By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural swimming coach Bob Burdick would have loved it if his Junior Blues could have stretched their Centennial League winning streak to five straight titles Thursday.
But even though Rural fell just short of that goal with a narrow 465-441 loss to Manhattan, Burdick still walked out of Capitol Federal Natatorium proud of what his team did accomplish in its final tuneup for next weeked's Class 6A state meet.
Washburn Rural junior Audrey Appuhn won four gold medals in Thursday's Centennial League swimming and diving championships for the runnerup Junior Blues. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Genevieve Miranda captured four gold medals Thursday in her final Centennial League meet at the Capitol Federal Natatorium. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Junior Audrey Appuhn and senior Genevieve Miranda both earned four gold medals -- two individual events, two relays -- on the day for the Junior Blues, who posted top-three finishes in nine of 12 events.
"We had a great meet,'' Burdick said. "We had gone four years in keeping the league title and that's the longest we've ever done it at Washburn Rural, which is great. Manhattan had waited five for this and congratutations to them.
"We've had a good year, we rebuilt the team this year and we've got it to where we want it to be. It wasn't quite strong enough to beat Manhattan. I projected it to be about a 12-point difference and it was 24 and I think our girls should be proud of themselves. Second at league is awesome.''
Appuhn won the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 55.60 seconds) and the 100 breastroke (1:06.95) and Miranda took the 50 freestyle (25.43) and the 100 butterfly (1:01.66) to account for Washburn Rural's four individual league titles.
Appuhn and Miranda also teamed with Sophie Heinen and Ava Von Lintel to win the 200 medley (2:02.16) and 400 free (4:02.90) relays.
Rural's Rhiannon Good finished second in one-meter diving (436.70) while Heinen was the runnerup in the 500 freestyle (6:19.61).
Topeka High junior Hara Del Castillo was a double Centennial League champion Thursday. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Topeka High junior Hara Del Castillo was also a double individual champion, winning the 200 individual medley (2:25.04) and the 100 backstroke (1:06.01) and High junior Caroline Toland finished second in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.90).
Hayden's Esa Herrera, Lilly Charvat, Kaelyn Gerdel and Kaylee Gregg finished second in the 200 medley relay (2:07.79) and the 200 free relay (1:54.28).
The Class 6A and 5A-1A state meets will be contested May 22-24 at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.
CENTENNIAL LEAGUE SWIMMING/DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Capitol Federal Natatorium
Team scores
Manhattan 465, Washburn Rural 441, Emporia 289, Junction City 234, Topeka High 209, Hayden 162.
Individual results
200 medley relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Sophie Heinen, Audrey Appuhn, Genevieve Miranda, Ava Von Lintel), 2:02.16; 2. Hayden (Esa Herrera, Lilly Charvat, Kaelyn Gerdel, Kaylee Gregg), 2:07.79; 3. Manhattan, 2:08.63.
200 freestyle -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 1:55.60; 2. Caris Goering, Manhattan, 2:16.44; 3. Kaelyn Gerdel, Hayden, 2:21.28.
200 individual medley -- 1. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 2:25.04; 2. Ava McKee, Manhattan, 2:31.80; 3. Kami Spencer, Manhattan, 2:52.60.
50 freestyle -- 1. Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural, 25.43; 2. Samantha Tarter, Manhattan, 26.92; 3. Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural, 28.15.
One meter diving -- 1. Allie Weiss, Emporia, 500.75; 2. Rhiannon Good, Washburn Rural, 436.70; 3. Kaylee Gregg, Hayden, 428.70.
100 butterfly -- 1. Genevieve Miranda, Washburn Rural, 1:01.66; 2. Delaney Saucier, Manhattan, 1:16.08; 3. Kaya Hamilton, Washburn Rural, 1:17.70.
100 freestyle -- 1. Samantha Tarter, Manhattan, 1:01.34; 2. Sadie Hough, Manhattan, 1:02.56; 3. Esa Herrera, Hayden, 1:04.75.
500 freestyle -- 1. Ava McKee, Manhattan, 6:08.72; 2. Sophie Heinen, Washburn Rural, 6:19.61; 3. Ava Von Lintel, Washburn Rural, 6:43.02.
200 free relay -- 1. Manhattan, 1:51.52; 2. Hayden (Esa Herrera, Lilly Charvat, Kaelyn Gerdel, Kaylee Gregg), 1:54.28; 3. Emporia, 157.44.
100 backstroke -- 1. Hara Del Castillo, Topeka High, 1:06.01; 2. Delaney Saucier, Manhattan, 1:15.12; 3. Rosego Mackenzie, Washburn Rural, 1:17.45.
100 breaststroke -- 1. Audrey Appuhn, Washburn Rural, 1:06.95; 2. Caroline Toland, Topeka High, 1:13.90; 3. Caris Goering, Manhattan, 1:18.15.
400 free relay -- 1. Washburn Rural (Sophie Heinen, Ava Von Lintel, Audrey Appuhn, Genevieve Miranda),4:02.90; 2. Manhattan 'A', 4:33.90; 3. Manhattan 'B', 4:36.68.
Thomann, Grace pace city contingent in UKC
Seaman senior Sydney Thomann won the diving title in Wednesday's United Kansas Conference swimming championships at Kansas City-Turner while Viking senior Joslynn Grace posted a pair of second-place finishes.
Thomann win the diving crown with a score of 224.45 while Grace finished second in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:10.92 and was the runnerup in the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.85.
Shawnee Heights' Ashtynn Landry finished third in the 100 freestyle in 58.00.
Seaman finished fourth in the team standings with 152 points while Shawnee Heights was sixth with 115 points and Topeka West was eighth with 23 points.
Lansing won the team title by a 313-233 margin over Piper.
