By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The friendly confines of Barton Community College served the Lady Panther swim team well during Tuesday's five-team invitational. Great Bend piled up 553 points to win the meet. Holcomb scored 365 points for second, edging out third-place Hutchinson by just 11 points.
The 200-yard medley relay team of Emilee Hall, Ava Gregg, Ally Howard, and Josephine Mazouch got things started with a win by nearly six seconds in 2:11.01. The team of Meredith Mazouch, Clarise Snapp, Avah Holden, and Sidney Gilkison swam third in 2:25.71.
The 200 free relay also picked up the gold. That team of Hall, both Mazouchs, and Darcy Feist won by nearly four seconds in 1:54.02, missing state qualification by less than two seconds. The team of Braylee Carper, Katelyn Mermis, Ellie Lutt, and Sydney Kruckenberg placed fourth in 2:09.14 to miss the bronze by eight seconds.
The Lady Panthers had a field day in the 500 free. Hall came in well under state consideration time for the win in 6:13.93. Carper followed in 6:58.75 for the silver, and Howard swam third in 7:17.90, a minute ahead of the fourth-place finisher. Hall swam another consideration time to win the 100 backstroke by just 0.04 seconds in 1:09.82. Meredith Mazouch placed seventh in 1:28.41, and Mermis followed in 1:30.16 for eighth.
Josephine Mazouch continues to stay under state consideration in the 50 free, winning by 0.39 seconds in 27.70. Kruckenberg placed fourth in 30.41, and Gilkison finished seventh in 32.25. Howard won the 100 butterfly silver in 1:28.70, 11 seconds behind the winner, and Holden placed third in 1:41.42.
Josephine Mazouch also swam a consideration time in the 100 free, winning by more than a second in 1:01.82. Feist placed fourth in 1:04.22 to miss the bronze by just 0.12 seconds. Kruckenberg placed sixth in 1:08.21.
Snapp led the Lady Panthers with a first-place finish in the 100 breast by better than three seconds in 1:24.88. Carper placed third in 1:32.22, and Siefkes swam fifth in 1:32.90.
Feist finished second in the 200 free in 2:25.17, six seconds off the gold. Madelynne Siefkes finished sixth in 2:54.12. Gregg won the 200 IM bronze in 2:58.25 to miss the silver by 11 seconds. Snapp swam fourth in 2:59.94, followed by Mermis in 3:23.26 for fifth.
The Lady Panther 400 free team of Feist, Snapp, Kruckenberg, and Carper finished third in 4:38.45, nine seconds behind the silver. The team of Howard, Gregg, Gilkison, and Meredith Mazouch placed fourth in 4:56.51. The squad of Holden, Mermis, Lutt, and Madalyn Bonine finished fifth in 5:18.95.
The Lady Panthers travel to Garden City next Tuesday.