The Great Bend High School girls’ swim team won the first of three home meets this season, topping Hays and Thomas More Prep-Marian, also from Hays, on Thursday afternoon at the Barton Community College pool in Great Bend.
The Lady Panthers, who took first place in every event except the 50-yard freestyle, scored 229 points to out do second-place Hays, which finished with 147.
“I thought they did exceptionally well today,” GBHS head coach Stephanie Maier said. “A lot of first-meet jitters and the girls dropped time very well. We probably got 75 percent time improvements throughout the meet. They just swam better than I expected. I was very proud of them today.”
Two of Great Bend’s returning state qualifiers from last season reeled in four first-place finishes, each taking first in two relays and two individual events.
Senior Jessica Kuhlman was part of the 200 medley relay, taking first with a time of two minutes, 11.12 seconds, and the 400 freestyle relay, claiming first place with a combined time of 4:36.05. In her individual events, Kuhlman finished in first place in the 200 I.M., clocking in at 2:42.76, and the 100  breaststroke, touching the wall at 1:26.26.
“Our 200-yard medley relay was one second off (a state-qualifying time),” Maier said. “Hannah Hildebrand was two seconds off on both the fly and the backstroke. We have a whole season in front of us for them to keep dropping times and I foresee lots of state qualifiers.”
Freshman Hannah Hildebrand was part of the 200 medley relay that took first, as well as the 200 freestyle relay that claimed first place with a time of 2:01.56. Hildebrand also got first place in the 100 butterfly, clocking in at 1:08.69, and the 100 backstroke, touching in at 1:10.37.
“Hannah Hildebrand and all of our feshmen, they’re new to this sport, and they had lots of time improvements today,” Maier said. “Kylee Spray dropped a lot of time and had some great finishes. Sydney Perez had a lot of great finishes for the freshmen. I’d say they just really stood out today and helped carry our team.”
Taycee Bunn swam to a first-place finish in the 100 freestyle with a time of 1:06.10. She also got second in the 50 freestyle, clocking in at 28.94, just .91 seconds out of first place.
“(Bunn) got first in the 100 freestyle and just swam hard,” Maier said. “She printed well today.”
Lady Panthers sophomore Allison Damm got first place in the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle, with the times of 2:19.90 and 6:24.52, respectively.
“We did very well,” Maier said. “With those time drops, I saw some things where we might not have got first, but the girls went in and competed like they know how to compete. So, I’m very proud of them.”
GBHS will be back in action on Monday afternoon at 4 at the Barton Community College pool in Great Bend.

Great Bend girls’ swim meet
At Barton Community College
Team results
1. Great Bend, 229; 2. Hays, 147; 3. TMP-Marian, 86.
Great Bend results
200-yard Medley relay
1. GBHS “A” relay (Hannah Hildebrand, Jessica Kuhlman, Allison Damm, Taycee Bunn), 2:11.12; 3. GBHS “B” relay (Erin Sullivan, Brenna Haines, Kylee Spray, MaKenzie Sauder), 2:29.67; 4. GBHS “C” relay (Tasha Davis, Brianna Schartz, Malia Disque, Sydney Perez), 2:29.67.
200 Freestyle
1. Allison Damm, 2:19.90; 5. Katlin Fuel, 2:41.71; 8. Jessica Freund, 3:12.71.
200 I.M.
1. Jessica Kuhlman, 2:42.76; 4. MaKenzie Sauder, 3:06.56; 5. Malia Disque, 3:31.35.
50 Freestyle
2. Taycee Bunn, 28.94; 5. Kylee Spray, 31.43; 7. Sydney Perez, 35.35; Estella Schumacher, 37.58; Brianna Schartz, 37.73; Darby Johnson, 38.42; Sara McAfee, 43.11.
100 Butterfly
1. Hannah Hildebrand, 1:08.69; 3. Katlin Fuel, 1:28.87; 4. Malia Disque, 1:29.57.
100 Freestyle
1. Taycee Bunn, 1:06.10; 5. Kylee Spray, 1:14.57; 7. Sydney Perez, 1:26.65; Darby Johnson, 1:30.84; Sara McAfee, 1:37.62.
500 Freestyle
1. Allison Damm, 6:24.52; 3. Brenna Haines, 6:53.92; 5. Erin Sullivan, 7:06.81; Tasha Davis, 8:00.87.
200 Freestyle relay
1. GBHS “A” relay (Taycee Bunn, Kylee Spray, MaKenzie Sauder, Hannah Hildebrand), 2:01.56; 3. GBHS “B” relay (Malia Disque, Sydney Perez, Jessica Freund, Katlin Fuel), 2:20.19; 7. GBHS “C” relay (Estella Schemacher, Darby Johnson, Sara McAfee, Brianna Schartz), 2:36.95.
100 Backstroke
1. Hannah Hildebrand, 1:10.37; 2. Erin Sullivan, 1:24.27; 5. Tasha Davis, 1:29.52; Estella Schumacher, 1:53.89.
100 Breaststroke
1. Jessica Kuhlman, 1:26.26; 2. Brenna Haines, 1:27.57; 3. MaKenzie Sauder, 1:33.79; Brianna Schartz, 1:34.59; Jessica Freund, 1:45.05.
400 Freestyle relay
1. GBHS “A” relay (Jessica Kuhlman, Brenna Haines, Erin Sullivan, Allison Damm), 4:36.05; 4. GBHS “B” relay (Tasha Davis, Jessica Freund, Estella Schumacher, Katlin Fuel), 5:34.93.