Lady Zizzer Swim wins OMC title!
Tue, 02/04/2025 - 3:18pm
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By:
Sue Fiorino, contributing writer
The Lady Zizzer swim team was able to hold off Carl Junction by a slim eight points to clinch the first-ever Ozark Mountain Conference Championship title for girls swimming last week in Springfield.
West Plains won four of the twelve events. Audrey Land placed first in diving with a new school record of 245.65 points on eleven dives. Evie Niesen placed first in the 500 freestyle. Roslyn Fiorino placed first in the 100 backstroke. Penelope Autry joined forces with Land, Niesen, and Fiorino to take first place in the 200 medley relay. These athletes were awarded First Team All-Conference honors for their first-place efforts.
The Lady Zizzers had four athletes place second and receive All-Conference Second Team honors. Emily Ritter took second in diving. Penelope Autry placed second in the 200 individual medley. Evie Niesen placed second in the 50 freestyle. Roslyn Fiorino placed second in the 100 freestyle.
All-Conference Honorable Mention honors went to Gwendolyn Fiorino for placing third in both the 100 and 200 freestyle events. Audrey Land placed third in the 100 butterfly. Brylee Barnes placed third in the 500 free. Penelope Autry placed third in the 100 breaststroke. The 200 free relay of Autry, Land, Ritter, and G. Fiorino placed third as did the combination of Niesen, Ritter and the Fiorino sisters in the 400 free relay.
Nearly every swimmer on the team contributed points to the team win. Brylee Barnes placed fifth in the 200 free. Hannah Call placed fifth in both the 500 free and the 100 back. Flora Darnell, a brand new swimmer, placed fourteenth in both the 50 free and the 100 breaststroke. Emily Ritter also had a fifth-place finish in the 100 butterfly. Natalie Walker placed eighth in the 200 IM and tenth in the 100 butterfly. Lily York placed eleventh in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 500 free.
“It took the entire team to win this one. This is the first year for our girls’ team to have divers and it really makes a difference. We only won by eight points and to have two divers scoring points is huge,” said Head Coach Ryan Smith. “I’m really proud of these girls. I can’t wait to see what they can do when they are rested and ready for SWMO.”
This is the third consecutive year for the Zizzer swim girls to win their conference meet.
The Lady Zizzers will compete again in the Southwest Missouri Championships (SWMO) on February 6-8, 2025.