By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural senior star Audrey Appuhn reached a career milestone in Friday's Topeka girls city swimming/diving championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium as the Junior Blues stretched their city title streak to 23 straight seasons.
Appuhn was a double individual winner and four-event gold medalist to lead the way as Washburn Rural took the city crown by a 588-468 margin over Seaman.
Washburn Rural's girls swimming team celebrates in the Capitol Federal Natatorium pool Friday after Rural won its 23rd straight city team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
And while the two biggest meets of the year -- Centennial League and Class 6A state -- are next up for Rural, coach Bob Burdick said the city championship will always be one that the Junior Blues circle on the schedule.
"Especially here in Topeka, we're all here in this together and the best part about this meet is not only the meet, the championship, but also that all these girls in the city all know each other, so they all get to compete with each other, cheer each other and it's just an amazing event,'' Burdick said.
Washburn Rural senior Audrey Appuhn won four gold medals in Friday's city meet as the Junior Blues captured their 23rd straight city team championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Competing in her final city meet, Appuhn won the 200-yard individual medley in 2 minutes, 22.00 seconds and the 100-yard freestyle in 57.28 while teaming with Sophie Heinen, Resego Mackenzie and Kaci Hodgson to win the 200 medley relay (2:13.84) and with Heinen, Ava Von Lintel and Stella Berry to win the 400 free relay (4:20.97).
With her two individual wins Appuhn finished her four-year city career with eight individual victories in as many tries.
"It never really was a goal,'' Appuhn said. "I just realized, 'Oh, it happened.' ''
Appuhn also added seven career relay victories in eight starts to finish her city career with 15 gold medals.
Senior Rhiannon Good won the one-meter diving event with a score of 239.85 to account for Washburn Rural's fifth victory of the day while the Junior Blues posted top-three finishes in 11 of 12 events and had multiple top-three finishes in four events.
Rural began the season with several question marks, but Burdick said he's been very pleased with the Junior Blues' performance this spring.
"They've made the progress we need,'' he said. "We picked up 12 new swimmers this year that had never swam and moved them all along and they all contributed tonight, so that was great.''
Appuhn, Good, Heinen and Von Lintel all earned spots on the All-City first team while Mackenzie, Hodgson and Sophie Reffett were second-teamers.
Other highlights:
Hayden junior Kaelyn Gerdel won a pair of individual titles in Friday's city swimming meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Hayden junior Kaelyn Gerdel joined Appuhn as a double individual city champion, winning the 200-yard freestyle in 2:16.81 and the 100 backstroke in 1:19.12.
Gerdel was a first-team All-City pick while Hayden's Lilly Charvat finished second in the 100 breaststroke (1:21.11) and was a second-team All-City pick.
Shawnee Heights' Kaitlyn Aldridge (left) won the 100-yard butterfly and finished second in the 200 individual medley in Friday's city championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Shawnee Heights got victories from Clara Sobba in the 50-yard freestyle (26.94) and Kaitlyn Aldridge in the 100 butterfly (1:10.52) while Aldridge finished second in the 200 individual medley (2:34.61) and Sobba was second in the 100 free (58.49).
Aldridge and Sobba also teamed with Jade Kinsch and Lainey Herrera for a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay (2:14.60).
Aldridge and Sobba were All-City first-team honorees while Kinsch was a second-team pick.
Topeka High senior Hara Del Castillo won the 100-yard backstroke in Friday's city championships at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
• Topeka High got city titles from Avery Skinner and Hara Del Castillo, with Skinner winning the 500 freestyle (6:01.47) and Del Castillo winning the 100 backstroke (1:10.55).
Skinner finished second in the 100 back (1:12.70) while Del Castillo was third in the 50 free (27.78) as both Trojans were first-team All-City selections.
• Team runnerup Seaman got a city title from the foursome of Ava Carlson, Gracie Scott, Isabelle Hahn and Riley Strother in the 200 free relay in 1:57.02 while the Vikings posted top-three finishes in five other events.
