By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
MARA BARE, Washburn Rural
A junior, Bare capped her sophomore season with a strong performance in the Class 6A state swimming and diving championships, finishing fourth in the 200-yard freestyle and fifth in the 500 free, earning second-team All-State honors. An All-City first-team selection last season, Bare placed second in the 500 free and third in the 100 backstroke in the city meet and swam on Washburn Rural's runner-up 200 medley and 400 free relays. Bare was second in the Centennial League in the 200 free and 500 free and swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 free relay and third-place 200 medley relay, earning first-team all-league honors.
AUDREY CAPE, Shawnee Heights
A sophomore, Cape posted a third-place finish for Shawnee Hights in the city championships in the 500-yard freestyle and finished fourth in the 100 backstroke. Cape also swam on the T-Birds' third-place 200 free and 400 free relays in the city meet and earned second-team All-City honors.
GEORGIA COLE, Shawnee Heights
Cole, a sophomore, finished fourth in the 2021 United Kansas Conference meet in the 200-yard individual medley and the 500 freestyle and also swam on Shawnee Heights' fourth-place 400 free relay team. A second-team All-City pick, Cole placed fifth in the city meet in the 200 IM and the 500 free and swam on Heights' third-place 400 free relay.
BLANCA ESPINOSA, Topeka West
Espinosa, a senior, earned second-team All-State honors in Class 5A-1A last season, placing eighth in both the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 free at state. Espinosa, a first-team All-City selection last season, also swam on the Chargers' 12th-place 200 medley and 200 free relays. Espinosa placed second in the 200 freestyle and third in the 100 butterfly in the city meet and helped West win the city title in the 200 free relay. Espinosa swam on West's second-place 200 free relay in the Centennial League, earning second-team all-league honors.
Seaman senior Gabby Grace earned four state medals and second-team All-State honors in last season's Class 5A-1A state swimming championships. [File photo/TSN]
GABBY GRACE, Seaman
The Seaman senior earned four medals in the 2021 Class 5A-1A state meet, placing fourth in the 100-yard backstroke and seventh in the 100 free and swimming on the Vikings' fifth-place 400 free relay and eighth-place 200 medley relay. Grace was a city champion in the 100 backstroke and 200 medley and 400 free relays and finished third in the 100 free. She was the Centennial League champ in the 100 back, second in the 100 free and swam on Seaman's runner-up 200 medley and 400 free relays. Grace was named to the All-City and all-league first-team and was a second-team All-Stater in 5A-1A.
Topeka West senior Kadence Jeffries is a four-time Class 5A-1A state swimming champion, going four for four in her individual races in the state meet. [File photo/TSN]
KADENCE JEFFRIES, Topeka West
Jeffries, a senior, swept Class 5A-1A state championships last season in the 200-yard freestyle and 500 free, repeating her double gold-medal-winning performance from her freshman season. A two-time first-team All-State selection in 5A-1A, Jeffries swept the 200 and 500 free events in both the city and Centennial League meets and she also led the Chargers to the city championship and a second-place Centennial League finish in the 200 free relay. Jeffries helped Topeka West add 12th-place finishes in the 200 medley and 200 free relays at state. A two-time All-City pick, Jeffries has signed a college letter of intent with Division I Nebraska-Omaha.
TARYN LEMKE, Washburn Rural
A junior, Lemke was a second-team All-Centennial League pick last season, placing fifth in the 200-yard individual medley and sixth in the 100 butterfly. Lemke finished fourth in the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly in the city meet as Washburn Rural won its 18th straight city team championship. Lemke earned second-team All-City recognition last season.
A Washburn Rural junior, Makenna Pritchard helped the Junior Blues win an 18th straight city team championship last spring. [File photo/TSN]
MAKENNA PRITCHARD, Washburn Rural
Pritchard, a junior, was the runner-up at the 2021 city meet in the 100-yard freestyle and 200 free events and helped the Junior Blues take second in the 200 medley relay on the way to their 18th straight city team title. Pritchard was the Centennial League champion in the 100 freestyle and placed second in the 50 free and swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 free relay and third-place 200 medley relay. She just missed a pair of state medals in the Class 6A state meet, placing ninth in both the 50 free and 100 free events. Pritchard was a first-team All-City selection.
A sophomore, Avery Walz won four medals in the 2021 Class 5A-1A state meet, helping Seaman post a fifth-place finish as a team. [File photo/TSN]
AVERY WALZ, Seaman
A sophomore, Walz earned first-team Class 5A-1A All-State recognition as a freshman, earning four state medals. Walz was the state runner-up in the 100-yard breaststroke, third in the 200 individual medley and swam on the Vikings' fifth-place 400 free relay team and eighth-place 200 medley relay. Walz was the city and Centennial League champion in both the 200 individual medley and 100 breast. Walz helped Seaman win city titles in the 200 medley and 400 free relays and post second-place finishes in the Centennial League meet in both of those events. Walz was a first-team All-City and all-league selection.
Sophomore Tauren Walz captured four state medals and helped Seaman finish fifth in Class 5A-1A state swimming last spring. [File photo/TSN]
TAUREN WALZ, Seaman
Tauren joined her twin sister, Avery, as a first-team 5A-1A All-State honoree as a freshman, earning four state medals. Walz was third in the 500 free and fourth in the 200 individual medley and swam on the Vikings' fifth-place 400 free relay team and eighth-place 200 medley relay. Walz was the city champion in both the 50 free and 100 butterfly. Walz helped Seaman win city titles in the 200 medley and 400 free relays and post second-place finishes in the Centennial League meet in both of those events. Walz was a first-team All-City and all-league selection.
