KSHSAA Girls 6A State Championships
- May 16-18, 2024
- Shawnee Mission School District Aquatic Center
- Lenexa, KS
- Short Course Yards (25 yards) format
- Meet Central
- Full Schedule
- 6A Full Results
For the first time in 18 years, the girls from Overland Park-Blue Valley North claimed the Kansas 6A swimming and diving state title. In 2006, the girls from Overland Park-Blue Valley North were the defending champions, having also won the state title 2005. In each instance, 2005 and 2006, respectively, the meet was held in the all-classes format, meaning all high schools 1A through 6A competed against one another. Starting in 2010, 6A schools and their smaller counterparts 1A through 5A schools were separated into two meets.
Overland Park-Blue Valley North started off the meet strong with a new 6A State Record in the 200 medley relay, posting a 1:45.28, shaving 0.01 from the 2022 mark set by Lawrence Free State High School. The team of Maddy Timson (27.57), Margo Hauser (28.94), Sarah Blake (25.32), and Siena Masiliones (23.45) were only 0.04 off the State Recored in the prelims; their result in the finals saw them take the gold by over two seconds over runners-up Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest (1:47.55).
Overland Park-Blue Valley North would dominate all three relays, demolishing the 6A State Record in the 200 freestyle relay, formerly held by Wichita East high school, set in 2018. The team of Blake (23.94), Masiliones (23.81), Charlotte Barton (24.45), and Lillie Mock (24.12) blasted a 1:36.32, shaving a whopping 0.45 seconds from the mark set in 2018.
Barton (54.07), Mock (53.20), Timson (54.10), and Hauser (54.19) would go on to win the 400 freestyle relay, posting a 3:35.56, more than three seconds ahead of the runners-up from Lawrence Free State (3:38.72).
Sarah Blake and Margo Hauser were the highest individual scorers for Overland Park-Blue Valley North. Blake captured gold in the 50 freestyle in 23.85, improving her prelims time by 0.01 which was itself a new lifetime best by 0.39 as well as a Futures cut. Blake also placed third in the 100 freestyle in 52.76, falling short of her best time of 52.01 from her LSC Championships in February. Hauser, meanwhile, won the 500 freestyle in 5:03.41, though she posted a 5:02.22 in prelims, a best time by nearly four seconds and a Futures cut. Hauser also placed second in the 100 breaststroke in a 1:04.86, slightly off her prelims time of 1:04.25, which shaved 0.21 from her previous lifetime best.
Overland Park-Blue Valley Northwest’s Sophia Paduano, who is committed to swim at the University of Illinois starting fall of 2024, defended her 2023 title in the 100 backstroke with a 54.97, a Winter Juniors qualifying time and fully 0.53 seconds faster than her winning time in 2023. Paduano also won the 100 freestyle in a 51.09, though she posted a 51.04 in prelims, a best time by 0.58; in 2023, Paduano touched the wall first in the 100 freestyle (51.89) but was disqualified for a false start.
Shawnee-Mill Valley’s Ella Hansen, who will swim at the University of Missouri in the fall, won both the 200 freestyle in 1:53.94 and the 100 butterfly in 55.15, falling just short of her co-6A State Record in the latter which she set in 2023 in 54.36, tying the 2022 mark set by Overland Park-Blue Valley West’s Annika Finzen, an Auburn commit.
Finzen claimed the 6A state titles in both the 200 IM (2:02.40) and 100 breaststroke (1:02.12). While Finzen was dominant in each race, she fell short of her own 6A State Records in both races, 2:00.93 and 1:01.37, respectively, each of which she set in 2023.
Freshman Irene Gettya represented Olathe East won the diving with 494.15 points.
Top-10 Team Finishers
- OP Blue Valley North – 365
- OP Blue Valley Northwest – 233
- Shawnee Mission East / Lawrence-Free State – 209
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- Shawnee Mission Northwest – 164
- Wichita-East – 148
- Shawnee-Mill Valley – 139
- Olathe East – 128
- Olathe South – 122
- Olathe West – 115
