BV North’s Smith has top times in two swim events

TOPEKA | Blue Valley North swimmer Haley Smith has tried not to think a whole lot about competing for a state championship this season.

She won third- and fourth-place state medals last year. As a senior, her standout varsity career will end this weekend. And to exit as a state champion would be quite the sendoff … but again, she’s tried not to focus on all that.

“I thought about it a little, and I was like, well, I don’t want to push myself and make myself really nervous and then be disappointed if I don’t get it,” Smith said. “So I really didn’t think about it until I came here.”

And now, well, she couldn’t help but consider the possibilities after her performance in preliminaries Friday at the Kansas girls swimming and diving state meet.

Smith posted the top times in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100 backstroke and will be seeded first in both events when the finals begin today at the Capitol Federal Natatorium.

“I’m nervous, but really, I feel really confident going in,” she said.

Smith, who has signed to swim at Arkansas, swam the 200 individual medley in 2 minutes, 6.71 seconds and topped her nearest challenger by more than 2 seconds. She swam the 100 backstroke in 56.35. Both times were faster than her state times last year.

“I knew that she had that in her, and I think she’s got more in her (today),” BV North coach Derek Berg said.

No team points are scored during the first day of the state meet; it’s all about positioning for the finals.

Still, the prevailing opinion around the pool Friday was that Lawrence Free State and Olathe Northwest have separated themselves as the top contenders — and Free State appears to have the advantage entering the finals. Neither program has ever won the state championship, though the teams placed second and third, respectively, last year.

For Free State, defending state champion Molly Albrecht is seeded first in the 200 freestyle (and fourth in the 100 backstroke).

Chloe Portela (first in the 100 butterfly and second in the 100 backstroke) and the Firebirds’ 400 freestyle relay of Albrecht, Portela, Heather Clark and Morgan Flannigan also earned top seeds for the Firebirds.

Reilly Moore was a pleasant surprise for the team. She set program records in both the 50 freestyle (24.50) and the 100 breaststroke (1:07.29) while finishing fourth in both events Friday and shaving nearly 4 seconds off her incoming breaststroke seed time.

For Olathe Northwest, the 200 medley relay of Cami Hansberry, Marley Suckow, Natalie Morris and Dalcamo placed first in prelims in 1:47.52 and finished a mere .12 off the state meet record.

Dalcamo is seeded first in the 50 freestyle and second in the 100 freestyle after winning state titles in both events last year.

Shawnee Mission East also gained a top seed with its 200 freestyle relay of Stacy Coffyn, Katy Richardson, Taylor Burkhead and Marston Fries. Blue Valley’s Lauren Wismer tallied 213.70 points through the diving prelims and took a lead of 27.10 points.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-05-22 23:11:04

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