Topeka West junior Kadence Jeffries reacts after winning the Class 5A-1A state title in the 200-yard freestyle Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West junior Kadence Jeffries has probably competed in 100s of races in her outstanding swimming career, and won most of them.
And Jeffries entered her two individual events in Saturday's Class 5A-1A state championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium as an overwhelming favorite after winning both of those events as a freshman in 2019.
But the nerves were still there.
"I'm sitting behind the pool area just shaking nervous, because I haven't met some of these swimmers so they're brand new to me,'' Jeffries said. "It's just nerves to see how they're going to do and (how) I would do with them.
:You don't know if (the seed time) is their fully best time or just a season best, so they could easily come out with a great time and beat you on a given day."
That may be true, but it didn't happen on Saturday, with Jeffries dominating both the 200-yard freestyle and 500 free to give her four state championships in as many tries.
Topeka West junior Kadence Jeffries swims to a dominating state title in the 500 freestyle Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Jeffries opened her day with a 3.51-second win in the 200 free in 1 minute, 56.59 seconds and then came back later to win the 500 free by more than 20 seconds in 5:03.13.
And although Jeffries' victory celebration consisted of little more than a big smile, she said she was thrilled with the repeat.
"This is a big celebration. This is amazing,'' Jeffries said.
Jeffries posted a season-best in the 200 free by more than a second.
"I definitely was putting a lot of focus into that one," Jeffries said. "I knew the 500 would be the better chance, but the 200 was my main focus. I felt really great afterwards and it felt like it was a really great swim."
Jeffries didn't quite get the time she was looking for in the 500 as she was never pushed, but the West star was still pleased with her performance.
"Today it was kind of hard, but I was just trying to race myself," Jeffries said. "Of course I'm a little disappointed not getting under five, but I'm still really happy with that time."
Jeffries had company on the awards stand from Topeka West junior teammate Blanca Espinosa in both the 200 and 500 free, with Espinosa exceeding her seed and blowing away her season-bests in both races to claim eighth-place finishes.
"Oh my god, I'm so ecstatic,'' Espinosa said.
Competing in the next-to-last heat of each race, Espinosa cut more than four seconds off her best in the 200 free with a time of 2:05.58 and then cut nearly seven seconds off her 500 best with a time of 5:36.36.
"To me this year I didn't want it to be about the placement, I wanted it to be about the time," Espinosa said. "Usually, when I get to the wall, I look at the placement and I didn't want to be that way this year. I just really wanted to focus on my times and I'm happy. I would've been happy even if I didn't make the podium. That just made it better."
Jeffries earned first-team All-State honors for the second time while Espinosa was a second-team All-State pick.
Hayden senior Audrey Kuta earned an individual medal in the 100 backstroke, placing sixth in 1:01.89.
CLASS 5-1A STATE SWIMMING
Team scores
Bishop Carroll 282, Kapaun Mt. Carmel 237, St. James Academy 162, Mill Valley 147, Seaman 141, Andover 135, St. Thomas Aquinas 128, Maize 120, McPherson 118, Blue Valley Southwest 117, Wichita Trinity 85, Topeka West 84, Salina Central 74, Winfield 53, Valley Center 52.5, Piper 47.5, Labette County 38, Wichita Independent 37, De Soto 33, Baldwin 29, Newton 28, Salina South 26, Wichita Collegiate 23, Emporia 17, Great Bend 15, Maize South 15, Bishop Miege 13, Andover Central 7, Lansing 5, Smoky Valley 5, Leavenworth 4, Wellington 4, Coffeyville 3, Buhler 1, Bishop Seabury 1.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (Le, Conover, Valentas, Turner), 1:51.38; 2. Bishop Carroll (Bailey, Winter, Clark, Biby), 1:51.85; 3. (tie) St. James Academy (Grant, Salsbury, Clark, Spacek) and Mill Valley (Han. Evans, Hal, Evans, Hansen, Rhodes), 1:54.38; 5. Salina Central (Burmaster, Jennings, Peckham, Moore), 1:55.25; 6. Andover (Dean, Mandanis, Neugent, Bayliff), 1:56.13; 7. Blue Valley Southwest (Currier, J. Heise, Baber, A. Heise), 1:56.40; 8. Seaman (Riggles, A. Walz, T. Walz, Grace), 1:56.81.
200 freestyle -- 1. Jeffries, Topeka West, 1:53.08; 2. Reynaga, Bishop Carroll, 1:56.59; 3. Hansen, Mill Valley, 1:59.28; 4. Bailey, Bishop Carroll, 2:00.87; 5. Orth, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 2:01.22; 6. Moore, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 2:01.22; 7. Spacek, St. James Academy, 2:)5.35; 8. Espinosa, Topeka West, 2:05.58.
200 individual medley -- 1. Conover, Kapaun Mt. Carmbel, 2:04.76; 2. Winter, Bishop Carroll, 2:07.88; 3. Avery Walz, Seaman, 2:11.63; 4. Tauren Walz, Seaman, 2:15.10; 5. Kerr, Baldwin, 2:15.11; 6. Clark, Bishop Carroll, 2:19.18; 7. Horton, Newton, 2:19.69; 8. Hal. Evans, Mill Valley, 2:20.03.
50 freestyle -- 1. Neugent, Andover, 23.87; 2. Brunk, McPherson, 24.00; 3. Baber, Blue Valley Southwest, 24.28; 4. Hesser, St. Thomas Aquinas, 24.42; 5. Blasdel, Maize, 24.55; 6. Grace, Wichita Collegiate, 24.76; 7. Salsbury, St. James Academy, 24.84; 8. Biby, Bishop Carroll, 25.16.
