GARDEN CITY — Garden City's Ashleigh Chappel won two events and the Buffaloes captured the Western Athletic Conference girls swimming championship to end Great Bend's remarkable 17-year title streak. Garden City (413.5) won 10 events and runner-up Great Bend (369.5) won two events.
Great Bend's Ruth Williams tied Garden City's Mya Garcia for first place in the 100 butterfly (1:10.95) and Panther Emilee Hall won the 500 freestyle (6:04.7). All of the Panther swimmers and relays who placed first and second earned All-Western Athletic honors.
"Even though we did not get the outcome we had hoped for, I'm proud of every single one of the girls," said Great Bend coach Kari Carper. "We had 55 swims and 48 were personal-best times. We did not go down without a fight. This group of girls fought through adversity all season long between pool issues and injuries. They never gave up all season long."
Great Bend finished runner-up in all three relays — 200 freestyle relay (1:50.79) with Zoe Jerke, Ellyson Somers, Aubrey Snapp and Hall; the 200 medley relay (2:10.94) with Reggie Huslig, Somers, Williams, Katelyn Mermis; and the 400 freestyle relay (4:09.78) with Hall, Williams, Jerke and Snapp.
Other All-WAC runner-up finishers were Jerke, 100 backstroke (1:11.84) and 200 freestyle (2:21.35); and Somers, 100 breaststroke (1:20.72).
WESTERN ATHLETIC
WAC Swimmer of Year—Ashleigh Chappel, GC
WAC Coach of Year—Jennifer Meng, GC
WAC TEAM TOTALS—1—Garden City 413.5; 2—Great Bend 369.5; 3—Dodge City 258; 4—Hays High 134; 5—Liberal 89
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (TOP 2 ALL-WAC)
200 freestyle relay—1—GC, 1:48.44 (SQ); 2—GB A, 1:50.79 (SQ) (Jerke, Somers, Snapp, Hall); GB B, 2:25.23 (Gilkison, Hernandez, Johns, Kruckenberg)
200 medley relay—1—GC, 2:08.18 (SC); 2–GB A, 2:10.94 (SC) (R. Huslig, Somers, Williams, Mermis); 4—GB B, 2:21.91 (Blessing, A. Gregg, M. Gregg, Cape); GB C, 2:53.66 (Hernandez, Ringo, Mingenback, Irwin)
400 freestyle relay—1—GC, 4:02.94 (SQ); 2—GB A, 4:09.78 (SQ) (Hall, Williams, Jerke, Snapp); 6—GB B, 4:48.32 (Dougherty, R. Huslig, Blessing, Lindberg); GB C, 5:23.45 (Lutt, Kruckenberg, Mason, Webb)
50 freestyle—1—Ashleigh Chappel, GC, 27.45 (SC); 3—Snapp, 28.02; 6—Mermis, 30.49; 7—Blessing, 31.45; A. Gregg, 32.51; Kruckenberg, 33.85; Ringo, 36.2; Irwin, 37.2; McCormick, 46.05; Harris, 53.6
100 backstroke—1—Rodriguez, GC, 1:08.69 (SC); 2—Jerke, 1:11.84; 6—Blessing, 1:19.55; 7—R. Huslig, 1:20.42; Webb, 1:23.26; Johns, 1:31.16; Mingenback, 1:37.97; Mason, 1:42.36; Gilkison, 1:48.08; Hernandez, 1:51.09
100 breaststroke—1—Meng, GC, 1:13.32 (SQ); 2—Somers, 1:20.72; 6—A. Gregg, 1:27.81; 8—Dougherty, 1:27.99; Ringo, 1:55.0; Irwin, 1:59.36
100 butterfly—1—Williams, GB, 1:10.95; 1—Mya Garcia, GC, 1:10.95; 4—M. Huslig, 1:18.79; 8—Mermis, 1:31.29; Mingenback, 1:43.33
100 freestyle—1—Ashleigh Chappel, GC, 59.32 (SC); 3—Snapp, 1:01.17; 5—Dougherty, 1:08.59; 9—R. Huslig, 1:11.76; Campbell, 1:22.19; Lutt, 1:26.57
200 freestyle—1— Paige Chappel, GC, 2:14.68; 2—Jerke, 2:21.35; 3—Williams, 2:28.79; 4—Lindberg, 2:32.65; Johns, 2:49.26; Webb, 2:59.02; Gilkison, 2:59.5; Mason, 3:04.86; Campbell, 3:08.16; Lutt, 3:14.03; Hernandez, 3:25.51
200 IM—1—Meng, GC, 2:31.09; 2—Hall, 2;31.1; 3—Somers, 2:40.64; 5—M. Huslig, 2:48.42
500 freestyle—1—Hall, GB, 6:04.7; 3—Cape, 6:42.09; 5—Lindberg, 7:04.65
