7 NEW SCHOOL/LEAGUE RECORDS – 3 MORE STATE QUALIFIED

By William

SALINA – It was a day in waiting for the co-op McPherson/Smoky Valley girls swim team as they have hit post-season and the AVCTL Meet where they split to represent their schools only and the McPherson girls finished second as a team, but the Smoky Valley girls swam and made two more state qualifications and found themselves looking in but finishing strong.

“Today was hands down the best meet I have ever coached,” explained Lady Bullpup/Lady Viking swim coach Abby Bradstreet. “It was so much fun to watch all of these girls swim so incredible for their league swim meet and we always head into this meet kind of down because our co-op swimmers (Smoky Valley High School) are not allowed to swim for McPherson High School during the post-season swim meets. They have to break off onto their own team.”

Despite only having eight swimmers, the Lady Bullpups still managed to finish a strong second in the team standings with 254 points behind league champion Andover with 391.5. Winfield, Salina Central, Andover Central and Buhler rounded out the top six of the 12 team meet.

(NOTE – While the Smoky Valley girls could not place officially, they did get to swim and we list them with their times and approximately what they would have finished if they could.)

McPherson brought home a total of four gold medals, two individual wins by Danica Brunk in the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Freestyle, as well as the 200 and 400 Freestyle Relay teams.

Other top finishes for the Lady Bullpups were a second-place finish in the 500 Freestyle by Marissa Pearcy and the third-place finish in the 100 Backstroke from Kierstan Trost.

Avery Van Der Wege had a solid swim for Smoky Valley in the 50 Freestyle and her time would have placed her third if she was eligible while the Lady Vikings 200 Freestyle Relay team would’ve placed fourth.

Coach Bradstreet continued her post-meet reflections by adding, “This is probably the most incredible part of our day due to the fact that, we have significantly fewer numbers compared to other teams who were competing but still finished second. Our girls also broke three school records as well as three league records and the Smoky Valley girls made two more state qualification times. The energy and excitement was through the roof on these races and to watch these girls who have been working so hard all season reach their goals was an amazing thing to witness. They all have so much to be proud of today.”

Speaking of records broken, Danica Brunk set new McPherson school records for the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Freestyle while also swimming a leg on both the 200 and 400 Freestyle Relay teams that also broke McPherson High records as well. Other girls on the relay teams were Alexis Smith, Kierstan Trost, Marissa Pearcy and Zoey Whorton.

Setting new AVCTL marks were both the Lady Bullpups 200 and 400 Freestyle Relay teams as well as Brunk in the 100 Freestyle.

Three new state qualification times were also made during the meet with two of them coming from the Smoky Valley team as both Karik Elliott in the 100 Freestyle and the Lady Viking 200 Freestyle Relay quartet of Avery Van Der Wege, Olivia Mader, Adrien Lochard and Elliott. The third state qualification time made at the meet came from the Lady Bullpups Kierstan Trost in the 100 Backstroke.

Concluding her reflections on the meet, Bradstreet noted, “As we head into the State Swim Meet, we will be bringing both the girls from McPherson and Smoky Valley to the meet. I am anxious and excited to see how they perform and truly believe we have a shot at several gold medals.”

The Kansas State Girls Swim Meet will be in Topeka on Saturday, May 22.

LADY BULLPUP/LADY VIKINGS GIRLS SWIM TEAM AT AVCTL LEAGUE MEET

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (note > in post-season meets, McPherson & Smoky Valley have to swim separate from each other) =

*Team Standings = 1. Andover 391.5; 2. LADY BULLPUPS 254; 3. Winfield 246; 4. Salina Central 229; 5. Andover Central 196; 6. Buhler 179.5; 7. Valley Center 176; 8. Wichita Collegiate 142; 9. Circle 110; 10. El Dorado 93; 11. Rose Hill 34; 12. Wellington 30.

*Smoky Valley is not listed in team standings because they are not a member of the AVCTL, though they were able to swim in the meet.

200 Medley Relay = 6. Lady Bullpups 2:16.59  (Skylar Nutt, Zoey Whorton, Alexis Smith, Emily Heskett).

200 Freestyle = 6. Zoey Whorton, Lady Bullpups 2:19.74.

200 Individual Medley = 1. DANICA BRUNK 2:16.84; 9. Emily Hesket 2:54.83; 16. Skylar Nutt 3:15.12.

50 Freestyle = 7. Alexis Smith 28.92; 28. Zoe McHenry 36.73; Lady Vikings – Avery Van Der Wege 27.07 (3rd).

100 Butterfly = 6. Kierstan Trost 1:06.66; 11. Alexis Smith 1:16.85.

100 Freestyle = 1. DANICA BRUNK 53.03; Lady Vikings – Karik Elliott 58.43 (7th); Avery Van Der Wege 1:01.17 (9th).

500 Freestyle = 2. Marissa Pearcy 5:44.99.

200 Freestyle Relay = 1. LADY BULLPUPS 1:44.04 (Alexis Smith, Kierstan Trost, Marissa Pearcy, Danica Brunk); Lady Vikings – 1:50.65 (Avery Van Der Wege, Olivia Mader, Adrien Lochard, Karik Elliott) (4th).

100 Backstroke = 3. Kierstan Trost 1:06.17; 8. Zoey Whorton 1:08.73. Lady Vikings – Karik Elliott 1:08.74 (9th).

100 Breaststroke = 9. Emily Heskett 1:29.32; 16. Skylar Nutt 1:35.15; 25. Zoe McHenry 1:46.81.

400 Freestyle Relay = 1. LADY BULLPUPS 3:49.06 (Zoey Whorton, Kierstan Trost, Marissa Pearcy, Danica Brunk).

NEW STATE QULIFICATIONS =

Karik Elliott, Lady Vikings – 100 Freestyle

Kierstan Trost, Lady Bullpups – 100 Backstroke

Lady Viking 200 Freestyle Relay – Avery Van Der Wege, Olivia Mader, Adrien Lochard, Karik Elliott).

NEW SCHOOL RECORD =

Lady Bullpups 200 Freestyle Relay – Alexis Smith, Kierstan Trost, Marissa Pearcy, Danica Brunk).

Lady Bullpups 400 Freestyle Relay – Zoey Whorton, Kierstan Trost, Marissa Pearcy, Danica Brunk).

Danica Brunk, Lady Bullpups – 200 Individual Medley.

Danica Brunk, Lady Bullpups – 100 Freestyle.

NEW LEAGUE RECORDS =

Lady Bullpups in 200 Freestyle Relay – Alexis Smith, Kierstan Trost, Marissa Pearcy, Danica Brunk).

Lady Bullpups in 400 Freestyle Relay – Zoey Whorton, Kierstan Trost, Marissa Pearcy, Danica Brunk).

100 Freestyle – Danica Brunk, Lady Bullpups.