5 swimmers earn All-State

The Wolves swimming and diving came home with first and second-place finishes in individual and relay events and with fifth overall at state.

This past weekend, the Green River High School team traveled to Gillette for the state competition and came home with a fifth-place finish, just one point away from fourth.

"We were happy with it," head coach Colleen Seiloff said. "When you know you've given it everything you got."

Three Wolves were named to the 2019 All-State Swimming and Diving athletes based on the Wyoming Coaches' Association's criteria. According to the WCA guidelines, the All-State honor is given to the top two finishers in each event and the winning relay team in each class at the state meet.

Senior Michael Richmond finished first in the 200-yard freestyle and first in the 100-yard butterfly, which earned him All-State honors. He was also earned All-State honors in 2017 and 2018. Seiloff said she was excited with Michael's swim and he has worked so hard and he came home with two individual first-place finishes for his hard work.

Senior Dean Lyon finished second in the 500-yard freestyle, which earned him All-State honors also. Seiloff said Lyon had cut close to 20 seconds off of his time to take second at state.

"I'm proud of him," she said.

Sophomore Jason Richmond finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke and second in the 200-yard individual medley, which earned him All-State honors this year. Seiloff said that's an accomplishment for a sophomore to do and it was his personal best.

M. Richmond and J. Richmond also swam on the 200-yard medley relay team, with junior Trevor Moser and senior Gabe Davis, that finished second at state.

Other All-State honors were given to the top three in each event and the top three relay teams.

Those relay teams are the 200-yard medley relay team with M. Richmond, J. Richmond, Moser and Davis, that finished second at state and the 400-yard freestyle relay team with M. Richmond, G. Davis, D. Lyon and J. Richmond, that finished third at state.

Seiloff said Davis has really come a long way in the last two years and Moser continues to improve.

"I don't know that I could ask for much better," Seiloff said.

Michael said he wasn't surprised by taking first in two events at state. He attributes the first-place finishes to his style of swimming.

He starts out each of his individual events more conservatively and then finishes them strong. A lot of other swimmers do the opposite, he said.

"I really didn't have any pressure," Michael said. "I knew if I swam it like I usually do, it should turn out fine."

Jason was pretty excited about his experience at state as a sophomore.

"As a sophomore, I feel pretty proud of myself for taking second at state in both of those events," Jason said.

He said it's hard enough to get in the top 12, let alone the top 6. It was Jason's first time on the podium at state and that's a feeling he'd like to repeat.

Even though state just wrapped up this weekend, Jason is already thinking about what he'd like to accomplish for next year. He said he will continue to swim in club swimming, which will keep him in shape for GRHS swimming.

Michael said club swimming goes year round, so when they aren't swimming for GRHS, they are usually swimming for the club.

Both Jason and Michael were proud of taking second with their relay team members.

They both knew it was possible.

"I was pretty proud of the whole relay team," Michael said.

"I was pretty proud of us too," Jason said. "I knew we could take second as a relay team."

Michael said he wouldn't change how things at state went.

"I feel like I accomplished what I set my goals for," he said. 

As a senior, Michael wanted to give the remaining team a message.

"Just keep working hard and you'll get to where you want to be," Michael said.

"I think the boys worked really hard and it showed at the end of the season," Seiloff said. "Even kids who didn't make the top 12 had time improvements."

State results

Laramie, 257

Thunder Basin, 186

Kelly Walsh, 185

Cheyenne East, 145

Green River, 144

200-yard medley relay

2. GRHS: Michael Richmond, Jason Richmond, Trevor Moser, Gabe Davis, 1:41.94

200-yard freestyle

1. M. Richmond, 1:42.42

5. Dean Lyon, 1:50.34

200-yard individual medley

2. J. Richmond, 2:02.61

12. Elijah Kraft, 2:14.33

100-yard butterfly

1. M. Richmond, 51.07

100-yard freestyle

8. G. Davis, 51.83

500-yard freestyle

2. D. Lyon, 4:56.41

200-yard freestyle relay

11. GRHS, E. Kraft, Jake Probst, T Moser, D. Lyon, 1:39.71

100-yard breaststroke

2. J. Richmond, 1:01.88

10. Devin Bobbitt, 1:06.62

400-yard freestyle relay

3. GRHS, M. Richmond, G. Davis, D. Lyon, J. Richmond, 3:19.93

 

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