Girls swimming preview: Trinity’s Taylor Kostboth looking for third straight 50 free title

Despite swimming with an injured knee, Trinity Academy senior Taylor Kostboth won her second consecutive title in the 50-yard freestyle at last year’s Class 5-1A meet.

Being .02 seconds from the state record, Kostboth this year will attempt to break Winfield’s Kathy Echiverri’s 19-year-old record in the event.

“That (record) is my main goal of the year,” Kostboth said. “Being (.02 seconds) off last year was like a crazy moment for me. I was just glad that I won, though, but this year it’s all about the record for sure.”

Along with the knee problem, Kostboth has a torn bulging disc in her back and is battling scoliosis, a condition where the spine has a sideways curve. Kostboth decided to quit competing for the Wichita Swim Club because of the injuries, but said she never wanted to leave her Trinity teammates.

Kostboth said she is in constant pain during practice because of the back injury.

“I don’t think the team necessarily realizes the pain that she’s in,” Trinity coach Carla Jones said. “They see her working hard despite some of that. They know she’s got injuries, but I don’t think they know to what extent that they are.”

Kostboth has received many offers to swim at the collegiate level, including Nebraska. The two-time state champion, however, decided not to swim in college, focusing on a nursing degree at Arizona State.

Other area swimmers to watch:

Katelyn Blattner, sr., Heights

Blattner is a five-time state champion, winning the Class 5-1A 200 freestyle in 1:51.49 for her third straight title in that event. The defending 500 free champion has qualified for state in four events in her previous three years.

Madison Allen, sr., East

Allen was second in the 50 free and had a fourth-place finish in the 100 free at the state meet. While helping East’s 200 medley relay and 400 relay teams to top-five finishes, East coach Joe Hutchinson said Allen’s focus is for a state championship in her final high school meet. She has signed to swim at Nova Southeastern (Fla.).

“There’s always that one little thing that could’ve been better (in the meets),” Hutchinson said. “She has done a tremendous job in working on her kicks, working on her starts. She’s done a great job of working to improve herself in the last year.”

Mia Gibson, sr., Maize South

Gibson finished third in the Class 5-1A 100 free and backstroke. Helping the Mavericks’ 200 medley relay team to a third-place finish, Maize South coach Molly Herd said that the Arkansas-Little Rock signee has the ability to push herself and her teammates, allowing for success at the state meets.

“She just has the mentality to be able to be leader and she knows how to push herself as well as her teammates to put them in the right direction,” Herd said. “She’s had that kind of mentality since I saw her from a freshman and she hasn’t changed. She’s actually only improved now that she’s a senior.”

Sydney Schmidt, so., Carroll

Schmidt had a solid debut season as a freshman, taking third in the Class 5-1A 100 butterfly with a time of 58.86 seconds. She was fourth in the 200 medley and contributed to Carroll’s 200 relay that took fifth and helped the 400 relay team finish fourth.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Girls swimming preview: Trinity’s Taylor Kostboth looking for third straight 50 free title."