The Fossil Ridge High School girls swim/dive team ended their competition season finishing fifth in the state tournament, led the way by their most experienced teammates.

Fossil was led by their four top swimmers, Lucy Bell, Renee Gillian, Sydnee O’Neil, and Kenadie Glasgow. The group finished top five in both of their replays, scoring fourth in the 200-yard medley relay, along with a first place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The group not only found success on their trip, but also a tremendous amount of friendship and comradery.

“It was super fun. It was my last state ever, so I just wanted to have a good time with my best friends. The times and [top] places came with that, but having a blast was my main focus,” Bell said.

However, the Sabercats were not satisfied with just relay success, earning three more first place medals during the meet. The first, Notre Dame commit, Gillian, outpacing the rest of the competition during the 100-yard butterfly. The final two top placements came from, senior, Bell who was named the 5A Girls Swimmer of the Year. While finishing first in the 100-yard freestyle, Bell’s crowning achievement came during the 200-yard individual medley, beating Missy Franklin’s state record with a time of 1.56.41.

“It’s super exciting…I’ve been wanting to go and try for that time for a while…Being able to do that and leave high school with something to remember [me by], it’s really exciting,” Bell said.

The Sabercats end their competition season, and will wave goodbye to a majority of their team, as four of their eight state competitors were seniors. However, Fossil will look towards new faces and new leadership, hoping to continue their long running success.