Lander Makes it Four Straight 3A Swim Championships

The Lander Tigers won their fourth consecutive Class 3A State Swimming and Diving Championship Friday in Gillette.

The Tigers won only three of the 12 events but pulled through on their depth for a total of 274 points. Lander had four runner-up finishes and a total of 15 top-six placings.

Sophomore Ashlon Koch led the way with victories in the 100 butterfly (1:02.14) and 500 freestyle (5:27.10). Senior Olivia Fowler had the other first-place finish in the 100 backstroke race (59.65).

Buffalo came in second place (206 points), while Lyman took third place (173 points).

Bison senior Emi Wagner capped her career with a pair of wins in the 50 and 100 freestyle. She won the 50 in 24.32. Her margin of victory was .08 seconds in front of Lyman junior Brynlee Busskohl. Wagner won the 100 free by edging defending champion Josie Dike of Riverton by .07 seconds. Wagner's time was 54.29.

Busskohl posted her own win in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.59. She had set the Class 3A state record in the prelims with a 1:05.47. That broke her own record from 2018 by nearly two seconds. It was also the only state record to fall at this year's state championships.

Koch, Wagner, and Busskohl shared the 3A 'Athlete of the Meet' honors.

Newcastle junior Hannah Gross, who won the 200 freestyle race (1:57.79) and took second place in the 100 backstroke race (100.20), was named the Class 3A 'Athlete of the Year.'

Buffalo's Ron Chapin was voted the Coach of the Year, while Powell's Heather Christensen was named the Assistant Coach of the Year.