GIRLS STATE SWIMMING AND DIVING STORYLINES


CLASS 6A

At Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center
 

WASHBURN RURAL’S GOOD PLENTY HAPPY WITH “BONUS” END TO DIVING CAREER
 
Rhiannon Good’s climb to the top of the medal podium has been steady throughout her diving career.
 
She finished 11th in Class 6A as a freshman, jumped four places to seventh as a sophomore and then leapt another four spots to a third-place finish last spring.
 
Which might lead one to believe that nothing short of a top-two finish would be satisfying for the Washburn Rural standout in her final state meet.
 
But that’s not quite the case. Given everything Good has gone through this season just to even compete this spring, she’s somewhat tempered what would have been pretty lofty expectations under normal circumstances.
 
“Obviously I would love to place up where I was last year,” said Good, who had surgery on her right knee in August and wasn’t able to dive this spring until earlier this month. “But realistically, I just want to get back on the podium. I had told myself I wasn’t even going to get to dive this year. Now that I’m able to. I just keep telling myself this is all a bonus.”
 
Good’s saga actually began last spring. A competitive cheerleader who will cheer for the University of St. Mary next year, Good was participating in tryouts for a club team last spring when she landed funny on her right knee.
 
Told by a doctor her knee was OK, she finished the diving season strong. Competing with a compression sleeve on her right knee, she enjoyed her best showing at the state meet, scoring 378.75 points to finish third, just under 10 points away from a runner-up finish.
 
When Good showed up for her summer physical for the upcoming school year, she got news she couldn’t believe. Not only did she have torn meniscus in her right knee, but the ACL in the knee was fully ruptured.
 
And just like that her entire senior season was seemingly over.
 
“I was heartbroken,” Good said. “Summer before going into my senior year and I was just ‘Oh my gosh’ when they told me my recovery window. They told me it could be anywhere from the beginning of March to August when I would be cleared. It was a whole year basically with no sports.”
 
Unable to finish her high school cheerleading career, Good held out hopes of possibly returning for her senior diving season. But even that seemed like a very remote possibility.
 
“I remember when I started physical therapy I asked, ‘Do you think I could be cleared by the beginning of March?’” she said. “They told me it was a hard no. I started negotiating for the beginning of May to be ready for City and League to give me enough time to qualify for state. They told me I’d really have to work hard, and that it was pushing the window. Nothing was guaranteed. 
 
“As I began to go through physical therapy and was looking at my numbers and how I was progressing, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was not going to dive at all this year.”
 
But she didn’t give up hope and as she began to progress during her physical therapy, Good was determined to make it happen.
 
“It would have sucked not to have dived this year,” she said. “I had made it to state three years so far and so for the one year to not make it be my senior year, it would have been devastating to me.
 
“It drove me so much. I was doing training at PT and they were like here’s some home stuff you can do if you want to increase your chances. I was doing everything I could outside of physical therapy. I was going to the gym, doing home workouts, everything.”
 
About midway through April, Good got the news she was driving toward. She was cleared to return limited diving, able to do simple entry dives such as inwards and back dives. Twists and anything involving pivots were a big no-no and Good must wear a bulky brace that she admits has taken some getting adjusted to.
 
But it hasn’t hindered her performances. After getting full clearance to perform all of her dives at the end of April, Good returned for the April 28 Topeka West Invitational where she turned in a six-dive score of 196.00. She improved to a 239.85 score at the Topeka City Championships, winning her first city title and qualifying for the state meet.
 
Good completed her first 11-dive meet at last week’s Centennial League meet, scoring 446.40 points – a total that currently ranks her No. 2 in Class 6A behind two-time defending state champion Irene Gettya of Olathe East, who is far and away the 6A leader at 533.90 points.
 
“From not even expecting to get to compete to qualifying for state, I did not expect this,” Good said.
 
The biggest challenge Good has faced in her comeback has been the mental rebound, trusting her knee on the board.
 
“It’s the mental aspect of it,” she said. “My approach is super wonky because I’m getting used to jumping on this leg again without worrying about getting hurt. I’m definitely getting better with it. In warm-ups, I balk a lot and it doesn’t feel right. But I just have to tell myself I haven’t done it in a year so it’s not going to feel normal.”
 
