Free State freshman Marsh breaks league swimming report in 200-yard particular person medley, units sights on state report | Information, Sports activities, Jobs

picture by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Ella Marsh smiles after breaking the Sunflower League report within the 200-yard particular person medley throughout the Sunflower League ladies swim and dive meet on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Lenexa.

Before the Free State ladies swim and dive workforce arrived for the Sunflower League swim meet, coach Janna Skinner made positive freshman Ella Marsh was conscious of the league’s 200-yard particular person medley report.

Marsh has spent her first season at Free State inching nearer to passing Free State’s faculty report within the occasion, and Marsh got here 0.16 seconds away from that report in a swim meet on April 15. Marsh swam near that report once more, however was nonetheless beneath a second away from topping it. It’s an older report, and Marsh mentioned she was actually hoping she might get it this season.

Still, her coach knew she might swim a lot quicker than each the college report she was knocking on the door of and the league report that stood 4 seconds away. Skinner knew that Marsh had it in her to beat it.

On Friday, Marsh not solely crushed the college report however topped the report for the occasion on the Sunflower League meet with a swim of two minutes, 4.21 seconds, enhancing upon her prior greatest by 4.30 seconds. The subsequent day, throughout the finals, Marsh beat her personal report, swimming 0.53 seconds quicker to set a 2:03.68 league report.

“It was really unexpected,” Marsh mentioned. “I didn’t taper for this meet, so I’m not feeling my best right now. I’m really happy with how I swam.”

Marsh completed the butterfly part in 27.05 seconds, the backstroke part in 30.97 seconds, the breaststroke part in 36.26 seconds and the freestyle part in 29.40 seconds. She completed seven seconds quicker than the runner-up and was swimming the ultimate 25 yards whereas different swimmers within the occasion have been beginning the freestyle part.

“I knew her best time was actually faster than the league record,” Skinner mentioned. “I wanted to put it out there for her to go, ‘oh, maybe it is worth swimming out and seeing what I can do.’ She really is dialed in when she swims. She knows exactly what she needs to target. She’s got multiple coaches working with her, and it helps. She’s willing to take the feedback to get any place.”

Not solely did Marsh topple the report as a freshman, her time put her in consideration for National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association all-America honors. Marsh is 2.21 seconds away from the all-America qualifying time.

“I don’t think we’ve had a freshman do that for a while,” Skinner mentioned. “She’s definitely not peaking. She hasn’t hit a plateau yet.”

Marsh acquired began in swimming at a younger age and acquired into membership swimming. She was the one member of her household to competitively swim, and he or she fell in love with the water.

“I love racing and the competitiveness of it,” Marsh mentioned. “It’s an individual sport, and I like that aspect. I love being on the team, but I like the individual part of it.”

Because swimming is a person sport, swimmers’ work ethic most immediately contributes to their successes, and Marsh’s work ethic is noticeable. Marsh mentioned she additionally works out so much and lifts weights. It’s a noticeable distinction within the pool — Marsh’s kick energy and power separates her from the remaining.

Marsh has quite a lot of private maturity as a freshman. She focuses on her bodily coaching within the weight room, and he or she’s dialed in on her consuming and sleeping habits to maximise her coaching. As she grows and her coaching compounds, that further effort will proceed to pay dividends.

Aside from the Free State swim workforce, she works with Cassie Campbell, a private swim coach and the spouse of the Kansas swim workforce’s ladies’s swim and dive coach Clark Campbell.

While she’s within the pool, Marsh mentioned she’s completely centered on competing and does her greatest to not overthink issues.

“I try not to think when I’m swimming,” Marsh mentioned. “When I think when I swim, I can get in my head. So I’m not trying to think about it.”

When it involves the 200-yard particular person medley, there are some things that she’s labored laborious to excellent. Her versatility and power as a swimmer have helped her succeed within the 4 completely different races that make up the medley. But the crossovers are what she’s needed to work probably the most on, notably on switching between the backstroke and the breaststroke.

Working repeatedly on that’s what made the large distinction in reducing down these closing seconds to hit the report, and Marsh is simply going to get quicker as she continues to work within the pool.

“She really has come on to swimming recently in terms of moving up into the rise that she’s had, it’s been the last couple of years,” Skinner mentioned. “She’s come on strong, so she’s far from her peak — she’s got a lot of growth left.”

It’s as thrilling for Marsh as it’s for Skinner — there’s nonetheless so much left within the tank for Marsh’s swimming future. Now that she’s acquired the college and league report, toppling the state report earlier than she graduates is in her sights.

“I’m so excited,” Marsh mentioned. “It’s definitely possible in the future toward my junior, senior years. If I keep training like I have been and keep up with all my different factors and make sure I show up to practice, the state record is definitely possible.”

picture by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State’s Ella Marsh swims her portion of the 400-yard freestyle relay throughout the Sunflower League ladies swim and dive meet on Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Lenexa.