One meter diving -- 1. Lindsey, St. Thomas Aquinas, 386.94; 2. Vincent, Emporia, 346.29; 3. Holton, St. James Academy, 342.99; 4. Kelsey, Salina South, 327.12; 5. Meyer, Kapaun Mt. Carmbel, 321.15; 6. Callahan, St. James Academy, 318.33; 7. Nelson, St. Thomas Aquinas, 303.78; 8. Hakes, Mill Valley, 290.46.
100 butterfly -- 1. Winter, Bishop Carroll, 57.23; 2. N. Clark, Bishop Carroll, 59.77; 3. M. Clark, St. James Academy, 1:00.08; 4. Meister, Labette County, 1:00.30; 5. Martin, Wichita Independent, 1:00.56; 6. Le, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 1:02.78; 7. (tie), Milligan, Valley Center and Kindle, Piper, 1:02.82.
100 freestyle -- 1. Neugent, Andover, 52.55; 2. Baber, Blue Valley Southwest, 53.22; 3. Reynaga, Bishop Carroll, 53.29; 4. Hansen, Mill Valley, 53.44; 5. Blasdel, Maize 54.69; 6. Walls Wichita Trinity, 55.26; 7. Grace, Seaman, 55.43; 8 Horton, Newton, 55.67.
500 freestyle -- 1. Jeffries, Topeka West, 5:03.13; 2. R. Bailey, Carroll, 5:23.89; 3. Tauren Walz, Seaman, 5:24.02; 4. Orth, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 5:26.90; 5. Isom, Winfield, 5:28.53; 6. A. Bailey, Bishop Carroll, 5:34.15; 7. Sprowls, Maize, 5:35.06; 8. Espinosa, Topeka West, 5:36.36.
200 freestyle relay -- 1. Bishop Carroll (Biby, Means, Clark, Reynaga), 1:40.93; 2. Andover (Bayliff, Mandanis, McClellan, Neugent), 1:42.98; 3. McPherson (Smith, Trost, Pearcy, Brunk), 1:43.09; 4. Maize (Wunsch, Will-Gallegos, I. Blasdel, B. Blasdel), 1:43.52; 5. Wichita Trinity (Butcher, Bennett, McClintock, Walls), 1:44.61; 6. St. Thomas Aquinas (Dahir, Ellwanger, L. Hesser, A. Hesser), 1:45.04; 7. Mill Valley (Rhodes, Hal. Evans, Drummond, Hansen), 1:45.16; 8. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (Turner, Gipson, Valentas, Orth), 1:45.39.
100 backstroke -- 1. Meister, Labette County, 57.17; 2. Brunk, McPherson, 58.77; 3. Martin, Wichita Independent, 1:00.39; 4. Grace, Seaman, 1:00.53; 5. Le, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 1:00.70; 6. Kuta, Hayden, 1:01.89; 7. Burmaster, Salina Central, 1:02.06; 8. Amphone, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 1:03.46.
100 breaststroke -- 1. Conover, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 1:03.709; 2. Avery. Walz, Seaman, 1:05.79; 3. Salsbury, St. James Academy, 1:09.68; 4. Kerr, Baldwin, 1:10.15; 5. Ha. Evans, Mill Valley, 1:10.59; 6. Heise, Blue Valley Southwest, 1:10.67; 7. Rhodes, Mill Valley, 1:11.79; 8. Hanson, Piper, 1:14.23.
400 freestyle relay -- 1. Bishop Carroll (Reynaga, A. Bailey, R. Bailey, Winter), 3:39.79; 2. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (Turner, Le, Orth, Conover), 3:42.27; 3. McPherson (Whorton, Trost, Pearcy, Brunk), 3:48.70; 4. Blue Valley Southwest (Heise, Hill, Hunter, Baber), 3:50.65; 5. Seaman (Tauren Walz, Meggison, Grace, Avery Walz), 3:53.49; 6. Maize (Wunsch, Sprowls, Will-Gallegos, B. Blasdel), 3:54.71; 7. St. James Academy (Spacek, Grant, Clark, Salsbury), 3:56.38; 8. Wichita Trinity (McClintock, Bennett, McDaniel, Walls), 3:57.03.
CLASS 5A-1A ALL-STATE
First team
Presley Baber, Blue Valley Southwest; Rachel Bailey, Bishop Carroll; Danica Brunk, McPherson; Claire Conover, Kapaun; Ella Hansen, Mill Valley; Kadence Jeffries, Topeka West; Piper Lindsey, St. Thomas Aquinas; Sidni Meister, Labette County; Natlie Neugent, Andover; Karis Raynaga, Bishop Carroll; Avery Walz, Seaman;Tauren Walz, Seaman; Zoe Winter, Bishop Carroll.
Second team
Brooklyn Blasdel, Maize; MaryBeth Clark, St. James Academy; Nataliee Clark, Bishop Carroll; Blanca Espinosa, Topeka West; Halee Evans, Mill Valley; Gabby Grace, Seaman; Madison Horton, Newton; Olivia Kerr, Baldwin; Sydney Le, Kapaun Mt. Carmbel; Grace Martin, Wichita Independent; Emma Moore, Winfield; Olivia Orth, Kapaun Mt. Carmel; Reagan Salsbury, St. James Academy; Cadance Vincent, Emporia; Megan Walls, Wichita Trinity.
Athlete of the meet -- Claire Conover, Kapaun Mt. Carmel.
Coach of the year -- David Bresser, Lansing/Basehor-Linwood.
