With numerous first-place finishes, the Great Bend High School girls’ swim team has made marked  improvement since their season-opening meet two weeks ago at Salina.
The Lady Panthers took first place at their home quadrangular on Thursday at Kirkman Activity Center with 403 points, beating second-place Hays, which finished with 256.
While the Lady Panthers took first place in 10 of 11 events, missing the 500-meter freestyle, for Great Bend head coach Steve Beaumont, the meet was more about getting his swimmers out of their comfort zone and into new events.
“I think that our goal today was we were trying to get some kids in some different events,” Beaumont said. “We accomplished what we wanted to do, get some kids some experience in some other races. I think we’re doing well.
“I think today showed that we can have a pretty solid lineup even if we have kids swimming in what is not necessarily their best events.”
Great Bend senior Allison Damm took first place in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of two minutes, 17.56 seconds.
“She’s been sick this week, so we put her in some shorter races,” Beaumont said. “I think we swam her three times, but she could’ve swam four. I wanted to get some new kids in there today.”
Lady Panthers junior Hannah Hildebrand claimed first in the 200 individual medley (2:32.37) and the 100 freestyle (1:00.75).
Sophomore Michaela Cape took first in the 50 freestyle (28.63) and the 100 backstroke (1:11.29).
Junior Kylee Spray captured first in the 100 butterfly (1:17.15).
“For being this early in the season, I think our times are very good,” Beaumont said. “I’m fairly surprised because we’re really not in great shape.
“It’s still early in the season and between spring break and some other things, we haven’t gotten to where we need to be yet, but we’re getting closer.”
Freshman Kalyn Blessing finished at the top of the pack in the 100 breaststroke (1:25.85).
“I don’t know if she’s really ever thought of herself as a good breaststroker, but she did it in the first meet in Salina and came back and knocked off another second here,” Beaumont said.
Great Bend hosts another meet on Monday, starting at 4 p.m. Western Athletic Conference foes Liberal and Dodge City will be in attendance, along with TMP Marian and Hutchinson.

HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING

Thursday

At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center

Team scores
1. Great Bend, 403; 2. Hays, 256; 3. Haysville Campus, 176; 4. Thomas More Prep Marian, 52

Great Bend results
200-meter medley relay — 1. GBHS ‘A’ relay (Michaela Cape, Brianna Schartz, Hannah Hildebrand, Sylvia Ofoma), 2:10.08; 2. GBHS ‘B’ relay (Katy Jerke, Brenna Haines, Jessica Freund, Kalyn Blessing), 2:20.28; 6. GBHS ‘C’ relay (Anna Frizell, Taylor Huslig, Karah Stewart, Amber Basden), 2:40.34
200 freestyle — 1. Allison Damm, 2:17.56; 3. Kylee Spray, 2:28.93; 4. Jerke, 2:38.15; 6. Sarah Mauler, 2:51.38; Michaela Bieker, 3:21.05
200 individual medley — 1. Hildebrand, 2:32.37; 2. Haines, 2:49.58; 4. Maddie Vesta, 2:53.47
50 freestyle — 1. Cape, 28.63; 2. Ofoma, 29.24; 5. Schartz, 31.58; Jordan Otten, 34.61; Estella Schumacher, 36.61; Paige VanSteenburgh, 36.78; Heather Schneider, 42.13; Maddie Unruh, 46.29; Magdiel Rodriguez, 46.34
100 butterfly — 1. Spray, 1:17.15; 3. Blessing, 1:25.21; 5. Freund, 1:29.93; Bieker, 1:49.21
100 freestyle — 1. Hildebrand, 1:00.75; 2. Damm, 1:03.14; 4. Vesta, 1:09.05; Basden, 1:16.01; Huslig, 1:36.61
500 freestyle — 4. Frizell, 7:48.57; 5. Schartz, 7:59.31; 6. Stewart, 8:26.26; 8. Schumacher, 9:06.06
200 freestyle relay — 1. GBHS ‘A’ relay (Spray, Vesta, Haines, Hildebrand), 1:59.07; 4. GBHS ‘B’ relay (Mauler, Freund, Rachel Bussen, Blessing), 2:10.41; 7. GBHS ‘C’ relay (Basden, Otten, Bieker, Boyd), 2:23.05; GBHS ‘D’ relay (Schneider, Rodriguez, Unruh, Georgia Zimmerman), 2:46.76
100 backstroke — 1. Cape, 1:11.29; 2. Jerke, 1:19.97; 3. Ofoma, 1:24.69
100 breaststroke — 1. Blessing, 1:25.85; 2. Haines, 1:26.52; 5. Freund, 1:35.60; Huslig, 1:33.22; Zimmerman, 1:48.38
400 freestyle relay — 1. GBHS ‘A’ relay (Spray, Jerke, Cape, Damm), 4:27.73; 2. GBHS ‘B’ relay (Vesta, Mauler, Schartz, Ofoma), 4:48.13; 6. GBHS ‘C’ relay (Bussen, Steward, Boyd, Frizell), 5:34.26; 7. GBHS ‘D’ relay (Otten, VanSteenburgh, Schumacher, Basden), 5:37.00