Woodward Snares Three Individual State Records, Leads Edmond Memorial to Oklahoma State High School Victory

By Brian Savard

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, March 5. SAMANTHA Woodward outperformed the women at the Oklahoma State High School Championship in record-setting fashion. The Edmond Memorial junior went on a record-setting binge breaking down the former state marks in three individual events.

Her first record came in the 200 I.M. She cruised through her preliminary swim, only to unleash a monstrous evening effort. Her 2:03.93 time eclipsed the mark formerly set by Mary Alice Torgerson of Jenks (2:05.97) in 1989.

She led off the Edmond Memorial 200 freestyle relay in finals where she posted a 23.08 time, which reset her former record of 23.30 set last year. Her 56.81 100 backstroke victory capped off her 2007 state meet campaign. Lori Halverson of Jenks held the former mark of 56.87 which she set in 2005.

Woodward contributed to two gold-medal Edmond Memorial relays. The 200 freestyle relay foursome of Woodward, Kelsey Duncan, Rachel Prince and Kaitlin Scepanski paced the rest of the pack with a 1:39.66 time. Edmond Memorial faced a front half challenge from Bishop McGuinness, but Woodward effectively fended off the Bishop McGuinness anchor as the quartet of Scepanski, Duncan, Jill Enge and Woodward cruised to a 3:42.55 win.

Katie Whitbeck from Bishop McGuinness beat out the field in the 200 freestyle (1:52.92) as well as the 100 butterfly (56.49). Putnam City North's Amy Kilby won the diving competition (420.45). Westmoore divers Kylie Ruiz (386.55) and Toria Svetgoff (371.40) took second and third, respectively.

Edmond Memorial took home the team title for the women, scoring 303 points. Jenks finished close behind in second with 261 points and Moore High School took third with 169.5 points.

Titus Knight headed the list of men's double-event winners. Knight captured wins in the 200 freestyle (1:41.24) and the 500 freestyle (4:35.26). Edmond North senior Evan Dunn outlasted the second-place finisher in both the 200 IM (1:53.96) and in the 100 butterfly (51.68).

Garrett Robberson added more first-place points for Edmond North. Robberson uncorked a 21.01 win in the 50 freestyle and crushed the field in the 100 backstroke (51.80).

Edmond North used its star talent to its advantage as it earned gold medals in two of the three relay events. In the 200 medley relay, which included Robberson, Avery Duffy, Dunn and Ken Rogge, Edmond North used a strong backstroke and butterfly leg to propel it past Jenks. Despite Jenks' Knight leading off in a blazing 45.45 100 freestyle, the Edmond North 400 freestyle quartet of Robberson, Nathan Bercaw, Rogge and Dunn held off the rest of the heat with a winning time of 3:13.45.

Altus hoarded the top three places in the diving competition. Jesse Davis (342.35), Mark Wood (297.10) and Mike Chaki (262.70) took first, second and third, respectively.

Despite only winning one relay, Jenks came out on top in the end. Jenks edged out Edmond North by a score of 309-303. Edmond Memorial scored 266 points and earned itself a third-place honor.

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