By Robert Whitmire

The SPASH girls swim team outdistanced D.C. Everest on Thursday, bringing home the 2017 Wisconsin Valley Conference title.

The Panthers outscored the Evergreens 575-524 at the UW-Stevens Point pool facility.

The win also gave SPASH the WVC season dual meets title with 26 points. Everest finished the season in second place with 22 points.

Kennedy Gilbertson, Anna Vandehey and Sydney Hoff were multiple winners for the Panthers with Gilbertson taking first in the 200 IM (2:13.67) and as a member of the winning 200 medley relay (Gilbertson, Vandehey, Sydney Hoff, and Allison Scharbarth) with a time of 1:48.99.

Vandehey posted a 57.87 time to win the 100 butterfly and Hoff touched the wall first in the 100 breaststroke at 1:08.3. Gilbertson came back to win the 100 backstroke (58.72).

Senior Julia Stupar rang up first place finished in the 200 freestyle (1:53.50) and 100 freestyle (52.52).

Freshman Sydney Gargulak posted a winning time of 5:27.39 to take the 500 freestyle, and Stupar returned to anchor the winning 200 freestyle relay (Vandehey, Scharbarth, Cassandra Summers, Stupar, 1:40.92).

Final meet standings: SPASH (575), D.C. Everest (524), Wausau East (308), Wisconsin Rapids (266), Marshfield (174), Wausau West (162), and Merrill (137).