Kennedy junior Kaylee Von Ruden set her second Kennedy girls swimming program record at an Oct. 8 Tri-Metro Conference meet at St. Anthony Village. She won the 100-yard freestyle in 54.05 seconds. The old record of 54.33 was set by Malena Maxwell in 2013, so it had stood for 13 years.
The race was close. Von Ruden finished just ahead of St. Anthony's Ferris Martin, who touched in 54.32. Martin's time was also under the old Kennedy record.
Her first program record came at last season's state meet, where she reset the 100 backstroke record at 59.98. That makes 2 program records in 2 seasons, and she still has more than a season of high school swimming left.
The team result was tougher. St. Anthony won the dual meet 118-63, but the Eagles still won 4 events. Von Ruden won the 100 backstroke in 1:01.65, more than 7 seconds ahead of runner-up Avery Simpson (1:09.06). She also anchored the 400 freestyle relay with a 55.17 final leg. That relay team of DeSouza, Meredith Farrell, Claire McKinley and Von Ruden finished in 4:01.88.
McKinley won the 500 freestyle in 5:57.77. She also tied St. Anthony's Lola Busby for first in the 200 freestyle at 2:13.90. Farrell was second in the 50 freestyle (27.85) and third in the 100 butterfly (1:10.92).
Kennedy had a better result a week earlier, beating Columbia Heights 93-67 on Oct. 1. McKinley won the 200 freestyle (2:16.99) and the 500 freestyle (6:05.75). DeSouza won the 200 individual medley in 2:42.76 and led a Kennedy sweep of the 100 freestyle in 1:02.55.
At the St. Peter Invite on Sept. 26, Kennedy placed 3rd with 337 points. Von Ruden won the 100 backstroke (1:02.04) and the 100 freestyle (56.01). McKinley, DeSouza, Farrell and Von Ruden also won the 400 free relay in 4:06.88. Von Ruden's 100 free time dropped almost 2 seconds between that meet and her record swim 12 days later.
