STATE SWIMMING: Thompson fifth in 100 back

Published 6:16 pm Saturday, February 17, 2018

Nederland’s Karley Thompson matched her finish from last year’s 5A state swim meet in the 100-yard backstroke.

Thompson, a senior in her fourth state championships, finished fifth in Saturday’s final heat at the University of Texas’ Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin. She swam 59.50 seconds, almost 4 seconds behind winner Kaitlyn Owens of A&M Consolidated.

Only 0.25 separated Thompson from a medal. Emma Frey of Kingwood Park took the bronze, while Rebecca Rivers of Elgin went home with the silver.

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Thompson finished 13th in the 50-yard freestyle after winding up fifth in the consolation final. Her time of 24.90 seconds was 0.01 faster than in the preliminaries, but only 0.39 behind consolation winner Virginia Lutz of Georgetown East View.

Thompson qualified for two events at state each of her four high school years.

— I.C. Murrell

About I.C. Murrell

I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

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