Before the season started, Great Bend High School’s boys’ head swimming coach Steve Beaumont said that he had a young team that would need to learn as they went.
Perhaps they’re fast learners.
The Panthers won the Great Bend Invitational on Tuesday night at Kirkman Activity Center, just their second meet of the year.
It was a narrow victory.
Great Bend finished with 326 points, edging out second-place Hutchinson, which scored 320 points.
Junction City finished in third place with 282.5 points.
Justin Kuhlman led the Panthers again in this meet.
Kuhlman finished first in two individual events and one relay.
He finished the 100-meter freestyle in a time of 53.13 seconds, and won the 200 freestyle at 1:56.88.
Kuhlman joined Cory Merten, Josh Schridde and Keaton Elliott to win the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:42.05.
Jack Pumford, Schridde, Elliott and Kuhlman finished second in the 400 freestyle relay, clocking in at 3:57.58.
Schridde finished fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:29.62).
Dawson Clarke seized fourth place in the 100 butterfly (1:13.16).
Pumford led Great Bend in the 100 backstroke, placing fifth (1:15.36).
Great Bend is back in action on Tuesday for its final meet before the holiday break. The Panthers travel to Hutchinson.
— Kevin Price
HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING
Great Bend Invitational
BOYS
Tuesday
At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center
Team scores
1. Great Bend, 326; 2. Hutchinson, 320; 3. Junction City, 282.5; 4. Hays, 231; 5. Wichita Collegiate, 186.5; 6. McPherson, 164; 7. Wichita Independent, 62; 8. Central Christian, 47
Great Bend results
200-meter medley relay — 6. GBHS ‘A’ relay (Connor Furrey, Cory Merten, Dawson Clarke, Jack Pumford), 2:05.51; 9. GBHS ‘C’ relay (Chandler Miller, Chris Seidel, Phillip Otten, Cameron Jackson), 2:17.99; 10. GBHS ‘B’ relay (Phane Pedigo, Sean Williams, Ryan Romine, Alan Bobbitt), 2:18.05; 13. GBHS ‘D’ relay (JP Thewes, Francisco Ruggeri, Ozioma Ofoma, Chris Falck), 2:37.99
200 freestyle — 1. Justin Kuhlman, 1:56.88; 7. Michael Raymer, 2:27.18; Furrey, 1:37.37; 10. Miller, 2:37.37; Bobbitt, 2:43.64; Pedigo, 2:44.76
200 individual medley — 4. Josh Schridde, 2:29.62; 6. Cory Merten, 2:41.19; 7. Clarke, 2:43.13; Jordan Boone, 3:02.12
50 freestyle — 13. Keaton Elliott, 27.03; 16. Pumford, 27.75; 18. Romine, 28.66; Cody Reed, 29.90; Jackson, 31.37; Ramses Lopez, 34.07; Cesar Arteaga, 34.63; Falck, 35.84; Kaleb Babcock, 36.42; Jordan Stoulil, 36.43; Thewes, 40.33; Adam Bailey, 40.92; Andrew Curtright, 44.32; Michael Graves, 46.59
100 butterfly — 4. Clarke, 1:13.16; 9. Romine, 1:21.31; 11. Otten, 1:29.33
100 freestyle — 1. Kuhlman, 53.13; 6. Schridde, 57.66; 12. Elliott, 1:03.37; Ofoma, 1:14.98; Falck, 1:23.57; Babcock, 1:27.76; Bailey, 1:33.90; Curtright, 1:56.65
500 freestyle — 7. Raymer, 7:04.92; 8. Boone, 7:13.04; Williams, 7:17.83; Miller, 7:30.62
200 freestyle relay — 1. GBHS ‘A’ relay (Merten, Schridde, Elliott, Kuhlman), 1:42.05; 12. GBHS ‘B’ relay (Raymer, Boone, Williams, Furrey), 2:02.42; 14. GBHS ‘C’ relay (Reed, Seidel, Ruggeri, Bobbitt), 2:04.85; GBHS ‘D’ relay (Bailey, Arteaga, Babcock, Ofoma), 2:28.83; GBHS ‘E’ relay (Thewes, Stoulil, Curtright, Lopez), 2:39.72
100 backstroke — 5. Pumford, 1:15.36; 6. Furrey, 1:15.50; 10. Pedigo, 1:20.88
100 breaststroke — 7. Merten, 1:21.01; 9. Williams, 1:23.78; 10. Seidel, 1:24.05; Ofoma, 1:39.98
400 freestyle relay — 2. GBHS ‘A’ relay (Schridde, Elliott, Pumford, Kuhlman), 3:57.58; 7. GBHS ‘B’ relay (Boone, Romine, Miller, Clarke), 4:28.92; 11. GBHS ‘C’ relay (Jackson, Otten, Bobbitt, Reed), 4:49.94
