Brull, Smith win at state

For a pair of Johnson County senior swimmers, the state meet provided the reward and realization of a pursuit years in the making.

Shawnee Mission Northwest’s Brooke Brull and Blue Valley North’s Haley Smith each earned their first state championships last weekend at the Capitol Federal Natatorium in Topeka.

“Relief and excitement,” Brull would say afterward. “I’ve just been wanting it forever.”

Brull, who will swim at Kansas, had earned second and third-place state finishes last year. This year, she punctuated her standout varsity career by winning the 200-yard freestyle championship, in a time of 1 minute, 52.18 seconds to edge Lawrence Free State’s Molly Albrecht — the 2008 state champ in the event. Brull also finished second in the 100 freestyle.

After working with her for three seasons on her chase for a state title, SM Northwest coach Scott Virden shared in Brull’s excitement.

“I know she’s come up in second and third in so many races,” Virden said. “To see her finally get that, it … made her feel like she (was) in the company she should be in. To finally prove it, it was really gratifying to see for her.”

Smith, meanwhile, had earned third and fourth-place state finishes last season. She, too, had plans in place to swim in college, having signed with Arkansas. But before Saturday, she didn’t have a state championship on her resume.

She took care of that convincingly, winning the 200 individual medley state title in 2:04.71, besting her closest competitor by more than two and a half seconds. Smith also finished second in the 100 backstroke.

But she was most proud of the Mustangs’ 200 freestyle relay. Smith and teammates Kelsey Bakalar, Mardi Buchanan and Ana Kuehler set a state meet record in the event, winning in a time of 1:37.71.

“We worked so hard for that,” Smith said.

Blue Valley senior diver Lauren Wismer also claimed a state championship — her second diving state title in three years.

It was a big day overall for Johnson County competitors, who claimed several individual medals.

Blue Valley Northwest placed third as a team, led by senior Parker Watson, who finished second in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle.

Also for BV Northwest, Jenny Martin was fourth in the 500 freestyle and sixth in the 200 freestyle.

For BV North, Kuehler was third in the 100 breaststroke.

St. Thomas Aquinas’ Megan Greving placed fourth in the 100 butterfly.

submitted by RYAN YOUNG The Kansas City Star - 2009-05-26 13:14:01

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