The two 6-0 GNC swim teams hooked up on Thursday, and host Ladysmith/Flambeau/Bruce pulled out a 105-78 meet over Tomahawk.
“(L/F/B coach) Jerry Lusk did everything he could to win Thursday night,” THS coach Theresa L’Esperance. “He placed the top Tomahawk swim times all over the pool for his girls to observe. He worked all week setting up his team to compete against us, and I failed to deliver my girls to the win.
“Yes, my girls are swimming more yardage than his girls (morning and Saturday practices), but bottom line, he did a better job coaching than I did.
“Our A relays are dominated by freshman and sophomore swimmers; Ladysmith has state competitors. That alone was enough for Tomahawk to not be quite as competitive as we should have been. We only had 10 personal records, most at the JV level.
“Taylor Hansen had a great night setting two personal records. Maddy McPherson – who is nursing a shoulder injury – and Jackie Elliott set the only two other varsity personal swim records, in the backstroke. Many of the events were won by less than .5 seconds. Annaluz Fox did a great job diving (PR).
“Camyrn Swan and Natalie Olson both swam PR’s in the 100 free, then had to go back-to-back in the 200 free relay and backstroke to give time for the varsity swimmers to have a few minutes rest.”
The Hatchets went 1-2 in the 50 free with Lauren Hilt (:25.30) and Morgan Weber (:26.61) and Hilt also took the 100 free (:55.70). THS placed 1st and 3rd in the 200 free with Mikhayla Kleich (2:12.58) and Baylee Dallman (2:14.23). The 400 free team of Karli Cecil, Dallman, Kleich and Hilt took the 400 free in 4:00.13.
Tomahawk swam 2-3 in the 100 fly with Katherine Russell (1:08.22) and Cecil (1:09.16). Other runner-up finishes came from: Russell (200 IM, 2:32.68); Fox (diving, 266.15); Kleich (500 free, 5:55.39); Weber (100 back, 1:10.70); Michaela Galganski (100 brea, 1:21.01); the 200 medley (Hilt, Galganski, Cecil, Weber, 1:59.03); and the 200 free (Weber, Russell, Kleich, Galganski (1:51.04).
The conference champion will be determined by conference meet results only.