By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
In many ways, Washburn Rural sophomore swim star Audrey Appuhn and her Junior Blue teammates are in the midst of the toughest stretch of the 2024 season.
Washburn Rural sophomore Audrey Appuhn reacts to a victory in Monday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Granted, the biggest meets of the year -- city, Centennial League, Class 6A state -- are still to come, but Appuhn and the Junior Blues are currently working their hardest to make sure they're ready for that stretch run.
"I would say my workouts are getting harder, which does in turn causes some time adds, but I'm hoping towards the end of the season all the lifting and harder times at practice will apply and I hope that for everyone on my team because everyone's been working really hard,'' Appuhn said Monday after leading Rural to a strong second-place team finish in the Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
"We're at the peak of our hardest training right now and when it tapers down I think everyone's really going to pull through and do amazing.''
Appuhn posted three wins on Monday -- two lopsided individual victories and a relay win -- as Washburn Rural rolled up 485 points, a single point behind team champ Free State.
Washburn Rural sophomore Audrey Appuhn wins the 200 individual medley in Monday's Topeka High Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Appuhn won the 200-yard individual medley by nearly seven seconds in a time of 2 minutes, 12.54 seconds and came back a few events later to win the 500 free by more than 15 seconds in 5:15.37.
Appuhn also teamed with Ava Von Lintel, Ella Bombardier and Madeline O'Brien to win the 400 free relay in 4:18.48 and she swam on Rural's third-place 200 medley relay (2:04.07).
Appuhn established herself as one of the state's top swimmers as a freshman when she finished third in 6A in the 200 individual medley and fourth in the 500 free and is looking to build off that performance this spring.
"It adds a little bit more pressure but the success keeps you going,'' she said. "It's a really hard sport to do as a team because everyone practices by themself but I'm lucky to have such a great team environment because without that environment I wouldn't be able to push my personal and group goals.
"If you're not enjoying it it's not worth it at all so I always to have that mindset and make sure I'm having fun and make sure I'm being there with the team because that makes it all worth it. Club is definitely more individual but when you're in a whole group of girls your age and everyone has a common goal to be great together it makes it a lot more fun and I couldn't do it without my girls.''
Seaman finished third as a team in Monday's meet with 399 points, with the Vikings getting a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 breastroke from Avery Walz (1:08.26), Joslynn Grace (1:11.32) and Lizzie Gould (1:20.19).
Seaman's Tauren Walz finished second in the 100 butterfly and also swam on the Vikings' winning 200 free relay. in Monday's Topeka High Invitational. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Seaman's foursome of Tauren Walz, Avery Samuelson, Grace and A. Walz also won the 200 free relay in 1:49.79 and the same foursome finished second in the 200 medley relay (2:00.01).
Hayden's Kaylee Gregg won the one-meter diving title with a score of 222.75, while Bre Sanneman of Manhattan was second at 198.15.
TOPEKA HIGH INVITATIONAL
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Free State 486, Washburn Rural 485, Seaman 399, Shawnee Heights 256, Hayden 251, Junction City 151, Topeka High 95, Topeka West 71, Manhattan 17.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Free State (Gayla Gao, Liza Engelbrecht, Molly Nuckolls, Jocelyn Wilson), 1:58.61; 2. Seaman (Avery Walz, Joslynn Grace, Tauren Walz, Avery Samuelson), 2:00.01; 3. Washburn Rural (Audrey Appuhn, Molly Didde, Jella Belgardt, Genevieve Miranda), 2:04.07.
200 freestyle -- 1. Liza Engelbrecht, Free State, 2:01.14; 2. Joslynn Grace, Seaman, 2:04.96; 3. Aidyn Guy, Free State, 2:18.04.
200 individual medley -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 2:12.54; 2. Tauren Walz, Seaman, 2:19.25; 3. Molly Nuckolls, Free State, 2:20.46.
50 freestyle -- 1. Jocelyn Wilson, Free State, 26.26; 2. Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights, 28.10; 3. Ella Bombardier, Washburn Rural, 28.70.
One meter diving -- 1. Kaylee Gregg, Hayden, 222.75; 2. Bre Sanneman, Manhattan, 198.15; 3. Natalee Grauberger, Washburn Rural, 197.80.
100 butterfly -- 1. Gayla Gao, Free State, 1:00.94; 2. Tauren Walz, Seaman, 1:02.90; 3. Molly Nuckolls, Free State, 1:05.17.
100 freestyle -- 1. Liza Engelbrecht, Free State, 55.27; 2. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 59.67; 3. Sarah Masterson, Free State, 1:07.34.
500 freestyle -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 5:15.37; 2. Avery Walz, Seaman, 5:30.64; 3. Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights, 5:57.59.
200 free relay -- 1. Seaman (Tauren Walz, Avery Samuelson, Joslynn Grace, Avery Walz), 1:49.79; 2. Hayden (Kaylee Gregg, Jenna Dernovish, Kaelyn Gerdel, Esa Herrera), 1:57.89; 3. Free State (Lilli Outcalt, Kendall Dobski, Aidyn Guy, Sarah Masterson), 2:00.84.
100 backstroke -- 1. Jocelyn Wilson, Free State, 1:02.66; 2. Gayla Gao, Free State, 1:04.45; 3. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 1:07.00.
100 breastroke -- 1. Avery Walz, Seaman, 1:08.26; 2. Joslynn Grace, Seaman, 1:11.32; 3. Lizzie Gould, Seaman, 1:20.19.
400 free relay --1. Washburn Rural (Ava Von Lintel, Ella Bombardier, Audrey Appuhn, Madeline O'Brien), 4:18.48; 2. Shawnee Heights (Clara Sobba, Georgia Cole, Kaitlyn Aldridge, Ashtynn Landry), 4:20.87; 3. Hayden (Kaylee Gregg, Jenna Dernovish, Esa Herrera, Kaelyn Gerdel), 4:37.57.
