MESA — After one of her races in Friday in the prelims of the Division 1 state swim meet, Kaylee Woodruff seemed pleased, yet focused.
“It went well,” she said. “I won my heat.”
O’Connor junior Kaylee Woodruff, right, smiles Saturday on the awards podium at the Division 1 state swim meet in Mesa, alongside 100- and 50-yard …
That was Heat 3, amid the four qualifying heats in the 50-yard freestyle. The O’Connor junior ended up placing second in the 50 freestyle final and was third in the 100 freestyle Saturday in the championships, held at Skyline High School.
Woodruff placed second in the 50 freestyle as a sophomore last year, with her time of 23.89 seconds being about a half-second behind winner and then-senior Sophia Jahn of Red Mountain.
Woodruff also placed seventh in the 100 freestyle at state.
This year, Woodruff headed to state with the second-best seed time in both the 50 and the 100, with sophomore Delaney Barbee of Boulder Creek the only one faster.
That’s how the finals ended up, with Barbee easily winning both events Saturday. Woodruff was about 1 second behind Barbee in the 50 final. Both Barbee and Emilie Griffin of Mountain View finishing ahead of Woodruff in the 100 final.