With only six swimmers, The suprising Starr’s Mill Lady Panthers brought home the third place trophy from the AAAA state High School Swim Meet held Saturday at Westminster. This marks the highest finish in school history.

“The girls showed tremendous character and fortitude overcoming obstacles to preserve the third-place finish,” said first-year head coach Joyce Larson (three of the six have dealt with injuries this year). “The amount of team spirit and dedication really showed as they were willing to swim whatever events were needed to score maximum points for the team.”

The 200 medley relay team of senior Sarah Larson, sophomore Kristen Bates and juniors Lauren Scott and Katie Haycraft successfully defended the school’s title (from 2007) in that relay with an Automatic All-American time of 1:49.22. The same relay team also finished second in the 200 freestyle relay with an All-American consideration time of 1:39.30 and capped off the relay events by placing third in the 400 free relay. Members of that team were Larson, Scott, Haycraft and junior classmate Lauren Beatty.

Individually, Lauren Scott placed second in the 100 butterfly with an Automatic All-American time of 56.57, while Kristen Bates placed second in the 100 breastroke with another Automatic All-American time of 1:04.60.

On the men’s side, sophomore David Wright finished fourth in the 50 free with the time of 21.96 and was a member of two relays finishing in the top 15. The 200 free relay of Wright, junior classmates Eric Presley, Brett Matthews and senior Scott Houghtaling finished 12th while the 200 medley relay of Matthews, senior Matt Boyle, Presley and Wright placed 15th.

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