Lady Panthers start season with a win over Kokomo, 124-56

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The Western girls’ swim team dove into the new season with authority on Nov. 18, logging a 124-56 victory over the Kokomo High School Lady Katfish.

The Lady Panthers were led by performances from Emily Scott and Alayna Huskey, quadruple winners in the pool. They were joined on the winners’ podium by Cami Maddox and Lucy Schave as part of a 200-meter medley relay. Abigale DeMarco also came up big for Western with three wins.

“I’m very pleased with how the team performed,” said Western Swim Coach Brad Bennett. “With this being the first meet of the season, I was eager to get the opportunity to see what we’re currently made of. The girls really came alive and met the challenge with confidence.

“We had a several close races. Our girls swam with a lot of heart and kept coming out on top. This was a great start to the season, but by no means are we satisfied. The team is taking what we learned (Nov. 18) and already using that to shape our training as we look ahead to our future opponents.”

Kokomo was by no means shut out from the top of the podium. The Katfish found victory in the 200-meter Freestyle Relay behind the performances of Maddie Armstrong, Morgan Rakestraw, Shanna Fowler, and Alyssa Frederick.

Kokomo also featured a triple winner with freshman Fowler. She made her varsity debut with wins in the 100 Freestyle and the 100 Breaststroke to go with the relay win.

“Despite the final score, our enthusiasm to compete, willingness to learn, and infectious team spirit made for a great first outing of the season,” said Kokomo coach Zach Whiteman. “We saw a ton of good things last night, both in the water and on the pool deck.

“Our team has jumped in size this season to 17 girls, only three of whom are returning swimmers for our varsity squad, so our primary goal going in was to simply experience our first swim meet. Overall, we did a great job. Everyone made it to their events, completed their events, showed excellent sportsmanship, and supported their teammates all the way through our post-meet cool down. There’s a ton of room to grow, but this team is eager to learn. I can’t wait to see what this season holds!”

Whiteman also cited performances from Emma Di Stefano in the 200 IM and 500 Freestyle, Clarissa Landrum in the Medley Relay, and Karla Giler and Gretchen Riggle in the 200 Freestyle.

Kokomo didn’t have to wait long to put a win on the board. They topped Manchester High School on Tue., Nov. 25, with an 86-52 win. The 200 Freestyle Relay team found success with the addition of Gretchen Riggle to the mix, as did the 200 Medley Relay team of Armstrong, Fowler, Rakestraw, and Landrum. The girls also took the 400 Freestyler Relay. Rakestraw and Fowler were quadruple winners, and Frederick was a triple winner.

Western followed their season-opening win with another victory in the pool at Oak Hill on Nov. 24 and a home win over Clinton Central. Now at 3-0, the Lady Panthers next swim at home against Harrison on Tue., Dec. 2.

See additional photos from this meet, featuring galleries for both teams, courtesy of Adam Hartsough,  on the Lantern’s Facebook page or group.