The Glenwood Springs High School girls swim and dive team won another in a string of Western Slope League championships over the weekend and is busy getting ready for the 3A State Championships with strong expectations.

It was the third consecutive conference championship for the Lady Demons, and the sixth time in eight years that they’ve won the league title, coach Steve Vanderhoof said.

Glenwood emerged as the top team following the two-day meet, held at the Colorado Mesa University El Pomar Natatorium, collecting 528 points, followed by Grand Junction High School in second with 309 and Durango in third with 276. Aspen High School was eighth with 110 points. 

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For Friday’s preliminary round, each team was able to enter four swimmers in each individual event plus two teams of four swimmers in each of the three relay events. The top 16 finishers in each event advanced to the Saturday championship and consolation finals.

The Demons had the best time in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay and returned all eight of their relay teams to the championship finals. 

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In the individual events, the Glenwood girls had the top seed in five of the eight individual swimming events and qualified a league-leading 16 individual swims to the championship final, and 14 individual swims to the Consolation finals.

Led by senior Bennett Jones, junior Amelie Ogilby and sophomore Emma Lindstrom, Glenwood took first place in five individual events and two relays. 

Jones, who plans to swim collegiately next year at Division III powerhouse Pomona/Pitzer, led her Glenwood teammates with a state 3A best time and victory in the 200-yard individual medley (2:08.26) and won the 100 butterfly (59.49).  

Ogilby won the 100 breastroke (1:07.47) and 500 freestyle (5:01.63) with the state’s fastest time and was just short of setting a state 3A record, Vanderhoof said. Ogilby is the defending 3A state champion in the 500. 

Lindstrom won the 200 freestyle (1:58.39) and was second in the 100 freestyle (54.96), and Jones, Ogilby, and Lindstrom teamed up with Addie Newton to take the top spot in the 200-medley relay (1:54.23). The same trio was joined by freshman Penelope White in swimming to a tie with Grand Junction for first place in the final event, the 400-freestyle relay (3:46.10).

In the 200-freestyle relay, Demons swimmers Newton, Anna Thornton, Rowan Wolfson and Sadie Hoiland took second in 1:45.16, just off Durango’s winning time of 1:44.33.

Glenwood’s second team in the 200-medley relay of Sophie Price, Hoiland, Valentina Campos and Thornton rallied from the fifth qualifying position to take third (2:00.74). Price was also third in the 500 freestyle (5:33.15).

Aspen’s Lilly Huggard turned in a strong second-place finish in the 200 IM behind Jones (2:14.77).

Glenwood’s Jones was named WS Swimmer of the Year and Vanderhoof won Coach of the Year honors.

Glenwood Springs qualified 14 swimmers for the Colorado 3A Swimming and Diving Championships this Friday and Saturday in Thornton: junior Samantha Anderson (100 and 200 freestyle); Campos (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly); Thornton (100 freestyle, 50 freestyle); Ogilby (100 backstroke, 500 freestyle); Hoiland (100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke); Price (100 backstroke, 500 freestyle);

Newton (200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke); junior Anna Moon (500 freestyle); junior Macy Wilson (200 and 500 freestyle); Lindstrom (100 and 200 freestyle); sophomore Isabella Moon (100 backstrok); White (200 IM, 100 backstroke); Jones (200 IM, 100 butterfly); Wolfson (100 butterfly, 50 freestyle).