A new wave of elite girls swimmers arrived in Aurora as a veteran group touched the wall for the last time as preps.
The 2012-13 Aurora Sentinel All-City Girls Swim Team, as determined by performance at the Class 5A state swim meet, includes 10 members of Regis Jesuit’s state championship winning team — including three freshmen and a sophomore — plus Grandview junior standout Madison Dirks.
The benchmark of Aurora, Colorado and world swimming is Missy Franklin, who couldn’t pass up swimming with Regis Jesuit as a senior, just months after winning five medals — including four golds — at the Olympics in London.
The University of California-Berkeley signee went out with a bang. Franklin won championships in all four of her events at the state meet — the 200 yard individual medley and 500 yard freestyle, plus the 200 and 400 freestyle relays — and helped Regis Jesuit claim the ultimate prize, the 5A state title.
Franklin’s illustrious prep career concluded with two team state championships (2009-10, 2012-13), plus eight individual state titles and four relay crowns. She graduates with six individual Colorado state records and also set the national high school independent record in the 200 IM this season with a time of 1 minute, 56.86 seconds.
Marielle Renehan (5th in 100 breaststroke, 200 medley relay), Lindsay Kriz (state championship 400 freestyle relay) and Delaney Lanker (200 medley relay) also represented a strong senior class that was part of four top-3 team finishes at the 5A state meet.
Junior Meggie Chase was a valuable relay swimmer again for Regis Jesuit, which was bolstered by a lot of youth this season.
Sophomore Taylor Wilson had a breakout season in the sprint freestyle events and swam on both championship-winning relays, while three freshmen — Lindsay Painton, McKensi Austin and Amy Lenderink — were key scorers.
Franklin didn’t swim the backstroke at state for the first time, but Painton picked up the slack with a third-place showing. She also had Aurora’s best finish in the 100 freestyle (5th) and swam on the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
Austin took 4th in the diving competition — the highest ever state place for a Regis Jesuit girls diver — and Lenderink placed top 16 in two events and swam on the state championship-winning 200 freestyle relay.
Grandview had another outstanding season and finished 9th in a loaded state field.
The Wolves scored in all three relays at state and placed in the top seven in both freestyle relays, both of which included Dirks.
Dirks placed third in both the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly, recording All-American Consideration times in both events.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2012-13 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-CITY GIRLS SWIM TEAM
200 yard individual medley, 500 yard freestyle: Missy Franklin, Regis Jesuit, sr.**; 100 yard backstroke, 100 yard freestyle: Lindsay Painton, Regis Jesuit, fr.; 50 yard freestyle: Taylor Wilson, Regis Jesuit, soph.; Diving: McKensi Austin, Regis Jesuit, fr.; 200 yard freestyle, 100 yard butterfly: Madison Dirks, Grandview, jr.; 100 yard breaststroke: Marielle Renehan, Regis Jesuit, sr.; RELAYS: 200 yard medley relay: Regis Jesuit (Lindsay Painton, Marielle Renahan, Delaney Lanker, Amy Lenderink); 200 yard freestyle relay: Regis Jesuit (Taylor Wilson, Meggie Chase, Amy Lenderink, Missy Franklin)*; 400 yard freestyle relay: Regis Jesuit (Taylor Wilson, Lindsay Kriz, Lindsay Painton, Missy Franklin)*
* — State champion
Honorable mention: Individuals — Kaylie Breslin, fr., Regis Jesuit (100 butterfly); Lindsay Kriz, sr., Regis Jesuit (200 freestyle/500 freestyle); Delaney Lanker, sr., Regis Jesuit (100 butterfly/100 backstroke); Kianna Lee, sr., Grandview (50 freestyle); Amy Lenderink, fr., Regis Jesuit (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly); Kellyn Toole, soph., Regis Jesuit (diving); Taylor Wilson, soph., Regis Jesuit (100 freestyle); Relays — Grandview 200 medley (Hannah Meehan, Mattie Cassaday, Amanda Matheson, Morgan Ammon); Grandview 200 freestyle (Amanda Matheson, Morgan Ammon, Kianna Lee, Madison Dirks) (tied for 3rd); Grandview 400 freestyle (Mackenzie Ammon, Morgan Ammon, Kianna Lee, Madison Dirks) (7th)