While her expectations for state remained tempered, Good has every opportunity to improve upon last year’s third-place finish. Her 446.40 total is nearly 33 points ahead of Olathe South’s Leighton Saunders’ best of 413.55 while last year’s state runner-up, Avery Metcalf of Olathe North, only has a best of 408.10 this spring.
 
Heading into state, in some regard, Good feels like she’s even better now than she was before. Even despite the limited season.
 
“The PT and all the strength training has made me stronger obviously,” she said. “I definitely feel like my easier dives, since that was all I could work on for a long period of time, are definitely more high quality than they’ve ever been and that’s helping my score. Then I’m scoring average on the harder ones and that balances out.
 
“I have a harder list than I competed with at state last year. I’m just grateful I’m able to do this at all. It’s just a big bonus.”


CLASS 5-1A

At Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center
 

CHASING HISTORY: LANSING EYES EVEN BIGGER FINISH AT STATE MEET

LANSING — For years, a state trophy felt more like a dream than a destination for Lansing girls swimming. Now, after climbing to heights the program had never reached before, the Lions head into this weekend’s Class 5-1A state meet chasing something even bigger — history.  

Lansing returns to the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center in Lenexa with momentum, experience and belief after earning a program-best third-place finish at state last season. But with much of that roster back and several swimmers positioned near the top of the leaderboard, the Lions believe this year’s finish could be even more memorable. 

“We had a really good season last year,” Lansing coach David Bresser said. “For the longest time here at Lansing, I never thought we would be able to get a trophy at state. It was an incredible experience. After what happened last year, we have hopes that we can do it again or better this year.”  

The Lions will again be in the mix for one of the top team trophies, but the challenge will be steep. Blue Valley Southwest enters as one of the favorites thanks to its depth and standout swimmer Willow Weninger, while defending state champion Andover also figures to contend. 

Still, Lansing has something it has never had before — legitimate opportunities to bring home the program’s first individual or relay state championship. 

The Lions head into the meet with the top qualifying times in both the 200-yard freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay, while also owning the second-fastest time in the 200 medley relay. It marks another opportunity for redemption after last season’s dramatic finish in the 200 free relay, where Lansing broke the state record only to see Blue Valley Southwest edge them for the title with a faster record-setting swim. 

“We are hoping for a big weekend at state,” Bresser said. “A lot of things have to go our way to be up there with a team like Blue Valley Southwest, but I am excited about what these girls can do.”  

Sophomore Piper Kobs has become one of the driving forces behind Lansing’s rise and enters state as one of the favorites for an individual title. 

Kobs owns the fastest qualifying times in both the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke. She is considered the favorite in the backstroke, but the 200 free could produce one of the weekend’s most intriguing races. 

Basehor-Linwood junior Jadyn Bruch sits right behind Kobs with a 1:55.29 compared to Kobs’ state-best 1:55.23. The rivalry adds another layer of intrigue because the two know each other better than most competitors. 

Since Basehor-Linwood does not have its own pool, the schools train together and Bresser even serves as the Bobcats’ assistant coach as the two schools are familiar with each other.  

“That 200 free will be an interesting race,” Bresser said. “We train with Basehor and Jadyn and Piper have shared a lane all season. They are friends and have spent time together outside of the pool. There is no animosity, but they push each other in a good way.”  

Bresser believes Kobs’ breakout freshman season prepared her for this moment. 

“Last year as a freshman, Piper was just gaining experience and I think that was very helpful,” Bresser said. “Her success last year gave her motivation and she really wants to contribute after success in relays and individually. I think she is excited and nervous at the same time.”  

Senior Makaila Hayes has also emerged as a major contender. Hayes enters with the second-fastest time in the 100 breaststroke and the fourth-best mark in the 100 butterfly. Last season she was the state runner-up in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 200 individual medley. 

Hayes has also bettered herself in other ways — in powerlifting — where she placed third at the Class 5A state meet. 

