Notre Dame Academy’s Clare Herfel is talking about swimming and Panda competitiveness. The sophomore is energized, reflecting on the thrill of championships and what comes next after a long day in and out of classrooms and pools.
“I thought we did really well at regionals,” Herfel said. “I feel like state is coming at a good time.”
Herfel and the rest of the Region 7 champion Pandas, along with their local girls and boys counterparts, compete in Saturday’s first round of the KHSAA Swimming & Diving Championship. Nine regions gather this weekend at three sites across Kentucky. Regions 7, 8 and 9 will swim at Scott High School for the right to advance to the state championships Feb. 20-21 at University of Kentucky. Swimming begins Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
Herfel expects to be in Lexington in two weeks. But she knows the Pandas must first handle business in Taylor Mill, where they secured their 41st girls regional title since 1979.
“We’re very strong this year,” Herfel said. “We have a really strong team dynamic.”
That strength shows in the 10 Notre Dame individuals who earned seeded spots on Saturday’s psych sheet. In addition to Herfel, there’s also McKenna Bien, Abby Carnes, Reaghan Connelley, Caroline Gollar and Marisa Kent. There’s even more talent with Makayla Kleman, Peyton Quinn, Danaka Tucker and Liv Wallace. Seeds are based on regional times.
“We have swimmers who can contribute in multiple events, which gives us flexibility when building our lineup,” coach Jamie Kelly said. “Our seniors swam exceptionally well at regionals, and I’m excited to see how they perform over the next three weeks.”
Kelly’s juniors and sophomores also delivered, including Herfel, giving the Pandas a deep blend of experience and emerging talent.
Herfel, the defending state champion and top-seeded in the 500-yard freestyle, begins her title defense while chasing more. She’s also seeded first in the 200 freestyle and on the top-seeded 400 freestyle relay. The Pandas are seeded first in the 200 medley relay and second in the 200 freestyle relay.
“Clare has put herself in position to have a special meet. She’s incredibly driven and thrives in big-meet environments,” said coach Kelly. “What separates Clare is her competitive mindset. She doesn’t just want to perform well; she wants to challenge herself against the best competition in the state. If she swims the way she’s capable of, she has the potential to accomplish some really impressive things.”
Notre Dame’s other top seeds include Carnes at No. 2 in the 100 backstroke and Tucker at No. 2 in the 500 freestyle. Tucker is seeded third in the 200 freestyle. Carnes is seeded third in the 200 individual medley. Kleman is seeded fourth in the 100 butterfly and fifth in the 500 freestyle.
A deep dive
Bien’s sister, Savannah Bien, the 1‑meter regional diving champion as a junior, has already qualified for the state finals. The Pandas also feature divers Lily Graham and Caroline Dusing. Notre Dame diving coach Emma Lehmkuhl said this year’s rule change has altered the competitive landscape.
“With this year’s change, divers are only competing six dives, which means there is no room for error,” said Lehmkuhl. “Savannah has a list that we are confident that she will do her best with, but it will all come down to who executes every dive.”
Savannah Bien placed third at state last year behind a now-graduated runner-up and Lexington Catholic junior Sydney Leslie, her club teammate. She remains close to the top of the podium. Graham has a chance to break into the top 16. State diving finals begin in Lexington in two weeks.
“Our divers are really good this year,” Herfel said. “It gives us a better chance at state and makes us even more excited.”
The Biens feel the same.
“I’m excited and I’m excited for my sister. We’re really looking forward to it,” said Savannah Bien, an Army commit. “Every year, I feel like the team being close together is our strength. My sister pushes me to be better, and I push her to be better. It makes the environment competitive but friendly.”
The Pandas will need every point they can get to challenge the Louisville powers, and the Biens are delivering.
“Savannah has always had a competitive spirit,” coach Lehmkuhl said. “Our goal this year was to win regionals, and we succeeded because of her dedication to attending practices when she could perfect her dives. Our region is very competitive for diving, with 25 of the 80 divers at the state competition coming from our region. For the boys, five could place in the top 12 (at state), and for the girls, seven could place in the top 16.”
Things could go swimmingly for locals
In swimming, the top three finishers in each event plus at-large qualifiers advance to the state finals. Notre Dame finished runner-up last season to Sacred Heart. The Pandas must make up 123 points on the Valkyries, who won 371-249.
“Sacred Heart is once again the prohibitive favorite going into the state meet, but we’re excited about our prospects,” coach Kelly said. “If we take care of the little things, race confidently, and compete for each other, we believe we can be right in the mix again with teams like Sacred Heart, Assumption, and Lafayette.”
Kelly has spent the season sharpening strengths and reinforcing weak spots.
“Our biggest strength over the past several years has been the 200 and 500 freestyle events, and we’re strong there again this season,” Kelly said. “Over the last two years, though, our versatility has really become a major strength.”
Other local girls earning high seeds include No. 2 Gabriella Stephens of Ryle in the 200 IM and No. 2 Gabrielle Lee of Beechwood in the 100 breaststroke.
Top local boys include Ryle’s Chase Knopf. He’s the No. 1 seed in the 200 and 500 freestyle and as a member of the Raiders’ top-seeded 200 freestyle relay. Teammate Tyler Rice is No. 1 in the 100 breaststroke. Nash Parsons is No. 2 in both the 100 and 200 freestyle. Ryle finished third at last year’s boys state meet. That lifted the Raiders to the top of the combined rankings ahead of runner-up Highlands.
Covington Catholic’s Andrew Boh is the No. 1 seed in the 200 IM and No. 2 in the 100 breaststroke. Also seeded No. 2 are Highlands’ Luke Deegan in the 200 IM and Beechwood’s Cono Presti in the 500 freestyle. Also No. 2 are Simon Kenton’s Parker Davis in the 50 freestyle and Highlands’ Noah Gracey in the 100 butterfly. Highlands is the No. 1 seed in the 200 medley relay.