Brull, Lancers surprise at league swim meet

Source: The Star

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SM East’s Katy Kettler was sixth in the 1-meter diving.

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Shawnee Mission East swam to its fifth consecutive Sunflower League girls swimming and diving title Saturday at California Trail Junior High in Olathe, but it was the star of the fifth-place SM Northwest squad who made the biggest waves.

Cougars senior and Kansas commit Brooke Brull pulled a stunning upset by out-touching Olathe Northwest’s Maddy Dalcamo, the reigning state swimmer of the year, at the wall in the 100-yard freestyle. It was the first time in nearly two years Dalcamo had lost that race.

Brull, who edged Dalcamo by 0.05 seconds, locked eyes with her coach — inasmuch as she could with SMNW coach Scott Virden jumping for joy and pumping his fists as he was — to confirm her victory.

“Then I looked at the scoreboard and was kind of amazed,” Brull said.

The win offers a dilemma, though.

“That was huge, because she’s (Dalcamo) been Brooke’s nemesis, and that’s something we’ve been making a deciding point whether or not we were going to go 500 or 100 at state — whether or not she had enough in the tank,” Virden said.

Brull, who also won the 200 free by nearly 3 seconds, surged past Dalcamo the last 25 yards after taking her coach’s advice the first 50 and executing her turn flawlessly, a point of emphasis at practice last week.

Whether she swims the 500 or tries again to beat Dalcamo to the wall in the 100 at the Kansas state meet May 22 and 23 at Topeka’s Hummer Sports Complex Natorium, Brull is brimming with confidence.

“It’s a great feeling, because I know if I’m doing well at this point of the season that I’m going to have a good state meet,” said Brull, who also helped the Cougars 200 freestyle relay to a runner-up showing.

Lancers claim titleThe Lancers had a surprise of their own.

Most Sunflower League observers, including SM East coach Rob Cole, pegged Olathe Northwest and Free State as the favorites to claim the title.

But the Lancers wrested one more crown to add to their dynasty behind junior leaders Allison Kirby and Stacy Coffyn.

“We just needed to get some cuts, and winning league again provided some extra incentive,” Cole said. “We had just enough kids place in the top six after being seeded out of the top six, which helped us.”

Kirby was third in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke, while Coffyn swam the opening leg for SM East’s only event winner, the 200 freestyle relay. That relay, which won by nearly 4 seconds, also included Katy Richardson, Taylor Burkhead and Marston Fries.

Coffyn and Richardson touched second and third in the 50 free, while Fries was third in the 100 free. SME’s 200 medley relay and 400 free relay also placed third.

But the best part was watching a fully clothed Cole bound off the diving board and into the pool, the traditional Lancers league-title celebration.

“I never get tired of seeing coach jump in the pool,” Kirby said. “It’s always great.”

SM divers strongOlathe South’s Alyson Ramsey won the one-meter diving competition, but the next six finishers were from the Shawnee Mission district.

SM West teammates Taryn Vanderpool and Nicole Knapp finished second and fifth, respectively, while SMNW’s Mallory Ayers was third, SM South’s Jackie Wong placed fourth and SM East’s Katy Kettler was sixth.

submitted by TOD PALMER The Kansas City Star - 2009-05-12 13:43:01