The Kemmerer Lady Ranger swim team traveled to Lyman on Thursday, Oct. 25, to compete in the Last Chance meet against Lyman and Sublette County. This meet offered swimmers the final opportunity to qualify for events at this year’s state meet. 

"When dealing with state, we look at it as our most important goal," said swim coach Amanda Aimone. "We have worked for this meet and are physically prepared for it. We just need to get our heads in the right mindset. We talk about how size does not matter; it's going to really depend on their attitude and the effort that they need to give. Those are the only two things that we can control." 

In Lyman, the Kemmerer 200-yard medley relay team earned first place. The team of freshman Laurel Clarke, junior Teryn Thatcher, senior Brooklynn Hagler and senior Alexis Krall swam to a first-place finish with a time of 2:07.59, a full 15 seconds ahead of the Lyman second-place team.

Kemmerer continued a winning performance with Hagler’s first-place finish in the 200-yard IM, with a time of 2:37.56.

In the 50-yard freestyle, Krall earned 6th place with a time of 28.20. Sydnie Julander, Cheyann Roose and Shelby Swann also competed in the 50-yard freestyle.

In the diving event, Clarke earned 2nd place and Julander finished 3rd.

Sophie Failoni and Shelby Swann competed in the 100-yard freestyle.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Hagler, Krall, Thatcher and Clarke earned 2nd place with a time of 1:56.96, just two seconds behind Lyman’s first-place team.

Hagler swam to fifth place in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:16.88. Clarke, Failoni and Roose also competed in the 100-yard backstroke.

Thatcher won the 100-yard breaststroke in Lyman with a time of 1:17.84. Krall finished 6th in 1:30.75. 

In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the Kemmerer team of Julander, Roose, Failoni and Swann earned 4th place.

The Lady Rangers compete at the 3A state meet from Thursday, Nov. 1, to Saturday, Nov. 3, in Laramie.

Last season the Lady Rangers finished in 10th place at state.  In order to earn All-State recognition, a swimmer must either finish in the top two of an individual event or be part of a first-place relay team.

"We also talk about how these ladies are just as good as the other schools that are possibly three times our size," Aimone said. "They are swimming in the same pool, diving off the same board, turning off the same walls; we have has much right to be there as they do. We will just have to give more effort and make sure that everyone does their job 100 percent. Everyone has a job to do at that meet and everyone needs to fulfill their job. If they do that we can have a very successful meet."

The following Lady Rangers are competing at state in individual events:

• Sydnie Julander — diving

• Alexis Krall — 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 50-yard freestyle

• Brooklynn Hagler — 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard IM, 50-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle

• Teryn Thatcher — 100-yard breaststroke, 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle

• Laurel Clarke - diving

• Sophie Failoni, Shelby Swann, Addison Wilcox and Cheyann Roose will all be competing in relays at state

"These ladies have had a tremendous season and all they need to do is lay it all out on the line for this meet," Aimone said. "I believe due to their hard work and good attitudes we could see some great things from them."