Brown earns state qualifying time in 200 IM

Louisburg sophomore Claire Brown earned a state qualifying time in the 200-yard individual medley Wednesday during the team’s meet in Topeka. Brown also has a state consideration time in the 100 freestyle.

TOPEKA — Claire Brown has watched as her times have slowly, but surely been coming down throughout the girls swim season.

Now, those times are among some of the best in the state.

Brown, who is a sophomore at Louisburg High School, and a member of the Osawatomie-Paola-Louisburg girls swim team, earned a berth at the Class 5-1A state meet during last week’s meet in Topeka.

Brown qualified for state in the 200-yard individual medley at the Topeka West Invitational on Wednesday at Hummer Sports Complex. She finished third in the event with a time of 2 minutes and 31 seconds.

“Claire is just a natural athlete,” coach Ardy Dehdasht said. “She swims so effortlessly. It’s quite the accomplishment to be a state qualifier as a sophomore, so that’s something she should be very proud of.”

She could very well qualify for state in another event. Brown currently has a state consideration time in the 100-yard freestyle and took fourth last week with a season-best time of 1:00.60.

The Miami County team finished eighth out of 12 teams during Wednesday’s meet with 103.5 points. Washburn Rural won with 430 points and Topeka Seaman was second with 299.

They also had a couple other top 10 finishes in the meet.

The 200 medley relay team of Sydney Keaton, Abby Bradley, Brown and Ashley Branine was seventh overall with a season-best time of 2:19.

Addie Stuebner was ninth in the 100 backstroke in 1:19, while Brown, Keaton, Bradley and Branine were 10th in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:41.