By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural swimming coach Bob Burdick missed Thursday's girls Centennial League meet for a very good reason, with Burdick in California for his son's college graduation.
But his Junior Blues team would have made their coach proud, with Washburn Rural rolling to its third straight league team championship by a 520-435 margin over Manhattan at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
Washburn Rural celebrates its third straight Centennial League girls swimming championship Thursday at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Freshman Audrey Appuhn won four gold medals in Thursday's Centennial League swimming meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Makenna Pritchard (left), who won four gold medals, congratulates teammate Ella Bombardier at the conclusion the 50-yard freestyle after Pritchard and Bombardier finished one-three in Thursday's Centennial League swim meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"His son is graduating from USC tonight so he had to be at his son's graduation, but he's sending the love and we can feel the love and we're sending him love back,'' Pritchard said. "We're so proud of his son and we're so proud of him.''
Washburn Rural won eight events, with Pritchard, a senior, and freshman Audrey Appuhn winning four gold medals apiece. The Junior Blues added four second-place finishes and posted top-three finishes in 11 of 12 events.
"(Burdick) said, 'Go out and do what we always do,' '' Pritchard said. "We know how to swim, we know how to race. We're done it for the last four years together so he told us, 'Go out and do you.' ''
Pritchard posted individual victories in the 50-yard freestyle (25.36 seconds) and 100 free (55.94) while Appuhn won the 200 individual medley (2 minutes, 11.39 seconds) and the 500 free (5:13.53) and Mara Bara won the 100 backstroke (1:02.80).
Washburn Rural also swept the three relays, with Appuhn, Kiersten Harris, Bare and Pritchard winning the 200 medley relay (1:55.69), Harris, Molly Didde, Sophie Heinen and Genevieve Miranda winning the 200 free relay (1:50.84) and Miranda, Bare, Appuhn and Pritchard taking the 400 free relay (3:48.87).
While Pritchard was competing in her final Centennial meet, Appuhn made a big splash in her league debut, continuing an oustanding freshman campaign.
"Honestly, I've just been looking forward to this since I was eight and just to be able to come to the meet, it doesn't matter the place to me, just to be able to come here and see everyone that I love every single day, it really means the world to me,'' Appuhn said.
Miranda added a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle (2:09.43) and the 100 free (58.10), Bare was second in the 100 butterfly (1:03.61) and Harris posted a runnerup finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.17).
Topeka High senior Brianna Devlin was the one-meter diving champion in Thursday's Centennial League meet. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High senior Brianna Devlin won the Centennial League ttle in the one-meter diving event with a winning score of 447.70 over 11 dives while Allisyn Weiss of Emporia was second at 446.25 and Hayden's Kaylee Gregg third at 363.05.
High's Hara Del Castillo finished second in the 100 backstroke (1:05.37) and third in the 200 individual medley (2:25.86) while High's Caroline Toland finished third in the 100 breaststroke (1:17.43).
Rural's Pritchard, Appuhn, Bare, Miranda, Harris and Ruby Knutson all earned All-Centennial League first-team recognition along with High's Del Castillo and Devlin.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SWIMMING AND DIVING
Team scores
Washburn Rural 520, Manhattan 435, Emporia 300, Junction City 234, Topeka High 217, Hayden 205.
Individual results
One meter diving -- 1. Devlin, Topeka High, 447.70; 2. Weiss, Emporia, 446.25; 3. Gregg, Hayden, 363.05.
200 medley relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Appuhn, Harris, Bare, Pritchard), 1:55.69; 2. Manhattan (Tarter, Perez, Steffensmeier, Balman), 1:57.33; 3. Junction City (Robles, Foote, Kramer, Barber), 2:07.68.
200 freestyle -- 1. Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 2:01.04; 2. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 2:09.43; 3. Brown, Emporia, 2:20.99.
200 individual medley -- 1. Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 2:11.39; 2. Perez, Manhattan, 2:19.75; 3. Del Castillo, Topeka High, 2:25.86.
50 freestyle -- 1. Pritchard, Washburn Rural, 25.36; 2. Robles, Junction City, 26.48; 3. Bombardier, Washburn Rural, 27.76.
100 butterfly -- 1. Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 59.13; 2. Bare, Washburn Rural, 1:03.61; 3. Knutson, Washburn Rural, 1:09.24.
100 freestyle -- 1. Pritchard, Washburn Rural, 55.94; 2. Miranda, Washburn Rural, 58.10; 3. Harris, Washburn Rural, 58.77.
500 freestyle -- 1. Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 5:13.53; 2. Inman, Manhattan, 6:07.44; 3. McKee, Manhattan, 6:16.54.
200 freestyle relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Harris, Didde, Heinen, Miranda), 1:50.84; 2. Junction City (Robles, Barber, Kramer, Foote), 1:51.67; 3. Manhattan (Tarter, Conley, Campbell, Inman), 1:53.42.
100 backstroke -- 1. Bare, Washburn Rural, 1:02.80; 2. Del Castillo, Topeka High, 1:05.37; 3. Balman, Manhattan, 1:08.34.
100 breaststroke -- 1. Perez, Manhattan, 1:09.14; 2. Harris, Washburn Rural, 1:13.17; 3. Toland, Topeka High, 1:17.43.
400 free relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Miranda, Bare, Appuhn, Pritchard), 3:48.87; 2. Manhattan (Steffensmeier, Balman, Inman, Perez), 4:00.99; 3. Washburn Rural 'B' (Bombardier, Hamilton, Von Lintel, Heinen), 4:16.99.
ALL-CENTENNIAL LEAGUE
First team
Steffensmeier, Manhattan, 40; Pritchard, Washburn Rural, 40; Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 40; Perez, Manhattan, 37; Bare, Washburn Rural, 37; Miranda, Washburn Rural, 34; Del Castillo, Topeka High, 33; Harris, Washburn Rural, 33; Inman, Manhattan, 32; Balman, Manhattan, 31; Knutson, Washburn Rural, 31; Devlin, Topeka High (diver).
Second team
O'Brien, Washburn Rural, 30; Robles, Junction City, 30; McKee, Manhattan, 30 Conley, Manhattan, 29; Tarter, Manhattan, 28; Campbell, Manhattan, 28; Rodriguez, Manhattan, 27; Foote, Junction City, 27; Brown, Emporia, 27; Von Lintel, Washburn Rural, 25; Weiss, Emporia (diver).
Honorable mention
Didde, Washburn Rural, 24; Peak, Emporia, 24; Goering, Manhattan, 23; Dernovish, Hayden, 22; Kramer, Junction City, 21; Hamilton, Emporia, 21; Heffner, Emporia, 21; Barber, Junction City, 20; Herrera, Hayden, 19; Lopez, Hayden, 17; Gregg, Hayden (diver).
