Times all-Hillsborough County girls swimming

Swimmer of the year
Elin Slaatmo, Sr., Plant
Why we picked her: Plant received a gift when Slaatmo’s family moved to Tampa from Norway this summer — Elin’s father works at MacDill Air Force Base — giving the Panthers a superb swimming sibling duo in Elin (pronounced Ellen) and younger brother Oscar. It was a close call among  Slaatmo and Sickles’ Katie Cook and Newsome’s Kati Kyle, but we went with Slaatmo because she swam an All-America time in the 500 free — one of the 3A state meet’s most competitive events — placing fourth with a time of 4:54.64. She also was a state qualifier in the 200 free and  swam a leg for the Plant 200 and 400 free relays that placed  10th and eighth,  respectively, at state.
Most impressive accomplishment: In Norway, swim events are measured in yards, not meters so she had to get adjusted to smaller pools and longer distances — all of which make her success in the 500 free, a  top endurance race, more amazing. “When I started racing the 500 I really didn’t even know what was going on,” Slaatmo said with a smile. “But I think I did okay.”
Future plans: While she is in her senior year at Plant, schools in Norway have 13 grades  and she’s planning to return  to finish high school. She is considering returning to the states for college because there are  no high school or college programs — or swimming scholarships — in Norway.
Did you know? Slaatmo has also lived in Sweden and Belgium.

First team
200 medley relay: Sickles (Katie Sienkiewicz, Katie Cook, Cristina DeCisneros, Katie Westbrook)
Third-place at 2A state meet (1:52.58)
200 free: Blair Kuethe, Jr., Wharton
Finished seventh in the 3A state meet (1:52.57)
200 IM: Kayley Chevalier, So., East Bay
Placed 10th in the 2A state meet (2:12.21 )
50 free: Katie Cook, Jr., Sickles
All-America consideration time of 24.04 placed fifth in 2A state meet
1-meter diving: Kaliya Burton-Akright, Sr., Tampa Prep
Her fifth-place finish in  Class A state meet (447.60) was the county’s best
100 fly: Emma Siewert, So., Tampa Prep
Her 11th-place time in the  Class A state meet (59.17) was county’s best
100 free: Katie Cook, Jr., Sickles
Fourth-place finish at 2A state meet (51.93) received All-America consideration
500 free: Elin Slaatmo, Sr., Plant
Fourth-place finish at 3A state meet (4:54.64) was one of two automatic All-America times  in state among  girls county swimmers
200 free relay: Wharton (Sarah Menendez, Danielle Albright, Megan Smith, Blair Kuethe)
Fifth-place  3A state finish was county’s best (1:38.57) and received All-America consideration
100 back: Kati Kyle, Sr., Newsome
Top qualifying time in  3A state meet, placed  fourth in final with automatic All-America time of 57.07
100 breast: Emily Clifford, Fr., Plant
 Placed eighth  in  3A meet (1:07.27)
400 free relay: Plant (Hillary Hahmann, Haley Hahmann, Elin Slaatmo, Rebecca Werdine); Placed eighth in the 3A state meet (3:38.41)

Second team
200 medley relay: Wharton (Danielle Albright, Megan Smith, Sarah Menendez, Blair Kuethe)
200 free: Katie Westbrook, Sickles
200 IM: Haley Hahmann, Jr., Plant
50 free: Rebecca Werdine, So., Plant
1-meter diving: Alex Valder, Sr., Sickles
100 fly: Laura Jordan, Sr., Berkeley Prep
100 free: Blair Kuethe, Jr., Wharton
500 free: Katie Westbrook, Sr., Sickles
200 free relay: Plant (Rebecca Werdine, Elin Slaatmo, Haley Hahmann, Hillary Hahmann)
100 back: Katie Sienkiewicz, Sickles
100 breast: Emma Donahue, Fr., Plant
400 free relay: Newsome (Meghan Sinning, Amy Taylor, Kati Kyle, Kylie Piche)

Honorable mention: Plant 200 medley relay (Tara McGowan, Emma Donohue,  Emily Clifford, Elle Munns); Danielle Albright, Wharton (200 free); Erin Hofrichter, Durant (200 free, 500 free); Paige Russell, Holy Names (200 free, 100 fly); Emma Siewert, Tampa Prep (200 IM); Molly Sheridan, Holy Names (50 free, 100 free); Laura Jordan, Berkeley Prep (50 free); Sarah Menendez, Wharton (50 free, 100 fly); Alex Hagan, Plant (diving); Bre Davis, Sickles (diving); Cristina DeCisneros, Sickles (100 fly); Rebecca Werdine, Plant (100 free); Kylie Piche, Newsome (100 free); Danielle Albright, Wharton (100 free); Kayley Chevalier, East Bay (500 free);  Giorgie Graves, Spoto (500 free); Sickles 200 free relay (Katie Westbrook, Cristina DeCisneros, Katie Sienkiewicz, Katie Cook); Holy Names 200 free relay (Molly Sheridan, Konner Brewer, Mary Green, Paige Russell); East Bay 200 free relay (Cathy Flocken, Stephanie Williams, Amy Rachel, Kayley Chevalier); Holy Names 400 free relay (Molly Sheridan, Victoria Litschgi, Taylor DeMesa, Paige Russell)

Coach of the year: Gil Gonzalez, Plant
The Panthers claimed a Class 3A-2 region title and placed ninth at states.