<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1qZTlH_0vJL83Qd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1qZTlH_0vJL83Qd00" width="2008" height="859" ><figcaption>Oregon sophomore Molly Hoppe swims the backstroke during the 400 (4x100) medley relay during the Badger Large Relays on Thursday, Aug. 29, at Waunakee High School. The Panthers won the 400 medley relay with a time of 4 minutes, 13.05 seconds. :Photo by Mark Nesbitt</figcaption></figure>The Oregon girls swimming team proved they will have some relay teams to be reckoned with late in the season after the Panthers won two events and had a pair of runner-up finishes at the Badger Large Conference Relays on Thursday, Aug. 29, at Waunakee High School.The Panthers’ 4x100 medley relay team of sophomore Molly Hoppe, junior Kennedy Faris, junior Alyse Block and sophomore Kate Konopacki finished first with a time of 4 minutes, 13.05 seconds.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3nnISX_0vJL83Qd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3nnISX_0vJL83Qd00" width="1352" height="1533" ><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1XwE9l_0vJL83Qd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1XwE9l_0vJL83Qd00" width="1759" height="1178" ><figcaption>Oregon junior Kennedy Faris swims the breaststroke during the 400-yard medley relay during the Badger Large Conference Relays on Thursday, Aug. 29. Photo by Mark Nesbitt</figcaption></figure>“I have improved in my endurance and started swimming longer events,” said Block, who will take a recruiting trip to the University of Wisconsin on Friday, Sept. 6. “I’m feeling really confident in my 100 right now.”Freshman Kira Schulz combined with sophomore Maya Pechan, Konopacki and Hoppe to win the 200 backstroke relay (2:00.72), which was 7.3 seconds ahead of Monona Grove.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4Un5iH_0vJL83Qd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Un5iH_0vJL83Qd00" width="2008" height="822" ><figcaption>Oregon freshman Kira Schulz swims her leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay during the Badger Large COnference Relays on Thursday, Aug. 29, at Waunakee High School. Photo by Mark Nesbitt</figcaption></figure>Oregon finished fourth at the meet with 92 points, only 10 points behind DeForest. Monona Grove won the meet 126-120 over Waunakee. The Panthers competed without junior standout Olivia Sina, who was on a recruiting trip at the University of Iowa. Sophomore Sam Siget also missed the meet with an illness.“They are both really strong and it would have helped to have them,” Block said.“Our biggest goal is to win conference this year. We have really strong swimmers. Every single person on our team has swam club before.”The format of the meet allowed A and B teams to score points. The Panthers fielded only one relay in about every event.“It was mostly just a fun meet to see what everyone has,” Oregon coach Justin Sawran said. “With the relay scoring and not being able to fill B relays, we were kind of at a disadvantage going into it. I always say every year this meet doesn’t indicate anything. We will be up there in the conference.”Hoppe teamed with junior Karen Ramirez, Konopacki and Faris to take second in the 4x100 individual medley relay in a time of 4:36.23, about two seconds behind Watertown.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2O3n1Y_0vJL83Qd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2O3n1Y_0vJL83Qd00" width="2008" height="807" ><figcaption>Oregon junior Karen Ramirez swims the butterfly in the 200-yard butterfly relay. The Panthers finished third in the 200 fly relay with a time of 2 minutes, .63 seconds. Photo by Mark Nesbitt</figcaption></figure>Senior Kailey Kochan teamed with Schulz, senior Katie Dunn and Block to finish second in the 400 free relay (3:59.27).“She (Schulz) was on some of our fastest relays,” Sawran said. “She had if not lifetime-best times than right near her lifetime-best times. She swam really well and is taking feedback really good.”Sawran said setting up the relays at the end of the season is always a puzzle because the Panthers have a mix of athletes who can swim different events.The Panthers’ 100 freestyle relay team of sophomore Autumn Kuhtz, Pechan, Ramirez and senior Raven Ringhand took third (58.74). Faris combined with Ramirez, Kochan and Dunn to place third in the 200 butterfly relay (2:00.63). <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3LzPvC_0vJL83Qd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3LzPvC_0vJL83Qd00" width="1660" height="1249" ><figcaption>Oregon senior Raven Ringhand swims the breaststroke in the 200-yard breaststoek relay. Photo by Mark Nesbitt</figcaption></figure>In the junior/senior 200 freestyle relay, Oregon’s Dunn, Ringhand, Kochan and Block placed fourth (1:49.59). Freshman Peyton Longley teamed with junior Madeline Nott, sophomore Avery Purdin and sophomore Elise Schuman to take fourth in the 200 medley relay (2:22.13). In the 200 breaststroke relay, Nott combined with Purdin, Schuman and Ringhand to take fourth (2:43.88).<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2tEInS_0vJL83Qd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2tEInS_0vJL83Qd00" width="2008" height="971" ><figcaption>Oregon freshman Peyton Longley swims her leg of the freshman/sophomore 200-yard freestyle relay in the Badger Relays on Thursday, Aug. 29, at Waunakee High School. Photo by Mark Nesbitt</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2dAnCH_0vJL83Qd00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2dAnCH_0vJL83Qd00" width="1840" height="1126" ><figcaption>Oregon junior Madeline Nott swims her leg of the 500-yard crescendo relay during the Badger Large COnference Relays on Thursday, AUg. 29, at Waunakee High School. Photo by Mark Nesbitt</figcaption></figure>“A lot of the returning girls and the ones who don’t swim year-round, we are at a point now that we are right where we left off last year so now we are getting to the point of building on that and start improving,” Sawran said.Oregon has 11 days and has six practices before its next meet against Beaver Dam on Sept. 10, at the Oregon Community Pool.</div></body>

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Girls swimming: Oregon finishes fourth at Badger Large Relays

The Oregon girls swimming team proved they will have some relay teams to be reckoned with late in the season after the Panthers won two events and had a pair of runner-up finishes at the Badger Large Conference Relays on Thursday, Aug. 29, at Waunakee High School. The Panthers’ 4x100...

Girls swimming: Oregon finishes fourth at Badger Large Relays

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