Kansas high school girls swimming: 50 top Wichita-area swimmers for 2022 season
With the 2022 Kansas high school girls swimming season underway, here’s a look at 50 of the top swimmers from the Wichita area.
1. Zoe Winter, Bishop Carroll senior
The Missouri signee is a 3-time individual state champion with three more relay state titles to go to her collection. She swept her individual races at the state meet as a freshman, claiming the Class 5-1A titles in the butterfly and 200 IM, then added another butterfly title at last year’s state meet. She currently has the fastest butterfly time (59.40) in the state, the second-fastest 100 free time (54.61), sixth-fastest 200 free time (2:00.40) and sixth-fastest 200 IM time (2:13.97).
2. Ariana Dirkzwager, Wichita East senior
The Georgia Tech signee is a 2-time individual state champion and one of the best all-around swimmers in Kansas. After claiming the 50 free and 100 free titles in Class 6A last season, she currently has three of the state’s fastest times -- in the 50 free (25.14), 200 free (1:56.41) and 500 free (5:16.22) — and the fourth-fastest in the butterfly (1:02.08).
3. Natalie Neugent, Andover senior
Another 2-time individual state champion from last year’s state meet, Neugent left no doubt who the top sprinter is in Class 5-1A by claiming the 50 free and 100 free titles. She already has the fastest 50 free time (25.21) in 5-1A this season and ranks fourth-fastest in the 500 free (5:43.74) and sixth-fastest in the 100 free (56.30) and butterfly (1:03.95).
4. Karis Reynaga, Bishop Carroll junior
At her first state meet, Reynaga came away impressively with a second-place finish in the 200 free and bronze medal in the 100 free. Reynaga is already off to a strong start to this season with the fastest 100 free time (54.39) in Kansas and ranks on the leaderboard in the butterfly (1:02.19), 50 free (25.61) and 200 IM (2:21.34).
5. Danica Brunk, McPherson sophomore
It was an impressive start to a high school career for Brunk, who picked up a pair of individual silver medals in the 50 free and backstroke. It appears that the McPherson sophomore has shifted more towards the distance races in her follow-up season, as she currently has the fastest 500 free time (5:24.35) in Class 5-1A and ranks top-10 in the class in 200 free (2:02.02), 200 IM (2:22.83), butterfly (1:05.64) and backstroke (1:02.20).
6. Sayler Roberts, Campus junior
The rise to stardom continues in Haysville for Roberts after claiming a sixth-place medal in the 200 free last year at Class 6A state. She has already nearly matched her state time in the event (2:02.28) for the fourth-fastest mark in the 200 free in 6A this season, but her breakthrough has come in the backstroke, where she has 6A’s second-fastest time in 1:01.44.
7. Abby Jones, Wichita East sophomore
Another star swimmer for the city’s most prestigious program, Jones captured a Class 6A state gold medal on a relay last year and also finished fifth overall in the 200 free. Her versatility has been on full display in her sophomore season, as she ranks in the top-6 in 6A in the 200 free (2:04.49), 200 IM (2:19.84), butterfly (1:02.86) and 500 free (5:39.19).
8. Kate Kochenderfer, Kapaun Mt. Carmel freshman
It hasn’t taken long for the freshman to announce herself as one of the top swimmers in Class 5-1A. Kochenderfer already has the second-fastest 500 free time (5:32.45) in the class and the fourth-fastest 200 free time (2:00.69), as well as top-15 marks in the 200 IM (2:21.99) and the butterfly (1:06.11).
9. Mari Griffin, Andover freshman
Griffin is just one of a handful of highly-touted freshmen at Andover who figure to make the Trojans a serious player at the state meet. So far she already has the second-fastest time in 5-1A in the backstroke (1:01.46), the fourth-fastest in the 200 IM (2:17.90), the fifth-fastest in the breaststroke (1:13.21) and ninth-fastest in the 100 free (56.88).
10. Kiersten Elliot, Andover freshman
Another one of the dynamic freshmen at Andover, Elliot has made a huge impact for the team already. She has the third-fastest time in Class 5-1A in the breaststroke (1:11.37) and also has top-6 marks in the 200 IM (2:18.11) and 200 free (2:03.60).
40 other top Wichita-area swimmers
Note: The rest of the list is sorted alphabetically.
11. Makenzie Amphone, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
12. Lauren Anton, Newton senior
13. Alex Bailey, Bishop Carroll senior
14. Bryanna Bailey, Bishop Carroll sophomore
15. Shelby Beckmann, Northwest senior
16. Lilli Benavides, Winfield freshman
17. Isabelle Blasdel, Maize junior
18. Georgia Devine, Circle junior
19. Mia Dreiling, Derby junior
20. Katherine Grace, Collegiate junior
21. Carson Griffin, Derby freshman
22. Madison Horton, Newton junior
23. Reese Isom, Winfield sophomore
24. Lilly Krohlow, Hutchinson senior
25. Briley Larcom, El Dorado freshman
26. Sydney Le, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
27. Marie Loest, North sophomore
28. Jensen Lynnes, Wellington junior
29. Kallisti Mandanis, Andover sophomore
30. Sophia Mandanis, Andover freshman
31. Lily McClintock, Trinity Academy senior
32. Trinity McDowell, Northwest junior
33. Kayla Milligan, Valley Center sophomore
34. Emma Moore, Winfield sophomore
35. Andrea Nguyen, East senior
36. Olivia Orth, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
37. Teagen Patterson, Bishop Carroll sophomore
38. Marissa Pearcy, McPherson senior
39. Bree Pickerell, McPherson freshman
40. Sophia Randle, East senior
41. Marisa Scholl, Andover freshman
42. Ana Self, Derby sophomore
43. Emily Sprowls, Maize junior
44. Violet Strong, Maize South junior
45. Claire Sturm, Independent senior
46. Caroline Tipton, Valley Center senior
47. Kierstan Trost, McPherson senior
48. Sydney Turner, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
49. Sydney Vermeeren, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
50. Megan Walls, Trinity Academy senior
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