Bossier Parish teens compete in big regional swim meet

Two Bossier Parish teenagers competed in the USA Swimming Southern Zone Championships in Cary, N.C., earlier this month.

Katherine Bush and Ellie Kairschner both qualified for the Louisiana Zone Team by finishing high in their respective events in the state meet last month in New Orleans.

Six male and six female swimmers were selected in each age group.

Bush, a freshman at Loyola College Prep, competed in seven events in New Orleans. She placed second in the 13-14 50- and 100-meter freestyle, third in the 100 back and 200 fly, fourth in the 100 fly, fifth in the 200 free and seventh in the 200 back.

She also swam on the runner-up 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams.

Kairschner, a freshman at Benton, placed second in the 100 back and third in the 200 back. She was also on the relay teams with Bush.

Both girls, who swim for Christus LA Aquatics based in Shreveport, earned All-State status.

They also made sectional cut times, which are National Time Standards that will allow them to participate in the SPEEDO Texas Sectionals in the winter.

In North Carolina, Bush teamed with Rylee Moore, Emily Schexnayder and Sarah Holt for an eighth-place finish in the 13-14 400 medley relay. She also teamed with Moore, Schexnayder and Gabriella O’Neil for a ninth-place finish in the 200 free relay.

Bush also competed in the 100 fly, 100 free, 100 back, 500 free and 200 fly. She was 23rd out of 36 competitors in the 200 fly prelims, 34th out of 54 in the 100 fly and 37th out of 65 in the 100 free.

Kairschner competed in the 100 fly, 200 back, 100 back and 50 free. She finished finished 24th out of 48 competitors in the 100 back prelims.

— Russell Hedges, rhedges@bossierpress.com