BY JIM MISUNAS
LENEXA – Western Athletic Conference champion Great Bend will feature seven entries in Friday's 5-1A state swimming championships.
Panthers traveling to the 5-1A state meet are Emilee Hall, Josephine Mazouch, Ellyson Somers, Kamryn Johns, Clarise Snapp, Ally Howard, Reggie Huslig, Ellie Lutt, Ava Gregg and Katelynn Mermis.
The Panthers qualified three relays. Great Bend won the Western Athletic 200-yard freestyle relay (1:50.03) with Hall, Somers, Johns and Mazouch.
The Panthers’ 400-yard freestyle relay (4:10.23) of Somers, Johns, Mazouch and Hall qualified for state. The 200-medley relay (2:05.1) of Snapp, Somers, Mazouch and Hall also qualified for state.
Individual qualifiers are Hall, 100-yard backstroke, 50 freestyle; Mazouch, 50 freestyle; and Somers, 100 breaststroke.
The Panthers reclaimed the WAC championship 383 to 369 over Garden City last week.
Great Bend coach Kari Carper was crowned WAC Coach of the Year at the Barton Community College pool. The Panthers posted multiple season-best and career-best times when every point mattered.
5-1A STATE *season-best time
50 freestyle—24—Emilee Hall, 27.03
100 backstroke—22—Emilee Hall, *1:07.36
50 freestyle—29—Josephine Mazouch, *27.3
100 breaststroke—20—Ellyson Somers, *1:18.44
200 freestyle relay—15—Great Bend, 1:50.99 (Emilee Hall, Kamryn Johns, Ellyson Somers, Josephine Mazouch)
200 medley relay—22—Great Bend, 2:10.61 (Reggie Huslig, Ellyson Somers, Ally Howard, Josephine Mazouch)
400 freestyle relay—17—Great Bend, 4:10.23 (Josephine Mazouch, Kamryn Johns, Ellyson Somers, Emilee Hall
