Emma Weber Snaps Zoe Bartel’s State Record, Cherry Creek Wins 27th CO 5A Title

COLORADO HS 5A GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 11, 2021
• Thornton, CO
• Short course yards (SCY)
• Results on MeetMobile

The Cherry Creek girls claimed their 27th Colorado 5A title, the team’s first since 2010, snapping a two-year streak held by Fairview.

TEAM SCORES

1. Cherry Creek – 430
2. Fairview – 392
3. Regis Jesuit – 298
4. Fossil Ridge – 292
5. Legacy – 253

Cherry Creek’s depth was unmatched, as they were able to finish top-four in all three relays and rely on several girls to rack up individual points. Junior and Harvard commit Elizabeth Brock and sophomore Lawson Ficken led the team with 41 and 40 points, respectively. Brock was runner-up in the 500 free (4:56.04) and third in the 200 free (1:50.77), while Ficken was runner-up in the 50 free (23.32) and fourth in the 100 free (51.29). Ficken went lifetime bests in both.

Regis junior and UVA commit Emma Weber became the first girl to break a minute in the 100 breast in Colorado high school history, going 59.93 to snap the 1:00.22 record held previously by Zoe Bartel. Weber won this event in 2019 as a freshman, but didn She came 1.9 off of her lifetime best. In the 200 IM, Weber posted a lifetime best 2:01.71 for the state crown.

Two other swimmers nabbed double wins, including Fossil Ridge’s Lucy Bell. The uncommitted junior pulled an uncommon double, first taking the 100 fly (52.50) and then turning around for the immediate next event and winning it; she was 50.23 to take the 100 free. In the 100 fly, Edith Simecek of Fairview went a lifetime best 53.87 for second. Simecek is a sophomore.

Bell led off Fossil Ridge’s winning 400 free relay in 49.48, while she was 22.49 anchoring their winning 200 medley relay (1:40.88). Fossil Ridge won both of those relays last year, while Bell won the 200 IM/100 free last year, so she swapped out the 200 IM for the 100 fly.

The other double winner yesterday was Chatfield’s Kate Shanley, a Michigan commit, who took the distance double. She was 1:48.65 in the 200 free and 4:51.18 in the 500, repeating as champion in both races.

Defending 50 free champion Anna Shaw didn’t race this year in 5A, as her team reclassified to 4A (racing today), and Arapahoe’s Lyndsey Wehr took advantage of a more open field, clocking a 23.22 to get the win. Wehr was runner-up last year, and the senior and Minnesota commit won her first state title with that swim. In the 100 free, Wehr dropped .01 to take second behind Bell in 51.03.

Mizzou commit and Legacy junior Sydney Bales was the other winner on the day, going 54.07 in the 100 back ahead of Fairview’s Jenna Reznicek (54.53), a Brown commit. Fairview took the 200 free relay, too, getting a 22.80 anchor from Morgan Lukinac.