For The Tribune
Katie Turner placed second in the 50 free and 100 back, and swam on two Seymour relay teams that placed second to help the Owls finish third in the Hoosier Hills Conference meet Saturday at Seymour.
Floyd Central edged defending champion Jeffersonville for the title, 350-332. The Owls scored 215 and New Albany was fourth with 125.
Turner swam the 50 free in 25:75, she clocked a 1:02.20 in the 100 back, and she teamed up with Alexis Anders, Sarah Montgomery and Nastya Yakovlyeva to place second in the 200 medley relay in 1:55.64.
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Turner was joined by Montgomery, Yakovlyeva and Kenzie Persinger in the 400 free relay where they swam a 3:49.94 to also finish second.
Mary Kate Pritchett placed second in the 100 breast in 1:13.37, and Persinger was second in the 100 free in 56.67.
Owls coach Dave Boggs said he feels like his team is peaking at the right time.
“We were 19-for-24 season bests individually and all three relays were all season bests,” he said. We all swam great today. “The girls stepped it up a notch today, but yet they’re still swimming a little bit tired. That’s where we should be at this point of the season.
“I’m extremely pleased with everything today, and we had a great (standing-room only) crowd. It was the conference meet and that got everybody jacked up, too.”
Boggs said several of the girls improved on their seeds.
“We moved up on our seedings and we didn’t have one bad swim today,” he said. “We had great swims from start to finish.
“The relays were good. We changed one up (Friday), and they did well on that. We pretty much know our relays for sectional so that will give them time to get used to each-other on takeoffs and all that so I think we’ll be fine.”
Seymour had three girls place in the top six in the 100 back and 100 breast.
In the 100 backstroke, Montgomery placed third and Lou Anne Hoarau was sixth, and in the breaststroke, Persinger was fourth and Anders was sixth.
The 200 free relay team of Molly Hayes, Anders, Pritchett and Persinger placed fourth 1:49.19.
Yakovlyeva was seventh and Libby Rohr eighth in the 200 freestyle, Joey Cole was eighth in diving, and Pritchett was eighth in the 100 butterfly.
Boggs said he had some of the girls start their tapers this week. “We separated them this week, and they go separate ways on their taper. The boys and girls are different for various reasons.
“For the girls for the next three weeks it’s all about resting, fine tuning, polishing up,” he said. “Training is over with. Now it’s about resting and making sure their heads are screwed on right and pump them up a little bit. I’m very pleased where we are right now and very enthusiastic about what we’re going to do in the sectionals.”
The Seymour boys and girls will host Bedford North Lawrence on Tuesday for senior night.