Seaman's Strother, Carlson, Scott and Megan Strobel finished second in the 400 free relay (4:26.64).
Strobel and Strother were both All-City first-team honorees while Jenna Zimmerman, Manuela Diaz, Marleigh Frazier, Jurnee Jessepe and Tenley Wessel made the second team.
• Cair Paravel Latin's Avery Rosenow finished second in diving to earn a spot on the All-City second team while Topeka West's Makenna Russell was also a second-team selection.
TOPEKA GIRLS CITY SWIMMING/DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Washburn Rural 588, Seaman 468, Shawnee Heights 255, Topeka High 142, Hayden 90, Topeka West 68, Cair Paravel Latin 17.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Sophie Heinen, Resego Mackenzie, Audrey Apphun, Kaci Hodgson, 2:13.84; 2. Shawnee Heights (Jayde Kinsch, Lainey Herrera, Kaitlyn Aldridge, Clara Sobba), 2:14.60; 3. Seaman (Megan Strobel, Manuela Diaz, Isabelle Hahn, Ava Carlson), 2:20.65.
200 freestyle -- 1. Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden, 2:16.81; 2. Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural, 2:28.77; 3. Baylee Trachta, Washburn Rural, 2:46.03.
200 individual medley -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 2:22.00; 2. Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights, 2:34.61; 3. Kaci Hodgson, Washburn Rural, 2:59.42.
50 freestyle -- 1. Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights, 26.94; 2. Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural, 27.28; 3. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 27.78.
One meter diving -- 1. Rhiannan Good, Washburn Rural, 239.85; 2. Avery Rosenow, Cair Paravel, 188.55; 3. Mackenzie Caryl, Topeka High, 147.45.
100 butterfly -- 1. Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights, 1:10.52; 2. Joanna Diehl, Washburn Rural, 1:25.96; 3. Kaylee Fernandez, Washburn Rural, 1:26.27.
100 freestyle -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 57.28; 2. Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights, 58.49; 3. Riley Strother, Seaman, 1:02.59.
500 freestyle -- 1. Avery Skinner, Topeka High, 6:01.47; 2. Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural, 6:23.58; 3. Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural, 6:41.71.
200 free relay -- 1. Seaman (Ava Carlson, Gracie Scott, Isabelle Hahn, Riley Strother), 1:57.02; 2. Shawnee Heights (Clara Sobba, Gracelyn New, Jayde Kinsch, Kaitlyn Aldridge), 1:57.34; 3. Washburn Rural (Kaci Hodgson, Joanna Diehl, Suzy Bunten, Ava Von Lintel), 2:07.91.
100 backstroke -- 1. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 1:10.55; 2. Avery Skinner, Topeka High, 1:12.70; 3. Megan Strobel, Seaman, 1:17.35.
100 breastroke -- 1. Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden, 1:19.12; 2. Lilly Charvat, Hayden, 1:21.11; 3. Lizzie Gould, Seaman 1:24.98.
400 free relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Sophie Heinen, Ava Von Lintel, Stella Berry, Audrey Appuhn), 4:20.97; 2. Seaman (Riley Strother, Ava Carlson, Gracie Scott, Megan Strobel), 4:26.64; 3. Seaman 'B' (Marleigh Frazier, Isabelle Hahn, Tenley Wessel, Lizzie Gould), 5:12.09.
ALL-CITY TEAM
First team
Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden; Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural; Avery Skinner, Topeka High; Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights; Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights; Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High; Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural; Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural; Megan Strobel, Seaman; Riley Strother, Seaman; Rhiannan Good, Washburn Rural (diver).
Second team
Resego Mackenzie, Washburn Rural; Lilly Charvat, Hayden; Jenna Zimmerman, Seaman; Sophie Reffett, Washburn Rural; Manuela Diaz, Seaman; Kaci Hodgson, Washburn Rural; Marleigh Frazier, Seaman; Jurnee Jessepe, Seaman; Makenna Russell, Topeka West; Tenley Wessel, Seaman; Jayde Kinsch, Shawnee Heights; Avery Rosenow, Cair Paravel Latin (diver).
