Laramie Returns to the Top of the 4A Girls Swim Podium

Laramie won the 4A girls’ swimming and diving state championship for the seventh time in the last eight seasons on Saturday in Cheyenne. They won only two of the 12 events but used their depth to prevail with 231 team points. That was 23.5 points ahead of Green River in the team standings. Their state champions were Maggie Turpin in diving and the 400-freestyle relay. It was also the 19th title in school history, which tied Laramie with Campbell County for the most in state history.

LARAMIE PLAINSMEN WIN 4A GIRLS SWIMMING AND DIVING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Turpin won her second consecutive 4A state championship on the diving board. She set a new state record with a total score of 478.60 points. That total broke the previous mark of former Laramie diver Mallorie Hamel at 464.25 set in 2021. The diving event was a strength for the Plainsmen. They placed four divers in the top seven. Rowyn Birdsley took second with a score of 443.85, and Brynlee Enevoldsen and Addison Fowler took sixth and seventh, respectively.

Laramie edged out Green River in the 400-free relay at 3:44.30. That was 1.14 seconds ahead of the Wolves. Sophomore Addi Graves added a runner-up finish in the 200-freestyle race and a third place in the 100-backstroke race. Junior Libbie Roesler took second in the 100-breaststroke race at 1:07.75, or only 0.29 seconds behind the winner. She added a third-place finish in the 100-freestyle race. LHS added seven more top-six placings in the swim meet.

Green River and Jackson combined to win nine events

Green River finished second with 208 team points. The Wolves won five events, which included a pair by junior Tavia Arnell. She touched the wall first in the 200 IM at 2:05.46, which set a new 4A state record. That broke a mark set in 2009 (Shaya Schadler, Campbell County, 2:07.25). Arnell also won the 100-butterfly at 56.41 seconds and a margin of victory of 5.23 seconds. For her efforts, Tavia was selected as the 4A Athlete of the Meet and 4A Athlete of the Year.

Teammate Tanith Smith captured the 50-freestyle race at 24.23 seconds. Green River won the other two relays, the 200-medley (1:50.42) and 200-freestyle (1:39.20).

Jackson’s Amaya Olivieri and Maren Tattersall won two events each. Olivieri took first in the 100 freestyle at 52.01 seconds and in the 100 backstroke at 57.72 seconds. The backstroke title was her third in a row. Tattersall won both distance freestyle races. She touched the wall first in the 200-free at 1:55.38 for her second consecutive title in this event. Tattersall also finished first in the 500-free at 5:14.04.

The only other event winner was Brooke Noble of Campbell County, who won the 100-breaststroke at 1:07.46.

Cheyenne Central placed third in the team race with 158 points.

Other special awards went to Green River head coach Colleen Seiloff, who was named the Coach of the Year. The Assistant Coach of the Year was Ben Herdt, the Laramie Diving Coach.