By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Notre Dame Academy senior Sophie Skinner won her fourth consecutive state championship in the girls’ 100-yard freestyle at the Kentucky high school swimming and diving state meet on Saturday in Louisville.
Skinner’s winning time of 50.06 was a fraction of a second behind the state record time of 49.79 that she set in the 2015 state meet as a freshman. The University of Virginia recruit also received second-place medals in the 200 freestyle and the 200 freestyle relay at Saturday’s meet.
Both of this year’s state champions in 1-meter springboard diving are from Northern Kentucky. Scott senior Lindsey Fox won the girls’ event for the third consecutive year with a 450.40 score in the finals. Highlands sophomore Finn Murphy took the boys’ title with a 452.60 score.
Highlands placed third in the boys’ team standings. The Bluebirds’ team leader was senior Garrison Herfel, He placed fourth in 50 freestyle, fifth in 100 freestyle and was on the 200 free relay team that finished third.
The best finish among Northern Kentucky swimmers in the boys’ individual event was third place by Dixie Heights senior Daniel Sims in the 200 individual medley
Notre Dame placed third and Dixie Heights fourth in the girls’ team standings. The top performers for Dixie Heights were senior Mallory Beil, who was second in the 100 butterfly, and her younger sister, sophomore Kenady Beil, who took second in the 500 freestyle. They were also members of the third-place 400 free relay team and the fourth-place 200 free relay team.
Dixie Heights finished second in the boys’ and girls’ combined team standings behind Lexington Catholic. The girls’ first-team all-state selections included Skinner, Fox and both Beil sisters. Murphy was the only boys’ first-team all-state selection.
GIRLS TEAM SCORES
1. Sacred Heart 520.5, 2. North Oldham 198, 3. Notre Dame 185. Other local teams — 4. Dixie Heights 158, 14. Scott 48, 17. Ryle 31, 19. Campbell County 28, 20. Highlands 25, 27. Beechwood 11, 33. St. Henry 3.
Top local finishers
200 freestyle – 2. Sophie Skinner (Notre Dame) 1:49.17.
Diving – 1. Lindsey Fox (Scott) 450.40, 3. Marian Tiemier (Campbell) 428.10.
100 butterfly – 2. Mallory Beil (Dixie Heights) 53.32.
100 freestyle – 1. Sophie Skinner (Notre Dame) 50.06.
500 freestyle – 2. Kenady Beil (Dixie Heights) 4:51.97, 4. Liza Muller (Notre Dame) 4:56.40.
200 freestyle relay – 4. Dixie Heights (M. Beil, Michels, Reil, K. Beil) 1:37.25
400 free relay – 2. Notre Dame (Skinner, Muller, Holt, Piccirillo) 3:30.59, 3. Dixie Heights (M. Beil, Young, Tucker, K. Beil) 3:31.66
BOYS TEAM SCORES
1. St. Xavier 453, 2. Lexington Catholic 229, 3. Highlands 154. Other local teams — 5. Dixie Heights 140, 6. Covington Catholic 136, 23. Beechwood 20, 28. St. Henry 15, 33. Conner 4.
Top local finishers
200 medley relay — 4. CovCath (Knollman, Merse, Novak, Hanna) 1:35.98.
200 individual medley — 3. Daniel Sims (Dixie Heights) 1:53.36.
50 freestyle — 4. Garrison Herfel (Highlands) 20.95.
Diving — 1. Finn Murphy (Highlands) 452.60, 3. Logan Smith (CovCath) 415.90, 4. Adain Stigall (St. Henry) 414.85;
200 free relay — 3. Highlands (Russell, Griffith, Conley, Herfel) 1:26.32