medley and the 400 freestyle relay team of Kuta, Kerr, Alexis Vu and Ainslee Oliver.
Seaman finished fourth as a team, but won a meet-high five events, including a pair of individual wins from both Avery Walz and Gabby Grace and a win from Tauren Walz.
Avery Walz won the 50 freestyle in (25.80) and the 100 breaststroke (1:09.04) while Grace won the 100 free (56.60) and the 100 backstroke (1:03.69) and Tauren Walz won the 200 individual medley (2:17.73).
Topeka West's Kadence Jeffries won the 200-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle in Wednesday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Topeka West's Kadence Jeffries was also a double-event winner, taking victories in the 200 free (1:59.07) and the 500 free (5:21.45).
Topeka High was led by Abigail Price's sixth-place finish in the 100 backstroke while Makayla Geil finished seventh in the 50 free and the team of Aubery Zimmerman, Price, Elaine Bunten and Geil finished seventh in the 400 free relay.
Alexis Vu helped Hayden post a third-place finish in the 400-yard free relay and a second-place team finish in the Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL
Team scores
Washburn Rural 473, Hayden 392, Manhattan 373, Seaman 370, Junction City 212, Topeka West 191, Topeka High 167, Bishop Seabury 16.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Manhattan (Talia Francois, Ruth Perez, Sophia Steffensmeier, Sydney Hicks), 1:59.86; 2. Washburn Rural (Aubrey Fritsch, Jeisscafaith Ndungu, Mara Bare, Makenna Pritchard), 2:03.44; 3. Topeka West (Bianca Espinosa, Kadence Jeffries, Laura Beatty, MaKayla Baxter), 2:12.74.
200 freestyle -- 1. Kadence Jeffries, Topeka West, 1:59.07; 2. Makenna Pritchard, Washburn Rural, 2:06.70; 3. Audrey Kuta, Hayden, 2:10.18.
200 individual medley -- 1. Tauren Walz, Seaman, 2:17.73; 2. Ruth Perez, Manhattan, 2:20.66; 3. Olivia Kerr, Hayden, 2:21.81.
50 freestyle -- 1. Avery Walz, Seaman, 25.80; 2. Sydney Hicks, Manhattan, 27.48; 3. Cadence Cheng, Bishop Seabury, 27.91.
One meter diving -- 1. Ellie Armstrong, Washburn Rural, 208.50; 2. Tatum Trent, Hayden, 164.50; 3. Sam Ingram, Seaman, 1:54.75.
100 butterfly -- 1. Sophia Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 1:02.23; 2. Tauren Walz, Seaman, 1:03.42; 3. Audrey Kuta, Hayden, 1:07.68.
100 freestyle -- 1. Gabby Grace, Seaman, 56.60; 2. Makenna Pritchard, Washburn Rural, 56.66; 3. Mara Bare, Washburn Rural, 58.44.
500 freestyle -- 1. Kadence Jeffries, Topeka West, 5:21.45; 2. Mara Bare, Washburn Rural, 5:30.17; 3. Sophia Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 5:34.57.
200 freestyle relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Mara Bare, Aubrey Fritsch, Jeisscafaith Ndungu, Makenna Pritchard), 1:50.96; 2. Topeka West (MaKayla Baxter, Ella Teter, Bianca Espinosa, Kadence Jeffries), 1:53.47; 3. Seaman (Avery Walz, Bailey Meggison, Jordan Riggles, Tauren Walz), 1:54.75.
100 backstroke -- 1. Gabby Grace, Seaman, 1:03.69; 2. Aubrey Fritsch, Washburn Rural, 1:10.35; 3. Jordan Riggles, Seaman, 1:20.01.
100 breaststroke -- 1. Avery Walz, Seaman, 1:09.04; 2. Ruth Perez, Manhattan, 1:13.57; 3. Jeisscafaith Ndungu, Washburn Rural, 1:22.19.
400 freestyle relay -- 1. Manhattan (Sophia Steffensmeier, Sydney Hicks, Talia Francois, Ruth Perez), 3:56.63; 2. Seaman (Tauren Walz, Gabby Grace, Bailey Meggison, Avery Walz), 3:57.72; 3. Hayden (Audrey Kuta, Olivia Kerr, Alexis Vu, Ainslee Oliver), 4:12.37.
