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Panthers second in Small School State

http://www.plymouth-review.com/sites/www.plymouth-review.com/files/images/2011-10-20/67p1.preview.jpgSHOREWOOD – The Plymouth Panthers posted several season-best and personal-record times to key a
runner-up finish in Saturday's Small School State Invitational girls swimming and diving meet.
Leading the way for the Panthers were senior Kate Criter who won the 100-yard breaststroke with a meetrecord 1 minute, 5.33 seconds and the 200-yard freestyle that took first in 1:41.94. The relay team included
senior Lauren Halle, junior Becca Ebbott, seniors Sarah Coley and Criter.
Shorewood won the 17-team meet with 294 points, followed by PHS at 278. Shorewood and Plymouth are
ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the latest Wisconsin Interscholastic Swimming Coaches
Association Division 2 poll.
“We held our own. There was great competition with a good number of our sectional teams there. We had a
good outing,” said Panther head coach Mike Slagle.
The girls swam great. Shorewood was tough with a number of new swimmers. They made a big difference. I
think we had all but two of our swims who scored points. That really helped, considering the tough
competition.
“[The meet] gave us again much needed competition going into conference, sectional and state,” Slagle
said.
The Panthers' top finisher in diving was sophomore Taylor Knuth who took seventh with a score of 314.45
points for 11 dives.
“We competed against nine of the 16 [D-2] state divers from last year at the Small School meet. Taylor
finished seventh, Emily [Vorpagel] placed 13th,” said PHS diving coach Greg Heberlein.
“Less than 10 points separated the fourth and seventh place.
“This was Emily's first competition at this level, and she did well. She has already started to change her dive
list to be at the same level as the top 10 – an inward 1. somersault, a back 1. somersault and a forward
two somersault,” Heberlein said.
“We have until Nov. 4 to get these dives down so she can compete them at sectionals and try to qualify for
state.
“Taylor needed to get two points on her score to finish in the top six and three points to finish fifth. She
knows what she needs to work on to be in the top three, and is working hard toward that end.
“Her best dives are the twist dives which she enjoys doing,” Heberlein noted.
Knuth was the only freshman to compete in state diving last season and is eyeing a return trip.

http://www.plymouth-review.com/sites/www.plymouth-review.com/files/images/2011-10-20/67p2.preview.jpgPLYMOUTH PLACE-WINNERS
Diving – 7.
Taylor Knuth, 314.45; 13. Emily Vorpagel, 242.15.
200 medley relay – 2. Steph Hunter, Kate Criter, Becca Ebbott, Lauren Halle, 1:51.56.
200 freestyle – 2. Sarah Coley, 159.90; 13. Lucienne Van de Pas, 2:07.57.
200 individual medley – 9. Hunter, 2:22.23.
50 freestyle – 7. Halle, 25.37; 13. Ebbott, 26.70.
100 butterfly – 3. Criter, 1:00.08; 4. Ebbott, 1:01.76.
100 freestyle – 5. Coley, 55.97; 9. Halle, 57.64.
200 freestyle relay – 1. Halle, Ebbott, Coley, Criter, 1:41.94.
100 backstroke – 5. Hunter, 1:03.63; 9. Megan Holec, 1:06.56.
100 breaststroke – 1. Criter, 1:05.33; 6. Lucienne Van de Pas, 1:12.26; 13. Kaitlyn Krzyzaniak, 1:16.63.
400 freestyle relay – 5. Hunter, Maddie Strutz, Coley, Van de Pas, 3:54.45.