Wyoming 4A Girls’ High School State Championship
- 25 yards
- Class 4A (big schools)
- Full results
The Campbell County (Gillette) Camels entered the 2016 Wyoming high school girls’ swimming season with a new head coach, but they ended it with the same result. On Friday evening, the team swam away to its 4th-straight Class 4A (big school) state championship and 11th in 12 seasons.
They came away with not only the state title, they swept the individual awards as well. First year head coach Josh Bott, who took over after two years as an assistant with the Gillette boys’ team and one year as the girls’ assistant, was named the state’s coach of the year; and junior Sani Carsrud nabbed Athlete of the Year honors.
Carsrud’s recognition came after winning two individual events and leading off Campbell County’s two winning free relays.
Her first swim was in the 200 free, where she swam away with the title in 1:52.76 – exactly 5-seconds faster than Laramie’s Maggie Clerkin, the runner-up. All 6 A-finalists in the race were underclassmen.
Carsrud later won the 100 free, though this time she got a much bigger push from fellow junior Sammy Geyer. The final time saw Carsrud win in 50.62 and Geyer take 2nd in 50.84.
In the 200 free relay final, Carsrud, Jenny Howell, Shaylee Ochsner, and Rylie Pilon set a new state record in 1:36.81 – with only one of the group, the anchor, set to graduate.
Again with Carsrud and Pilon as the bookends, and Alaysa Porter and Taylor Baldacci in-between, the Camels set a 2nd State Record of the evening. The group combined for a 3:33.65 – and another 5 second margin of victory.
Campbell County didn’t sweep the relay titles. In the meet-opining 200 medley, the most exciting race of the day, the Sheridan group of Molly Green, Zoe Robison, Pippin Robison, and Piper Carroll (4 underclassmen) just pipped Campbell County’s relay by .03 seconds.
Other event winners for the state champions included Pilon individually in the 200 IM (2:08.89) as part of a 1-2-3 Camels finish. Sophomore Jenny Holwell won the girls’ 100 breaststroke in 1:03.90 – another 1-2-3 finish.
Rock Springs junior Rebecka Anderson picked up an unusual double to join Carsrud as double-champions. First, she won the 500 free in 5:14.64, and she came back two events later (sitting out the 200 free relay) to win the 100 back in 59.47 – the only swimmer to break 1 minute.
The 3A (small schools) state championship meet will be held on Saturday.
Other 4A Event Champions
- Laramie freshman Olivia McPherson won the 50 free in 23.53, just head of Central’s Geyer (23.64).
- Rock Springs’ Ali Lange won the 1-meter diving event with a score of 405.05.
- Avery Otto from Green River won the 100 fly by a full second in 58.13.
Final Team Standings
- Campbell County (Gillette) – 314
- Laramie – 230
- Sheridan – 203
- Cheyenne Central – 161
- Green River – 127
- Jackson Hole – 89
- Rock Springs – 79
- Kelly Wlash – 74
- Cheyenne East – 52
- Cheyenne South – 40
- Evanston – 20
- Natrona County – 6
AB
