By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Through her first three seasons of high school swimming, Seaman's Joslynn Grace was surrounded by talented older teammates.
Seaman senior Joslynn Grace posted first and second-place individual finishes in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But after the Vikings lost a talented senior class, including twin sisters Tauren and Avery Walz, from last year's team that posted a third-place finish in Class 5A-1A, Grace is being counted on to lead the way in the pool and as a leader as Seaman enters the 2025 campaign.
"I was a little nervous at first, but it's really fun to get to be with more of the team I feel like,'' Grace said. "I was really close to the twins and now I'm like branching out and I get to meet a lot of people and cheer them all on, so it's been a lot of fun.''
Grace got her season off to a solid start on Thursday in the 16-school Topeka West Invitational at the Capitol Federal Natatorium, posting a win and a second-place individual finish while also helping the Vikings to a pair of top-six relay finishes.
Grace, a returning multi-event 5A-1A state medalist, won the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 2 minutes, 15.84 seconds and finished second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.72.
Grace also teamed with Reagan Greig, Lizzie Gould and Megan Strobel to finish fifth in the 200 medley relay (2:13.96) and with Greig, Gould and Strobel to finish sixth in the 200 free relay (2:05.02) as the Vikings finished fourth as a team with 234 points.
Seaman senior Joslynn Grace looks up at the scoreboard after her 200 IM victory in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"I thought today was pretty good,'' Grace said. "I wish my IM would have been a little bit faster, but I was pretty happy with it.''
Now Grace, who plans to swim collegiately at Nebraska-Kearney with older sister Gabby, is setting her sights on finishing her high school career with a bang.
"I definitely would like to medal in both my events again and maybe get like second-team All-State or first-team All-State,'' Grace said. "That would be really cool.''
Seaman also got a third-place finish from Strobel in the 500 freestyle (7:10.03) and a third from Sydney Thoman in one-meter diving (152.75).
Hayden tied for fifth as a team with 191 points, led by Maddie Gregg and Kaylee Gregg, who finished one-two in diving. M. Gregg won with a score of 179.90 while K. Gregg was right behind her sister at 178.00.
The Wildcats also got a fourth-place finish in the 400 free relay from Kaelyn Gerdel, Kelly Ann Chada, Lilly Charvat and Esa Herrera in 4:47.88.
Shawnee Heights senior Ashtynn Landry posted a pair of top-four finishes in Thursday's Topeka West Invitational. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Shawnee Heights finished seventh as a team (164), getting a third-place finish from senior Ashtynn Landry in the 200 freestyle in 2:14.46.
Landry also finished fourth in the 100 freestyle (1:01.17) while sophomore Kaitlyn Aldridge was fourth in the 200 IM (2:35.22).
TOPEKA WEST INVITATIONAL
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Lansing 400, McPherson 361, Piper 280, Seaman 234, De Soto 191, Hayden 191, Shawnee Heights 164, Wichita Collegiate 95, Basehor-Linwood 86, Wichita Trinity 79, Wichita Independent 68, Southeast-Saline 37, Bonner Springs 10, Topeka West 8, KC-Turner 5, KC-Washington 2.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Lansing, 1:58.12; 2. McPherson, 2:06.23; 3. Piper, 2:08.02.
200 freestyle -- 1. Vorthmann, De Soto, 1:58.22; 2. Kobs, Piper, 1:59.25; 3. Landry, Shawnee Heights, 2:14.46.
200 individual medley -- 1. Grace, Seaman, 2:15.84; 2. Hayes, Lansing, 2:17.16; 3. Pickerell, McPherson, 2:26.96.
50 freestyle -- 1. Richardson, Southeast-Saline, 25.77; 2. Verzola, Lansing, 26.26; 3. Wiens, McPherson, 26.94.
One meter diving -- 1. M. Gregg, Hayden, 179.90; 2. K. Gregg, Hayden, 1.78.00; 3. Thoman, Seaman, 152.75.
100 butterfly -- 1. Howard, Wichita Trinity, 56.42; 2. Richardson, Southeast-Saline, 1:00.61; 3. Kobs, Lansing, 1:01.52.
100 freestyle -- 1. Bruch, Basehor-Linwood, 55.45; 2. Archambault, Lansing, 55.52; 3. Wiens, McPherson, 1:00.02.
500 freestyle -- 1. Pickerell, McPherson, 5:44.63; 2. Johannes, Lansing, 5:51.50; 3. Strobel, Seaman, 7:10.03.
200 free relay -- 1. McPherson, 1:55.15; 2. Piper, 1:57.49; 3. De Soto, 1:57.52.
100 backstroke -- 1. Hayes, Lansing, 1:04.58; 2. Carstensen, Piper, 1:06.69; 3. Walter, Lansing, 1:08.62.
100 breastroke -- 1. Howard, Wichita Trinity, 1:04.71; 2. Grace, Seaman, 1:10.72; 3. Vorthmann, De Soto, 1:12.81.
400 free relay -- 1. Lansing 'A', 3:59.30; 2. Lansing 'B', 4:23:58; 3. De Soto, 4:26.93.
