By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior star Audrey Appuhn finished off her competitive swimming career Thursday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium the same way she started it ... as a champion.
Washburn Rural senior Audrey Appuhn reacts after winning Thursday's 100-yard backstroke, her eighth Centennial League individual win in eight attempts. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Appuhn, who will turn her focus to music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, posted Centennial League wins in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard backstroke, capping an eight of eight career individual performance in the league meet.
Appuhn won the 200 IM in 2 minutes, 19.72 seconds and followed that up with a win in the 100 backstroke in 1:02.28 for her eighth individual league title, reaching the same milestone she accomplished in last week's city championships.
"It feels really good,'' Appuhn said. "I'm just happy that I got to do it alongside all these amazing people and got to see everyone succeed with me. Success looks different now and the times and emotional value of the race and how you felt while you were doing it and everything and I'm just glad that I learned all those lessons every race I did and I wouldn't not do swimming.
"In another life I would do swim because it taught me so much.''
A multi-time state medalist in her three Class 6A state meets, Appuhn added some icing on the cake when she teamed with Ava Von Lintel, Stella Berry and Sophie Heinen to win the 400 freestyle relay in 4:20.55 in her final high school race as the Junior Blues finished off a runnerup team finish behind Manhattan.
"It was good to just finish out strong and get in there and go for it,'' Appuhn said. "I was like, 'This is my last one. I literally never have to do this again if I don't want, so I might as well finish on a good note.' ''
Hayden junior Kaelyn Gerdel won a pair of individual titles in Thursday's Centennial League swimming meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Hayden junior standout Kaelyn Gerdel also captured a pair of individual Centennial League title in Thursday's meet, winning the 200 freestyle in 2:13.23 and the 100 breast in 1:17.59.
Both Appuhn and Gerdel earned first-team All-Centennial League recognition along with Rural's Heinen and Topeka High's Avery Skinner and Hara Del Castillo.
Heinen swam on Rural's winning 400 free relay and second-place 200 medley relay (2:11.82) and was second in the 50 free (27.67) and third in the 500 free (6:26.60) while Skinner finished second in the 200 free (2:14.96) and 500 free (6:08.60) and Del Castillo was the runnerup in the 100 backstroke (1:08.88).
Manhattan won six events on the day en route to a 472-409 margin over Washburn Rural, with the Indians winning their second straight team title after ending Rural's four-year title streak in 2025.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SWIMMING/DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Manhattan 472, Washburn Rural 409, Junction City 294, Emporia 214, Topeka High 170, Hayden 89.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Manhattan (Delaney Saucier, Caris Goering, Ava McKee, Ashtan Hansen), 2:05.43; 2. Washburn Rural (Sophie Heinen, Resego Mackenzie, Audrey Apphun, Kaci Hodgson, 2:11.82; 3. Manhattan 'B' (Mallory Pecenka, Kami Spencer, Kieryn Copp, Madilyn Powell), 2:18.07.
200 freestyle -- 1. Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden, 2:13.23; 2. Avery Skinner, Topeka High, 2:14.96; 3. Caris Goering, Manhattan, 2:15.61.
200 individual medley -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 2:19.72; 2. Ava McKee, Manhattan, 2:30.80; 3. Kami Spencer, Manhattan, 2:48.84.
50 freestyle -- 1. Ashtan Hansen, Manhattan, 27.48; 2. Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural, 27.67; 3. Johnnie Alvarez, Junction City, 27.93.
One meter diving -- 1. Allisyn Weiss, Emporia, 535.75; 2. Rhiannan Good, Washburn Rural, 446.40.
100 butterfly -- 1. Delaney Saucier, Manhattan, 1:12.52; 2. Irina Crispin, Junction City, 1:24.36; 3. Kieyrn Copp, Manhattan, 1:25.49.
100 freestyle -- 1. Ashtan Hansen, Manhattan, 1:00.56; 2. Taryn Woydziak, Emporia, 1:05.84; 3. Mary Brighton, Manhattan, 1:07.33.
500 freestyle -- 1. Ava McKee, Manhattan, 6:03.41; 2. Avery Skinner, Topeka High, 6:08.60; 3. Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural, 6:26.60.
200 free relay -- 1. Manhattan (Aubrey Niedermayer, Ashtan Hansen, Ava McKee, Caris Goering), 1:53.29; 2. Junction City (Lily Page, Irina Crispin, Losena Tatafu, Johnnie Alvarez), 2:00.05; 3. Manhattan 'B' (Madilyn Powell, Mallory Pecenka, Kieyrn Copp, Mary Brighton), 2:02.57.
100 backstroke -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 1:02.28; 2. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 1:08.88; 3. Delaney Saucier, Manhattan, 1:09.75.
100 breaststroke -- 1. Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden, 1:17.59; 2. Caris Goering, Manhattan, 1:18.22; 3. Lilly Charvat, Hayden, 1:20.15.
400 free relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Ava Von Lintel, Stella Berry, Sophie Heinen, Audrey Appuhn), 4:20.55; 2. Manhattan (Aubrey Niedermayer, Mary Brighton, Lyla Buser, Delaney Saucier), 4:29.99; 3. Junction City (Angie Vasquez, Ashlyn Roche, Zoey Micheel, Johnnie Alvarez), 4:43.57.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE TEAM
First team
Ashtan Hansen, Manhattan; Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden; Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural; Ava McKee, Manhattan; Delaney Saucier, Manhattan; Avery Skinner, Topeka High; Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural; Caris Goering, Manhattan; Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High; Irina Crispin, Junction City; Allisyn Weiss, Emporia (diver).
Second team
Kami Spencer, Manhattan; Kieryn Copp, Manhattan; Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural; Taryn Woydziak, Emporia; Johnnie Alvarez, Junction City; Madilyn Powell, Manhattan; Lilly Charvat, Hayden; Resego Mackenzie, Washburn Rural; Brady Inman, Manhattan; Mary Brighton, Manhattan; Aubrey Niedermayer, Manhattan; Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural (diver).
