SALINA – Great Bend’s swimmers won seven events, captured the team title (510 points) and posted personal records in 62 percent of their events during the Salina Invitational.
“This was our best meet of the season. We really like competing in this pool, and it showed as we had a season high 62 percent season/personal best swims,” said Great Bend coach Steve Beaumont. “Our relays were great, our sprinting was much improved, and our 200/500 swimmers all had season best swims.
“We've been talking about being fearless in regards to how we approach each race,” he said. “I saw girls take that advice and swim their event with a different attitude. We need to continue to work on the mental aspect of racing and competing.”
First-place finishers Camryn Dunekack, 50 free (25.42); Dunekack, 100 free (55.67); Kira Cook, 200 free (2:09.33); 200 free relay (1:50.11) and 400 free relay (4:04.55) posted personal records and bettered their state-qualifying times.
Cook, Sheridan Beaumont, Elizabeth Gerdes and Dunekack competed on the 200 relay. Cook, Olivia Mull, Calista Long and Dunekack competed on the 400 relay.
Other winners were the 200 medley relay (2:16.83) and Kira Cook, 500 free (5:57.04). Dunekack has qualified for the state in the 100 butterfly (1:04.79) along with the 200 medley relay (2:05.32) with Katherine Snapp, Olivia Mull, Calista Long and Piper Libeer.
“Overall, I am just so pleased with how this group has come together,” Beaumont said. “They swim hard for each other and support each other in-and-out of the pool.”
Kira Cook broke the six minute barrier for the first time in the 500 freestyle.
“She really battled with the girl from Hays to win that event,” he said. “Our other 500 swimmers Emma Williams, and Grace Soupiset also had great races. Sheridan Beaumont enjoyed her best meet, swimming personal best times in the 50 free and 100 breast.”
The Great Bend B team competed as a separate team.
“Hunter Ruppe and Alyssia Strickland had some great individual swims,” Beaumont said. “New swimmers Monica Lang, Emma Millard, and Jadon Ward enjoyed really good swims for the B team.”
SALINA TEAM SCORES—1--Great Bend A 510; 2--Campus 380; 3--Dodge City 353
4--Junction City 228; 5--Salina South 212; 6--Liberal 162; 7--Hays High 115; 8--Great Bend B 89; 9--Salina Central 63; 10--Sacred Heart 29; 11--Hutchinson Central Christian 23
50 free—1—Dunekack, 25.42 (SQ); 8—Mull, 28.9; 9—Beaumont, 29.44; 22—Ward, 34.19; 24—Millard, 34.29; 32—Stout, 48.94
100 free—1—Dunekack, 55.67 (SQ); 5—Libeer, 1:09.67; 8—Schneider, 1:11.9; 9—Ruppe, 1:13.79; 11—Lang, 1:14.22; 21—Smith, 1:25.96
100 fly—2—Long, 1:15.7; 4—Gerdes, 1:20.22; 6—Linenberger, 1:26.6
100 back—4—Mull, 1:12.31; 6—Snapp, 1:17.03; 8—Linenberger, 1:26.47
100 breast—5—Beaumont, 1:26.61; 9—Gerdes, 1:32.96; 11—Strickland, 1:38.64; 18—Pedigo, 1:45.47
200 free—1—Cook, 2:09.33 (SQ); 7—Libeer, 2:40.08; 8—Soupiset, 2:45.76
200 IM—3—Long, 2:43.77; 6—Williams, 2:54.2; 10—Pedigo, 3;15.09
200 free relay—1—Great Bend A, 1:50.11 (SQ) (Cook, Beaumont, Gerdes, Dunekack); 4—Great Bend B, 2:05.57 (Schneider, Soupiset, Pedigo, Buehler); 11—Great Bend C, 2:14.75 (Ruppe, Millard, Ward, Lang); 22—Great Bend D, 2:46.37 (Stout, Jones, Sanchez, Barton)
200 medley relay—1—Great Bend A, 2:16.83 (Snapp, Mull, Long, Libeer); 2—Great Bend B, 2:18.65 (Gerdes, Linenberger, Beaumont, Buehler); 11—Great Bend C, 2:47.84 (Smith, Strickland, Lang, Barton); 15—Great Bend D, 3:00.45 (Millard, Ward, Jones, Sanchez)
400 free relay—1—Great Bend A, 4:04.55 (SQ) (Cook, Mull, Long, Dunekack); 4—Great Bend B, 4;40.1 (Williams, Libeer, Schneider, Snapp); 8—Great Bend C, 5;20.79 (Ruppe, Smith, Strickland, Lang); 12—Great Bend D, 5:33.35 (Ward, Barton, Jones, Millard)