“Makaila has surprised herself with how well she has done,” Bresser said. “She is talented and a hard worker. She already had that base and is very good and strong, but now she is even stronger. I have worked with her since she was little and it has been amazing to watch her grow into the swimmer she has become. 

Hayes’ biggest challenge may come from Weninger, who unexpectedly entered the breaststroke after winning five individual state titles in the 200 and 500 freestyle throughout her career. 

“I know she is a little disappointed that she is going up against Willow there,” Bresser said. “Willow is an exceptional talent, but I am excited to see how Makaila does.”  

Lansing’s senior class has played a major role in building the program into a contender. 

Mary Archambault, despite battling a lingering shoulder injury, remains an important contributor and enters state with the seventh-fastest time in the 100 butterfly. Avila Verzola has thrived in sprint events and enters sixth in the 50 freestyle and eighth in the 100 free, while Kylee Walter provides valuable depth after climbing to 10th in the 100 freestyle and 13th in the 100 backstroke. 

“These seniors have meant a lot to me,” Bresser said. “I have trained some of them since they were fifth and sixth grade in our local summer league, and I really want this to be a memorable one for them.”  

And if the Lions are going to surpass last season’s historic finish, every decision could matter. 

Bresser admits he has spent sleepless nights weighing relay lineups, balancing individual opportunities with the team’s push for another trophy. 

“I wake up at 3 a.m. thinking about it,” Bresser said. “It is a nice problem to have.” 
 

HILLSBORO’S VOGT HAS ONE LAST NEED FOR SPEED IN 50 FREESTYLE 
 
Becoming the best at something sometimes requires being your own toughest critic.
 
Hillsboro’s Lauryn Vogt didn’t pull any punches about her senior season as she entered the final month of her high school career.
 
“To be honest, it hasn’t been as good as I thought,” Vogt said in early May after the Maize Invitational. “I had some sickness and trouble staying healthy. At the beginning of the season, that’s when I was hitting some of my season bests.”
 
But if there’s one meet where Vogt has consistently been at her best throughout her career, it’s the Class 5-1A state swimming and diving championships. Since her freshman year, Vogt has held the title of the state’s fastest swimmer as a three-time 5-1A champion in the 50-yard freestyle.
 
The goal this weekend at the Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center is fairly straightforward for Vogt, a University of Kansas signee.
 
“I definitely want to get that four-time champion title in the 50,” Vogt said.
 
Vogt had not settled on a second individual event choice for state after winning the 50 and 200 freestyles at the Maize meet. But after capping her double-gold performance at last year’s state meet with a victory in the 100 freestyle, Vogt will return to the 100 butterfly, which she won at state two years ago as a sophomore.
 
Vogt is a five-time individual state champion and 5-1A meet record holder in the 50 free. She won the event as a freshman with a time of 23.92, then repeated as a sophomore with a time of 23.77 that tied the mark set by Winfield’s Kathy Echiverri at the all-class state meet in 1998.
 
Vogt broke that deadlock and earned athlete of the meet honors at state last year after winning the 50 in 23.39 seconds and the 100 free in 50.28, topping former Wichita Trinity standout Aleca Howard in a featured showdown.
 
Ironically, Vogt, who has competed as part of a co-operative program with Marion in each of her four regular seasons, won’t be the top seed for the 50 free preliminaries on Friday. Her season-best time of 24.45 is second to Leavenworth senior Elisabeth Howell’s 24.42. Howell took fourth in 24.58 during Vogt’s state-meet, record-setting swim last year.
 
Vogt’s top time in the 50 this season came April 7 at the Shawnee Mission North Invitational.
 
“Not hitting that 23 this season is frustrating,” Vogt said after swimming 24.70 at Maize. “But I know that once I focus more on that, I’ll be able to pull that out.”
 
Vogt is the No. 1 seed in the 100 butterfly, posting a time of 57.60 that ranks .79 ahead of Kapaun Mt. Carmel. She finished third at state in that event as a freshman, then won it as a sophomore with a time of 56.02.
 
Bishop Miege’s Cailey Grunhard set the 5-1A meet record of 53.26 in the 100 fly in 2016.
 
“Heading toward state, I’m just trying to improve personally every time I swim,” Vogt said. “I’m really focusing on that.”