By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman showed its outstanding quality in Friday's girls City Swimming and Diving Championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, winning eight of 12 events.
But in the end it was Washburn Rural's superior depth that ruled the day, with the Junior Blues winning their 21st straight team title by a 580.50-490 margin over the Vikings.
Washburn Rural celebrates its city girls swimming championship Friday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"We do have that depth,'' Washburn Rural coach Bob Burdick said. "I felt pretty good about today overall. I knew Seaman was going to walk in and try to take first place in as many events as they could and I would do that if I had those kids, too.
"But our depth pulled it out. We worked really hard this last week to drop times to make sure we came into this with time drops with everybody and that paid off.''
Burdick said that everyone on the team contributed to the Rural championship.
"Everybody did contribute and I'm really proud of the girls,'' Burdick said. "They worked hard and they earned this.''
Avery Walz, Seaman
Tauren Walz, Seaman
Joslynn Grace, Seaman
Seaman got two individual wins apiece from Avery Walz (100-yard freestyle, 100 backstroke), Tauren Walz (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly) and Joslynn Grace (200 individual medley, 100 breaststroke) and the Vikings' star trio teamed with Avery Samuelson to win the 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Washburn Rural, meanwhile, got individual victories from Audrey Appuhnn in the 200 freestyle and 500 free and Appuhn teamed with Sophie Heinen, Jella Belgardt and Genevieve Miranda to win the meet-ending 400 free relay while Rhiannon Good and Hayden's Kaylee Gregg shared the one-meter diving title, tying in that event in Thursday's diving competition.
The Junior Blues put Appuhn, Belgardt, Miranda, Good, Madeline O'Brien and Molly Didde on the All-City first team, while the Walz twins and Grace represent Seaman on the first team, along with Topeka High's Hara Del Castillo, Shawnee Heights' Ashtynn Landry and Kaitlyn Aldridge and Hayden's Gregg and Presley Green.
Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Topeka West will compete in the United Kansas Conference meet at the Cap Fed Natatorium on Tuesday while Hayden, Topeka High and Washburn Rural will compete in the Centennial League meet, which will be held at Cap Fed on Thursday.
CITY SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Washburn Rural 580.50, Seaman 490, Hayden 374.50, Shawnee Heights 325, Topeka High 172, Topeka West 102.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Seaman (Avery Walz, Joslynn Grace, Tauren Walz, Avery Samuelson), 1:55.71; 2. Washburn Rural (Genevieve Miranda, Audrey Appuhn, Jella Belgardt, Molly Didde), 2:00.94; 3. (tie) Washburn Rural B (Naledi Mackenzie, Audrey Meek, Kaya Hamilton, Sophie Heinen) and Topeka High (Suzy Bunten, Caroline Toland, Hara Del Castillo, Faith Blankenship), 2:15.52.
200 freestyle -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 2:00.39; 2. Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights, 2:03.30; 3. Madeline O'Brien, Washburn Rural, 2:13.83.
200 individual medley -- 1. Joslynn Grace, Seaman, 2:12.97; 2. Jella Belgardt, Washburn Rural, 2:26.25; 3. Presley Green, Hayden, 2:29.55.
50 freestyle -- 1. Tauren Walz, Seaman, 25.16; 2. Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural, 25.87; 3. Molly Didde, Washburn Rural, 27.55.
One meter diving -- 1. (tie) Rhiannan Good, Washburn Rural, and Kaylee Gregg, Hayden, 239.80; 3. Maddie Gregg, Hayden, 177.20.
100 butterfly -- 1. Tauren Walz, Seaman, 1:00.07; 2. Jella Belgardt, Washburn Rural, 1:05.41; 3. Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural, 1:05.53.
100 freestyle -- 1. Avery Walz, Seaman, 53.29; 2. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 58.26; 3. Ella Bombardier, Washburn Rural, 1:03.26.
500 freestyle -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 5:18.50; 2. Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights, 5:40.45; 3. Presley Green, Hayden, 5:48.99
200 free relay -- 1. Seaman (Avery Walz, Avery Samuelson, Joslynn Grace, Tauren Walz), 1:44.86; 2. Hayden (Kaylee Gregg, Esa Herrera, Jenna Dernovish, Kaelyn Gerdel), 1:53.93; 3. Shawnee Heights (Ashtynn Landry, Georgia Cole, Reece Taylor, Kaitlyn Aldridge), 1:54.01.
100 backstroke -- 1. Avery Walz, Seaman, 1:02.18; 2. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 1:06.89; 3. Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights, 1:09.05.
100 breastroke -- 1. Joslynn Grace, Seaman, 1:08.21; 2. Caroline Toland, Topeka High, 1:13.96; 3. Lizzie Gould, Seaman, 1:17.73.
400 free relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Sophie Heinen, Jella Belgardt, Audrey Appuhn, Genevieve Miranda), 3:56.74; 2. Washburn Rural B (Ella Bombardier, Ava Von Lintel, Madeline O'Brien, Allison Reed), 4:14.86; 3. Shawnee Heights (Ashtynn Landry, Georgia Cole, Reece Taylor, Kaitlyn Aldridge), 4:16.66.
ALL-CITY SWIMMING
First team
Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural; Avery Walz, Seaman; Tauren Walz, Seaman; Josynn Grace, Seaman; Jella Belgardt, Washburn Rural; Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High; Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights; Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural; Presley Green, Hayden; Madeline O'Brien, Washburn Rural; Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights; Molly Didde, Washburn Rural; Kaylee Gregg, Hayden; Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural.
Second team
Lizzie Gould, Washburn Rural; Elle Bombardier, Washburn Rural; Caroline Toland, Topeka High; Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural; Bailee Heincker, Seaman; Georgia Cole, Shawnee Heights; Megan Strobel, Seaman; Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden; Esa Herrera, Hayden; Margo Crismas, Seaman; Jenna Dernovish, Hayden; Maddie Gregg, Hayden.
