Girls Swim and Dive Updates

CURRENT PLACEMENTS

• The team is not ranked as their season just began, but last year the team placed second at State and has won the Sunflower League in 2024 and 2025. According to Coach Chris Copeland, the team will likely be a top contender for the Sunflower League and State Champion title. “This group of juniors and seniors is hungry to win state this year,” Copeland said.

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TOP PERFORMER(S)

• Seniors Natalie Jones, Georgia Boyd, Izzy Hunter, Sloan Meyer and Lila Kimmel are all anticipated to perform well, according to Copeland.
• “Many of the girls can do a variety of different things, which makes it so exciting,” Copeland said. Juniors Anne Bowser and Vada Walsh are expected to do well in butterfly, backstroke and other events, as well as sophomore Darcy Kroening, who excels in all strokes, according to Copeland.

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UPCOMING COMPETITIONS

• The team has not had a meet yet, but they are currently preparing for upcoming meets, with their first one on March 27. They are preparing by working on racing starts and flip turns. Girls varsity practices at the SM Aquatic Center. In past seasons, their biggest rivals have been Blue Valley North, who won state last year.

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STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• “It's a pretty close-knit group,” Copeland said. Captains Walsh and Boyd help manage the team, and try to make practice fun, according to Copeland. Copeland is also working on teaching breath control and underwater swimming, “They’re learning to swim fast when they’re tired,” Copeland said.

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INJURIES

• Sophomore Emma Hebbert, who qualified for state last year, is not swimming due to shoulder injuries. Additionally, Boyd has a minor ankle injury, but it will not conflict with her swimming this season.

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LINEUP CHANGES

• JV Coach Shannon Guthrie will soon be gone on maternity leave, and Dive Coach Hannah Bortnick is currently on maternity leave. This will add coaching responsibilities onto Copeland. Tryouts were from March 2 to March 4. Twelve new freshmen joined the varsity team, and Copeland believes they will have a positive impact on the team's rankings and results.