By Susan Gray Gose
The Lander Valley High School swimming and diving team regrouped after a tough loss last week to triumph in the pool at a home meet on Friday against Worland and at the Pinedale Invitational on Saturday against some top 3A-rivals.
On Friday, the Tigers swam away with the meet, placing first in every relay and taking first or second in every event, including diving. On Saturday, L.V.H.S. topped the podium among seven teams, outracing Powell who had defeated Lander last week. In Pinedale, the Tigers also won every relay event and placed a swimmer first or second in all but one race.
The highlight of the Pinedale meet was senior Anastasia Cornale’s win in the 100-yard butterfly in not only a meet record time of 1:01.61 but a new L.V.H.S. record. Cornale broke the school record held for over 10 years by Tiger legend Mei Ratz.
Head Coach Shawna Morgan praised her team’s improved mindset and team spirit.
“What I liked more then anything this week was the feel of the team chemistry,” she said. “We were a family again and having fun together. The more fun we have with each other the better we perform.”
Morgan also was pleased Lander competed against top-rivals Powell and Lyman, though they were missing some of their top athletes.
“I was excited to see Lyman, since it’s been a month since the last time we saw them, but some of them were gone due to illness, and Powell was missing three of their big hitters as well for their homecoming week,” she said. “This meet was our conference rivalry, so it would have been nice to have those kids there to see how things would have gone.”
Lander won the meet with 326 points to Powell’s second place 247, Sublette’s third 226, Lyman’s distant fourth 155, 4A-Evanston’s fifth place 143, sixth place Kemmerer’s 110, and seventh place Riverton’s 83.
“I’m hoping the girls continue to have fun and create memories they can look back on for the rest of their lives,” said Coach Morgan.
Two Tigers added new state Q times over the weekend to their roster: Lily Gose in the 100-yard freestyle and Noelle Harris in the 500-yard freestyle. In all, the team has 13 swimmers qualified for state.
RESULTS: Dual Meet v. Worland at Lander, Sept. 28, 2018
Team Scores: 1. Lander, 2. Worland
200 Yard Medley Relay: 1. Lander ‘A’ (K. McPherson, Lilygren, Cornale, Fehringer) 2:02.32
200 Yard Freestyle: 1. Juli Warren WOR 2:02.91, 2. Anastasia Cornale LAN 2:11.78, 3. Noelle Harris LAN 2:24.88, 4. Molly Fehringer LAN 2:25.60, 6. Kristen McPherson LAN 2:37.22, 7. Shaylissa Bald Eagle LAN 2:43.80
200 Yard IM: 1. Ashlon Koch LAN 2:23.71, 2. Olivia Fowler LAN 2:28.92, 3. Makayla McPherson LAN 2:39.40, 5. Anja Harms LAN 2:45.22, 6. Sierra Firth LAN 2:55.00, 7. McKella Stigers LAN 2:59.71, 8. Anne Baron LAN 3:04.66, 10. Madeline Logan LAN 3:20.08
50 Yard Freestyle: 1. Kaci Bentley WOR 28.38, 2. Lily Gose LAN 28.60, 4. Jenny Bautz LAN 31.61, 5. Jessica Baron LAN 34.98,
1 mtr Diving: 1. Kyra Klinghagen WOR 181.10, 2. Lillian Chandler LAN 134.00
