Blue Valley North girls win EKL swim title

With four events remaining at the East Kansas League swimming and diving championships Saturday, the Blue Valley North girls trailed BV Northwest by 27 points.

Last season, the favored Mustangs of BV North had been upstaged at the league meet by the BV Northwest Huskies, who went on to win the Kansas state championship.

This time, though, BV North will take the momentum into the state meet.

The Mustangs finished strong Saturday to win the EKL championship with 336 points at Blue Valley West. BV Northwest placed second with 329 points.

“It means a lot,” Mustangs coach Derek Berg said. “It’s exciting to be able to (win) league, especially against a team like Northwest, being as good as they are and the defending champs.”

Haley Smith led the Mustangs, winning the 200-yard individual medley (2 minutes, 10.05 seconds) and the 100 backstroke (59.57). She also swam on the winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

BV North narrowly edged BV Northwest in the 200 freestyle relay — the ninth of 12 events. Smith, Kelsey Bakalar, Mardi Buchanan and Ana Kuehler finished the race in 1:40.17, while the Huskies’ relay clocked in at 1:40.32.

Other league champions for the Mustangs were Bakalar in the 100 butterfly (1:00.25) and Kuehler in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.55).

For BV Northwest, Jenny Martin won the 200 freestyle (1:58.30) and the 500 freestyle (5:18.56); Parker Watson won the 50 freestyle (24.71) and the 100 freestyle (54.30). The Huskies also won the 400 freestyle relay (3:47.75).

Blue Valley’s Lauren Wismer won the diving competition with a score of 481.40.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-05-09 22:18:02

Comments - leave comment