Bowling Green senior Sam Sutton knew there weren’t many chances left to put her name in the school record books, so she made sure to knock one out of the way during Saturday’s Best of the West swim meet at Bowling Green High School.

Sutton set the pool record in the 100-yard breaststroke – one of two individual wins – earning the female swimmer of the meet honor and helping the Lady Purples cruise to a team victory.

It was part of a huge day in the pool, with Bowling Green’s boys also earning a team title and senior Neal Morsi earning male swimmer of the meet.

“I thought we swam really well today,” BG coach Dee Wilkins said. “We are trying to find our spots – where I am going to put everybody for regionals. We moved people around and tested what worked and what did not. I thought the kids did a really good job of trying out the new races and performing for us.”

Sutton earned the win in the breaststroke with a time of 1:04.50 – besting the pool record time of 1:04.64 set by former Lady Purple Elizabeth Tinnon in 2002.

“Obviously, I am very excited,” Sutton said. “I’ve been trying to get that since last year. It’s super exciting because Elizabeth went to Texas and swam for them.

“I don’t have to worry (about this record) as much, but I am still trying to go for some more pool records here before my career is over.”

Wilkins said he was happy to see Sutton get the record as she winds down her career at BG before heading off to swim at Miami (Ohio) in the fall.

“Elizabeth was a great swimmer at Bowling Green High School and did a great job at Texas,” Wilkins said. “To be able to break somebody’s record that is that high quality of a swimmer is pretty special for Sam and something special for our team.”

Sutton also picked up a win in the 50-yard freestyle and was part of two relay team wins – the 200-yard medley relay with Lilly Morris, Maggie Morris and Kate Chaudoin and the 400-yard medley relay with Morris, Chaudoin and Carlie Bowen.

Bowling Green finished with 679 team points, besting runner-up Greenwood, which finished with 421 points. South Warren was third with 413 points.

Other individual winners for Bowling Green’s girls’ team included Morris in the 100-yard fly and 100-yard backstroke, Brooke Dixon in the 500-yard freestyle and Claire Hopkins in one-meter diving.

“I think we are doing pretty well, but we still have some work to do,” Sutton said. “Everybody needs to keep coming to practice and the normal things that you have to do to prepare for (regionals).”

Greenwood’s Chloe Cummings was the only other local winner on the girls’ side – winning the 100-yard freestyle.

Morsi earned a pair of individual wins in the 100-yard fly and 100-yard backstroke and was part of the 200-yard medley relay winning team with Ethan Taylor, Mei Fukushima and Grady Sine. Khenner, Sine, Taylor and Connor Creek also picked up a win in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

“I feel pretty good with how I swam, but I think overall the younger swimmers on the team did a whole lot better,” Morsi said. “They are just now getting to their best times. They are getting new best times every meet – especially Mei and Ethan and Grady. I think it is really good for us.”

Bowling Green picked up three more individual wins – Phillip Khenner in the 200-yard freestyle, Fukushima in the 100-yard breastroke and Connor Twyman in one-meter diving – to cruise to the team victory with 709 points.

South Warren was second with 493 points with Hopkinsville third with 253 points.

“We have a lot of stuff left to do,” Wilkins said. “We have some weaknesses in some of the races. We used this meet as an eye-opener – OK, this is the competition and we will have better competition in Owensboro and their girls who are swimming very well. We have to be ready to go this year.”

Other local winners on the boys’ side included South Warren’s Logan Hughes in 200-yard individual medley, South Warren’s Trey Wolfram in the 50-yard freestyle, South Warren’s Neal Wolfram in the 500-yard freestyle and Russellville’s Ben Slack in the 100-yard freestyle.

Trey, Neal, Drew Wolfram and Hughes also won the 400-yard freestyle relay.{&end}