100 Yard Butterfly: 1. McKenzie Lilygren LAN 1:10.10, 5. Shaylissa Bald Eagle LAN 1:33.42,
100 Yard Freestyle: 1. Anastasia Cornale LAN 56.33, 2. Juli Warren WOR 57.16, 3. Lily Gose LAN 1:02.46, 5. Leah Brown LAN 1:03.89, 6. Makayla McPherson LAN 1:04.59, 7. Li Platz LAN 1:06.74, 9. Kristen McPherson LAN 1:09.88
500 Yard Freestyle: 1. Ashlon Koch LAN 5:52.71, 2. Noelle Harris LAN 6:37.43, 4. Sierra Firth LAN 6:55.15, 5. McKella Stigers LAN 7:18.95
200 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Lander (Fehringer, Gose, Koch, Fowler) 1:50.27
100 Yard Backstroke: 1. Olivia Fowler LAN 1:04.47, 2. McKenzie Lilygren LAN 1:07.24, 4. Leah Brown LAN 1:11.90, 5. Anja Harms LAN 1:17.20. 6. Li Platz LAN 1:22.71, 7. Lillian Chandler LAN 1:24.81, 9. Anne Baron LAN 1:26.49, 11. Madeline Logan LAN 1:32.0
100 Yard Breaststroke: 1. Anastasia Cornale LAN 1:16.16, 3. Jenny Bautz LAN 1:27.63, 5. Jessica Baron LAN 1:38.49
400 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Lander (Koch, Fowler, Lilygren, Cornale) 4:02.75
RESULTS: Pinedale Invitational, Sept. 29, 2018
Team Scores: 1. Lander 326, 2. Powell 247, 3. Sublette 226, 4. Lyman 155, 5. Evanston 143, 6. Kemmerer 110, 7. Riverton 83
200 Yard Medley Relay: 1. Lander (Koch, Lilygren, Cornale, Fehringer) 2:01.35
200 Yard Freestyle: 1. Josie Dike 2:09.96, 2. Ashlon Koch LAN 2:10.22, 16. Sierra Firth LAN 2:34.41, 19. Li Platz LAN 2:40.11, 21. Anne Baron LAN 2:47.74
200 Yard IM: 1. McKenzie Lilygren LAN 2:28.71, 3. Olivia Fowler LAN 2:29.62, 7. Lily Gose LAN 2:39.57, 10. Noelle Harris LAN 2:45.37, 16. Jenny Bautz LAN 3:05.12, 19. Madeline Logan LAN 3:11.60
50 Yard Freestyle: 1. Emma Rogers POW 26.54, 2. Anja Harms LAN 27.78, 9. Molly Fehringer LAN 28.51, 14. Leah Brown LAN 28.94, 32. Jessica Baron LAN 36.07, 25. Jenny Bautz LAN 32.07, 32. Shaylissa Bald Eagle LAN 34.16
1 mtr Diving: 1. Emma Karhu POW 295.50
100 Yard Butterfly: 1. Anastasia Cornale 1:01.61 (*New school & meet record), 4. Makayla McPherson 1:13.61, 6. Li Platz LAN 1:14.92, 7. Noelle Harris LAN 1:15.59, 12. Shaylissa Bald Eagle LAN 1:34.85, 15. Madeline Logan LAN 1:39.49
100 Yard Freestyle: 1. Madison Lowery POW 1:02.52, 2. Anja Harms LAN 1:02.55, 6. Molly Fehringer LAN 1:03.70, 14. McKella Stigers LAN 1:09.49, 16. Kristen McPherson LAN 1:10.43
500 Yard Freestyle: 1. Rachel Buzarde 5:51.79, 3. Olivia Fowler LAN 6:03.38, 4. Lily Gose LAN 6:18.05, 12. Makayla McPherson LAN 6:39.89, 15. Sierra Firth LAN 6:58.77, 19. Anne Baron LAN 7:32.02
200 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Lander (Fehringer, Brown, Gose, Fowler) 1:52.44
100 Yard Backstroke: 1. Ashlon Koch LAN 1:06.63, 4. Kristen McPherson LAN 1:11.77, 5. Leah Brown LAN 1:13.33, 20. Lillian Chandler LAN 1:24.37, 27. Shaylissa Bald Eagle LAN 1:33.57
100 Yard Breaststroke: 1. McKenzie Lilygren LAN 1:15.13, 3. Anastasia Cornale LAN 1:16.80, 6. McKella Stigers LAN 1:21.86, 13. Jenny Bautz LAN 1:28.43, 22. Jessica Baron LAN 1:40.89
400 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Lander (Koch, Fowler, Lilygren, Cornale) 4:03.63