No Missy, no problem for the Regis Jesuit girls swim team.
The Raiders certainly missed Missy Franklin — their former star and mega-watt personality — in a lot of ways during the 2013-14 season, but in the end they continued the tradition of winning state championships Franklin helped get started.
Without a single senior in the water at the Class 5A girls state swim meet at Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center in February, Regis Jesuit went to the wire with Fairview, but clinched the program’s second straight 5A state title and third in the past five seasons by winning the meet-ending 400 yard freestyle relay. Nine members of coach Nick Frasersmith’s Raiders make up the bulk of the 2013-14 Aurora Sentinel All-City Girls Swim Team, which is based on state results.
A pair of Grandview swimmers take care of the distance freestyle spots on the All-City Team, as senior Madison Dirks and sophomore Mia Wood represent the Wolves.
Regis Jesuit came away with the four event championships in all, the lone individually coming from sophomore McKensi Austin, who became the first diver in program history to win a state title. Austin, who won the Coaches Invitational and the Continental “A” League crown as well, scored 494.50 points to finish with a comfortable 31.05-point victory.
While depth helped Regis Jesuit prevail, junior Taylor Wilson and sophomores Amy Lenderink and Lindsay Painton did a lot of heavy lifting. All three swimmers placed in a pair of individual events and contributed to two relay victories.
Wilson was in the water for the final leg of the clinching 400 freestyle relay, touching the wall 0.41 of a second in front of her Fairview counterpart to win in an Automatic All-American time of 3:28.21 for a team that included Painton, sophomore Emily Protz and freshman Samantha Smith. Wilson — who also anchored the 200 freestyle relay — was Aurora’s top sprint freestyler as well, as she tied for fourth in the 50 free.
Painton finished top six in both the 100 freestyle (3rd) and 100 backstroke (6th) and grabbed the All-City positions in both events for the second straight season. The younger sister of Regis Jesuit Boys Division 5A state golf champion Spencer Painton also swam on the 400 free relay team, as well as the 200 medley relay, which included Lenderink, junior Sydney Cutler and freshman Jennae Frederick.
Lenderink finished sixth in the 100 butterfly and swam the stroke on the 200 medley relay team, while she also contributed a leg to the 200 freestyle relay team with Wilson and freshmen Smith and Isabella Schultze.
Austin, Wilson, Lenderink and Painton appear on the All-City team for the second consecutive season.
Besides their relay contributions, Cutler and Frederick each finished as the top Aurora swimmer in an individual event as well. Frederick posted a 10th-place result in the 200 individual medley, while Cutler touched the wall 15th in the 100 breaststroke.
Grandview’s outstanding season didn’t show up quite as expected in terms of team standing at the 5A state meet, as coach Karen Ammon’s Wolves finished in a tie for 14th, but a senior-heavy core had an outstanding final season.
Leading the way was Pennsylvania-bound senior Madison Dirks, who placed twice individually, including a city-best 14th in the 200 freestyle, earning her second straight spot on the All-City team in the event. Dirks finished third in the 200 as a junior.
Due to injury, Wood didn’t even have the chance to swim at state a year ago — unlike her twin sister, April — but finished her sophomore season very strong. Wood won the Centennial “A” League championship in the 200 IM, then went on to be the lone city swimmer to qualify for the championship or consolation finals at state in the 500 freestyle. She finished 12th.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2013-14 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-CITY GIRLS SWIM TEAM
200 yard freestyle: Madison Dirks, sr., Grandview (14th in 5A); 200 yard individual medley: Jennae Frederick, fr., Regis Jesuit (10th in 5A); 50 yard freestyle: Taylor Wilson, jr., Regis Jesuit (T4th in 5A); 1-meter diving: McKensi Austin, soph., Regis Jesuit (5A state champion); 100 yard butterfly: Amy Lenderink, soph., Regis Jesuit (6th in 5A); 100 yard freestyle & 100 yard backstroke: Lindsay Painton, soph., Regis Jesuit (3rd in 5A) & (6th in 5A); 500 yard freestyle: Mia Wood, soph., Grandview (12th in 5A); 100 yard breaststroke: Sydney Cutler, jr., Regis Jesuit (15th in 5A); 200 yard medley relay: Regis Jesuit (Lindsay Painton, Sydney Cutler, Jennae Frederick, Amy Lenderink) (5A state champion); 200 yard freestyle relay: Regis Jesuit (Amy Lenderink, Isabella Schultze, Samantha Smith, Taylor Wilson) (5A state champion); 400 yard freestyle relay: Regis Jesuit (Samantha Smith, Emily Protz, Lindsay Painton, Taylor Wilson) (5A state champion)
Honorable mention: Individuals — Kaylie Breslin, soph. Regis Jesuit (100 butterfly); Madison Dirks, sr., Grandview (100 butterfly); Amy Lenderink, soph., Regis Jesuit (50 freestyle); Samantha Smith, fr., Regis Jesuit (100 & 200 freestyle); Julia Song, jr., Smoky Hill (50 freestyle); Kellyn Toole, jr., Regis Jesuit (diving); Indiya Williams, jr., Eaglecrest (diving); Taylor Wilson, jr., Regis Jesuit (100 freestyle); Relays — Grandview 200 medley (Taylor Dirks, Mattie Cassaday, Amanda Matheson, April Wood) and 200 freestyle (Amanda Matheson, April Wood, Morgan Ammon, Madison Dirks); Smoky Hill 200 freestyle (Kelsey Gaul, Gaby Antunez, Lizzie Wiley, Julia Song) and 400 freestyle (Julia Song, Gaby Antunez, Kelsey Gaul, Lizzie Wiley)
