The Great Bend High School girls’ swim team will have a chance to continue a streak that stretches back nine years.
The Lady Panthers won the Western Athletic Conference title for the ninth straight year last season, and this season will give them a chance for a decade of conference dominance.
“Well, that is their goal,” said GBHS head coach Stephanie Maier, who is entering her fourth year as head coach. “They set their goals at the beginning of the year, and we’re going to win WAC. Matched up against Hays (today), we look really good.”
Great Bend graduated five seniors last year, including three swimmers who competed at the Class 5-1A state meet.
Jessica Kuhlman was the only senior last year to qualify for an individual event at the state meet. She finished in 21st in the preliminary competition in the individual medley.
Junior Allison Damm and sophomore Hannah Hildebrand also qualified for individual events.
Damm finished in 14th place in the 500-yard freestyle, 16th place in the 200 freestyle.
Hildebrand took 15th place in the 100 butterfly and 16th in the 100 backstroke at the state meet as a freshman.
Sylvia Ofoma, Brianna Schartz, Kylee Spray, Brenna Haines and Kaitlin Fuel will be joining Damm and Hildebrand as returning swimmers with state experience.
“They look really good,” Maier said of the returning state qualifiers. “A couple of them did summer swim, so they didn’t have the down time that some of the other swimmers had. They are all determined to get back to state this year.”
They will lead a Lady Panthers swim team that is short on experience, having seven swimmers who are new to the sport and two more that have never swam in high school.
“I think we have a lot of growing yet to do,” Maier said. “We have nine new swimmers this year that have no experience. They have been working hard to get ready for the season.”
GBHS opens its season against Hays and Thomas More Prep-Marian at Kirkman Activity Center on the Barton Community College campus in Great Bend today at 4 p.m.

Great Bend High School
Varsity girls’ swim team

2012 Lady Panthers
Rachel Bussen           Fr.
Michaela Cape           Fr.
Allison Damm            Jr.
Tasha Davis              Sr.
Malie Disque             Sr.
Mari Erb                    Jr.
Jessica Freund          So.
Anna Frizell               Fr.
Kaitlin Fuel                Sr.
Brenna Haines          So.
Jenna Hertel              Fr.
Amber Heuer             Fr.
Hannah Hildebrand    So.
Jillian Martin              Sr.
Sylvia Ofoma             Jr.
Brianna Schartz        So.
Estella Schumacher    Jr.
Kylee Spray             So.
Karah Stewart           Fr.
Madeline Vesta          Fr.

LADY PANTHERS SCHEDULE
March 29 — HAYS/TMP-MARIAN, 4 p.m.
April 2 — DODGE CITY/LIBERAL/TMP-MARIAN, 4 p.m.
April 10 — At Garden City, 4 p.m.
April 13 — At Salina South, 3:30 p.m.
April 14 — At Wichita Northwest, 8 a.m.
April 19 — At Hutchinson, 3:30 p.m.
April 23 — At Hutchinson, 3:30 p.m.
April 27 — GREAT BEND INVITATIONAL, 4 p.m.
May 3 — At Newton, 4 p.m.
May 8 — At WAC meet in Garden City, 4 p.m.
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