By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
Hayden senior Kaylee Gregg pulled off a rare feat in Friday's Topeka City Girls Swimming Championships at Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Washburn Rural took first in the city meet for the 22nd straight season, with two of their leading swimmers taking two first places each.
Trailing the Junior Blues’ 526 points was Seaman with 430. Topeka High finished in third place with 307.
Hayden senior Kaylee Gregg won a pair of city titles Friday, winning the one-meter diving competition and the 50-meter freestyle. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Gregg accomplished the rare feat of winning the dive competition early in the day, then coming back to win an individual swim event. Gregg won the 50-yard freestyle and was also a part of two second-place relay teams for Hayden.
Gregg said she started swimming and diving as a freshman, having had no previous training. As a swimmer, she participates only on short races. But, in truth, she admitted she doesn’t train for swimming.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been to a swim practice,” Gregg said. “I just show up and do my best.
“I did gymnastics growing up and now I do cheer, so I had the stamina to be able to get through the 50s and the 100s,” Gregg said. “My dive coach is actually my gymnastics coach growing up. She really helped me. You’re going into water like we go into (gymnastics) pits, so it’s not that different.”
Gregg has qualified for state all four years as a diver and has participated at state on relay teams. She is holding out hope to qualify for the 50 freestyle, with one chance – the Centennial League meet – remaining.
While she didn’t quite eclipse the required time to qualify for state in the 50 freestyle, she received some other great news at the city meet.
“This has been a really cool night for me because I made the KU Cheer team today,” Gregg said. “I found out as soon as I got done with our first relay.”
Seaman senior Joslynn Grace was a double city champion Friday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Having a good day in her own right was Seaman senior Joslynn Grace, who took first in the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly. The senior has committed to swim at the University of Nebraska-Kearney after high school. She said she enjoyed participating in the city meet one last time.
“This was really exciting for me because I’m happy with my times,” Grace said. “The city meet is really fun to just watch everybody and see them all do their thing, too.
“Swim is like my second life. I love it so much. To practice and see yourself get better is like therapy for me. I’ve enjoyed it so much.”
Audrey Appuhn captured four gold medals Friday, helping Washburn Rural win the city team championship. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Genevieve Miranda helped lead Washburn Rural to the city swimming team title Friday, posting two individual wins and swimming on two city-champion relays. [File photo/TSN]
Also placing first in two individual events were Washburn Rural’s Audrey Appuhn and Genevieve Miranda, with Appuhn winning the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and Miranda winning the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Appuhn and Miranda also swam on the Junior Blues' winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay.
TEAM SCORES
Washburn Rural 526, Seaman 430, Topeka High 307, Shawnee Heights 285, Hayden 254, Topeka West 72, Cair Paravel 65
ALL-CITY TEAMS
First team
Joslynn Grace, Seaman; Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural; Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural; Kaitlyn Aldridge, Shawnee Heights; Ashtynn Landry, Shawnee Heights; Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High; Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural; Clara Sobba, Shawnee Heights; Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural; Caroline Toland, Topeka High; Kaylee Gregg, Hayden.
Second team
Esa Herrera, Hayden; Kaya Hamilton, Washburn Rural; Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden; Lizzie Gould, Seaman; Riley Strother, Seaman; Lilly Charvat, Hayden; Sophie Reffett, Seaman; Joanna Diehl, Washburn Rural; Reagan Greig, Seaman; Kaci Hodgson, Washburn Rural; Resego Mackenzie, Washburn Rural; Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
200 medley relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Heinen, Appuhn, Miranda, Von Lintel), 2:01.75.12; 2. Hayden (Herrera, Charvat, Gerdel, K. Gregg), 2:07.36; 3. Seaman (Strobel, Gould, Grace, Strother), 2:07.38.
200 freestyle — 1. Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 1:57.66; 2. Landry, Shawnee Heights, 2:07.26; 3. Gerdel, Hayden, 2:22.81.
200 individual medley — 1. Grace, Seaman, 2:10.69; 2. Strother, Seaman, 2:48.76; 3. Hodgson, Washburn Rural, 3:07.79.
50 freestyle — 1. K. Gregg, Hayden, 27.74; 2. Sobba, Shawnee Heights, 28.08; 3. Herrera, Hayden, 28.22.
1-meter diving — 1. K. Gregg, Hayden, 231.60; 2. Good, Washburn Rural, 215.50; 3. M. Gregg, Hayden, 173.20.
100 butterfly — 1. Grace, Seaman, 1:00.12; 2. Aldridge, Shawnee Heights, 1:08.16; 3. Hamilton, Washburn Rural, 1:18.44.
100 freestyle — 1. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 55.49; 2. Landry, Shawnee Heights, 57.59; 3. Del Castillo, Topeka High, 58.66.
500 freestyle — 1. Aldridge, Shawnee Heights, 6:05.43; 2. Heinen, Washburn Rural, 6:19.25; 3. Von Lintel, Washburn Rural, 6:32.01.
200 freestyle relay — 1. Shawnee Heights (Kinsch, Aldridge, Sobba, Landry), 1:52.57; 2. Hayden (Herrera, Charvat, Gerdel, K. Gregg), 1:54.69; 3. Seaman (Carlson, Strobel, Greig, Gould), 2:01.39.
100 backstroke — 1. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 1:02.95; 2. Del Castillo, Topeka High, 1:06.21; 3. Mackenzie, Washburn Rural, 1:19.47.
100 breaststroke — 1. Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 1:07.60; 2. Toland, Topeka High, 1:13.45; 3. Gould, Seaman, 1:19.55.
400 freestyle relay — 1. Washburn Rural (Heinen, Von Lintel, Appuhn, Miranda), 4:04.31; 2. Seaman (Grace, Carlson, Strobel, Strother), 4:14.97; 3. Shawnee Heights (DeLier, Aldridge, Sobba, Landry), 4:19.08.
