By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Topeka West senior star Kadence Jeffries of Topeka West, undefeated on the season in individual races and a six-time state champ, headlines the 2022 All-Shawnee County girls swimming team.
The 2022 All-City girls swimming and diving team -- Front, from left: Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights; Tauren Walz, Seaman; Blanca Espinosa, Topeka West; Avery Walz, Seaman; Joslynn Grace, Seaman; Brianna Devlin, Topeka High. Back, from left: Kiersten Harris, Washburn Rural; Mara Bare, Washburn Rural; Makenna Pritchard, Washburn Rural; Kadence Jeffries, Topeka West; Gabby Grace, Seaman. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Jeffries turned in a dominating senior campaign, including city, Centennial League and Class 5A-1A sweeps in the 200-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle events.
Jeffries earned first-team All-State honors for the third time in as many seasons.
Seaman put a city-high four swimmers on the All-City first team, which is determined by performances in the city meet, while 19-time defending city team champ Washburn Rural has three first-teamers.
Seaman is represented by Avery and Tauren Walz and Gabby and Joslynn Grace while Washburn Rural put Makenna Pritchard, Mara Bare and Kiersten Harris on the first team.
Avery Walz joined Jeffries as an individual state champion in last Saturday's 5A-1A state meet while T. Walz, G. Grace and J. Grace all had big meets as Seaman finished fourth as a team.
G. Grace and A. Walz earned first-team All-State honors while T. Walz was a second-team All-Stater in 5A-1A and Bare earned second-team All-State recognition in 6A.
Jeffries is joined on the All-City team by Topeka West teammate Blanca Espinosa, while Shawnee Heights' Ashtynn Landry and Topeka High diver Brianna Devlin also earned first-team recognition.
Devlin finished fourth in the 6A one-meter diving event.
The 2022 All-City girls swimming and diving second team -- Front, from left: Gorata Mackenzie, Washburn Rural; Olivia Ndungu, Washburn Rural; Molly Didde, Washburn Rural; Caroline Toland, Topeka High. Back, from left: Shelby Schmutzler, Washburn Rural; Gwen VanLeeuwen, Seaman; Tyler Lemke, Washburn Rural; Maddie O'Brien, Washburn Rural. Not pictured; Alexis Vu, Hayden; Lexi Herrera, Hayden; Kaylee Gregg, Hayden. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
All-City capsules:
MARA BARE, Washburn Rural -- A junior, Bare helped lead Washburn Rural to its 19th straight city team title, placing second in the 200 freestyle and the 500 free and swimming on Rural's runner-up 200 medley and 400 free relays. Bare also helped the Junior Blues win the Centennial League team championship, taking second in the 200 free and 500 free and earning first-team all-league honors. Bare placed fifth in the 200 free and sixth in the 500 free at state, earning second-team All-State honors.
BRIANNA DEVLIN, Topeka High -- Delvin, a junior, has turned in an outstanding season in her first year as a high school one-meter diver, sweeping the city and Centennial League diving championships while setting Topeka High school records for the six-dive and 11-dive events. Devlin placed fourth in the 6A state meet.
BLANCA ESPINOSA, Topeka West -- Espinosa, a senior, finished second in the 100 backstroke and third in the 100 butterfly in the city meet while also helping the Chargers finish third in the 200 freestyle relay. Espinosa placed third in the Centennial League in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 500 freestyle.
GABBY GRACE, Seaman -- The Seaman senior earned a city championship in the 100 backstroke and 200 medley and finished second in the 100 free and swam on the Vikings' winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Grace was the Centennial League champ in the 100 freestyle and 100 back and swam on Seaman's winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Grace picked up four state medals in last Saturday's state meet, helping the Vikings finish fourth as a team. Grace was fourth in the 100 free and 100 back and swam on the Vikings' third-place 200 medley and 400 free relays.
JOSLYNN GRACE, Seaman -- Grace, a freshman, finished second in the city meet in the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly and swam on the Vikings' winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. Grace placed third in the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly in the Centennial League meet and swam on Seaman's winning 200 medley and 400 free relays, earning first-team all-league recognition. Grace earned three 5A-1A state medals, helping the Vikings finish fourth as a team in 5A-1A. Grace finished fifth in the 200 individual medley and swam on Seaman's third-place 200 medley and 400 free relays.
KIERSTEN HARRIS, Washburn Rural -- Harris helped Washburn Rural stretch its city-meet winning streak to 19 years, placing second in the 100 breastsroke and third in the 200 individual medley and swimming on the Junior Blues' second-place 200 medley and 400 free relay.
KADENCE JEFFRIES, Topeka West -- Jeffries, a senior six-time 5A-1A state individual champion, earned All-City first-team honors for the time time in as many seasons. Jefffries won city championships in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle and repeated that performance in last week's Centennial League meet. Jeffries is a three-time All-State honoree after sweeping the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle state titles for the third time, going six for six in state individual races.
ASHTYNN LANDRY, Shawnee Heights -- Landry finished third in the city meet in the 50 freestyle and the 100 free and swam on the T-Birds' runner-up 200 free relay and Shawnee Heights' third-place 400 freestyle relay. Landry finished third in the 100 freestyle in the United Kansas Conference meet and fifth in the 50 free.
MAKENNA PRITCHARD, Washburn Rural -- Pritchard, a junior, was the city champion in the 50 freestyle and the 100 free and also swam on the Junior Blues' second-place 200 medley relay and 400 free relays. Pritchard placed second in Centennial League meet in the 50 free and the 100 free and swam on the Junior Blues' third-place 200 medley relay. Pritchard placed seventh in 6A in the 100 freestyle and eighth in the 50 free.
AVERY WALZ, Seaman -- A sophomore, Walz was the city champion in both the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke and also helped Seaman win city titles in the 200 medley and 400 free relays. Walz also swept Centennial League tiitles in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke and swam on the Vikings' winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. A first-team All-State pick, Walz earned her first state championship in last Saturday's state meet in the 100 backstroke and earned four state medals as Seaman finished fourth in the team standings. Walz was third in the 200 individual medley and swam on the Vikings' third-place 200 medley and 400 free relays.
TAUREN WALZ, Seaman -- Walz was the city champion in the 100 butterfly and finished second in the 50 free and also helped Seaman win city titles in the 200 medley and 400 free relays. Walz was the Centennial League champion in the 50 freestyle and finished second in the 100 butterfly and swam on the Vikings' winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Walz earned four 5A-1A state medals last weekend, helping Seaman finish fourth as a team. A second-team All-State pick, Walz took fifth in the 5A-1A 500 free and sixth in the 100 butterfly and swam on Seaman's third-place 200 medley and 400 free relays.
ALL-CITY GIRLS SWIMMING
First team
Kadence Jeffries, Topeka West; Makenna Pritchard, Washburn Rural; Avery Walz, Seaman; Tauren Walz, Seaman; Gabby Grace, Seaman; Mara Bare, Washburn Rural; Joslynn Grace, Seaman; Kiersten Harris, Washburn Rural; Blanca Espinosa, Topeka West; Ashtynn Landry, Brianna Delvin, Topeka High.
Second team
Shelby Schmutzler, Washburn Rural; Gorata Mackenzie, Washburn Rural; Caroline Toland, Topeka High; Tyler Lemke, Washburn Rural; Madeline O’Brien, Washburn Rural; Gwen VanLeeuwen, Seaman, Alexis Vu, Hayden; Olivia Ndungu, Washburn Rural; Molly Didde, Washburn Rural; Lexi Herrera, Hayden; Kaylee Gregg, Hayden.
