‘We’re set for prime time.’ See how the girls’ state swimming finals played out at UK
The setting changed, but the song remained the same at the Pannell Swim Shop/KHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday night.
Sacred Heart won its eighth straight girls’ team championship at the University of Kentucky’s Lancaster Aquatic Center. This is the first time the state meet has been held on UK’s campus since 2006. For the previous 13 years it was staged at the University of Louisville’s Ralph Wright Natatorium.
Traveling away from their home city clearly had no ill effect on the Valkyries. Sacred Heart won the team title with a score of 503. Second-place Manual finished with a score of 159. Junior star Annabel Crush led the way for the Valkyries, winning both of her individual events and competing on two of the team’s three relay winners.
Crush, who committed to North Carolina State in October, won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:57.57, missing by less that one second the KHSAA record set in 2016 by current University of Kentucky swimmer Asia Seidt. Crush also won the 100 backstroke.
“Annabel’s a special athlete,” Sacred Heart Coach Jim Luebbe said. “She really steps it up when the bright lights are on. She just has another gear.”
Mackenzie Lanning also won two individual events for the Valkyries; the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle.
Knights rise
Lexington Catholic came in sixth on Friday, leading all Lexington teams and improving on last year’s eighth-place finish. Three other Lexington teams finished in the top 15: Henry Clay (eighth), Paul Dunbar (13th) and Lafayette (14th).
The Knights were led by senior Morgan Bender, who ended her high school career on a high note.
Bender finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke. It was the first time she qualified for the championship heat in the event at state during her time at LexCath. She also swam for all three of the Knights’ relay teams.
“It feels amazing. I’ve worked so hard on my breast stroke and I feel ecstatic to go out and do what I just did,” said Bender, who plans to swim for Bellarmine University. “It’s also the first time that all three of our girls’ relay teams made top-eight, too, so it’s a really nice way to end my senior year.”
LexCath freshman Christina Aouad finished eighth in the 200 individual medley.
“I’m just very thankful to have the team I had this year,” Lexington Catholic first-year head coach Bradley Baker said. “For this to be my first year coaching and get these guys was unbelievable. I lucked out.”
Youth movement
A pair of Lafayette youngsters had promising showings. Sophomore Lili Elayi was fourth in the 100 butterfly while freshman Emma Lykins was fourth in the 100 freestyle.
Generals Coach James Washbish said that duo is a big reason he’s excited for the near future.
“I’m blessed with a great group of young girls,” Washbish said. “Hopefully next year we’re in line for big things. Lili will just be a junior and the three girls that finished ahead of her today were all seniors … I’m so impressed by those two. They’re never even that nervous even though they’re so young. I think we’re set for prime time next year.”
Elayi said it was a treat watching Lykins turn in a big showing.
“It was amazing watching Emma do that,” Elayi said. “She works so hard even though she’s so young and it definitely paid off.”
Bryan Station eighth-grader Megan Wedeking finished eighth in the 100 backstroke.
Deep dive
Henry Clay senior Van McKinley won the 1-meter diving title for the second year in a row on Thursday with a score of 503.15. Lexington Catholic senior Mackie Redford finished third.
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 10:26 AM.
