GREAT BEND, KS – In their second competition of the season, the Great Bend High School girls’ swim team relied on a tight-knit roster and efficient performances to compete at their home invite on Tuesday. While the Panthers were outnumbered by several opposing programs—fielding only eight athletes compared to squads of 18 or more—the team secured a third-place overall finish with 286 points. "With just eight girls in the water tonight against much larger teams, our focus was on being as efficient as possible with our entries," said Head Coach Lauren Jordan. "It required everyone to step up, often in back-to-back events, and I was pleased with how they managed their energy and stayed competitive. Moving forward, we'll continue to work on sharpening our performances as we get further into the heart of our schedule." The Panthers faced a competitive field including Buhler, Hutchinson, Dodge City, Liberal, and Holcomb. Despite the discrepancy in roster depth, Great Bend focused on high-placing finishes in individual events and maximizing their relay potential to keep pace with the larger visiting programs. Relay Highlights The Panthers' conditioning was on display as their core group of swimmers handled a heavy event load. The relay teams provided some of the most consistent scoring of the night: 200 Yard Freestyle Relay: The 'A' team of Sydney Piland, Emma Beahm, Emma Snapp, and Meredith Mazouch took first place with a time of 2:00.32. 400 Yard Freestyle Relay: The quartet of Piland, Braylee Carper, Hadley Gregg, and Beahm secured second place, finishing in 4:53.84. 200 Yard Medley Relay: Piland, Beahm, Snapp, and Meredith Mazouch opened the meet with a second-place finish, clocking in at 2:18.26. 'B' Team Contribution: Demonstrating team-wide effort, the 'B' relay team of Hadley Gregg, Phoebe Sperlein, Gracie Hoff, and Braylee Carper earned a sixth-place finish in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay. Individual Results The Panthers saw several top finishes across a variety of disciplines: Meredith Mazouch earned a state consideration time in the 50 Yard Freestyle, placing second with a time of 27.86. She also placed third in the 100 Yard Backstroke. Hadley Gregg secured second place in the 100 Yard Breaststroke (1:24.77) and fifth place in the 50 Yard Freestyle. Emma Snapp finished fourth in the 100 Yard Butterfly and ninth in the 100 Yard Breaststroke. Sydney Piland took fifth place in the 200 Yard Individual Medley. Braylee Carper contributed points with a sixth-place finish in the 100 Yard Freestyle and a seventh-place finish in the 200 Yard Freestyle. Phoebe Sperlein (6th, 500 Yard Freestyle) and Gracie Hoff (9th, 100 Yard Backstroke) rounded out the team's individual scoring.