As a freshman, Logan swimmer Janessa Gammill burst onto the scene by defeating a favored senior to earn her first state title in the 200 freestyle.

But after winning three 200 freestyle state titles in three years, Gammill was concerned karma was about to come back to bite on Friday.

Heading into the 200 freestyle final at the 4A state swim meet at BYU, Gammill was seeded nearly three seconds behind Olympus freshman Shaylee Howard -- a time nearly identical to that which won Gammill her first state title in 2007.

But Gammill had yet to put together a solid race in the event this season. For the first time in her high school career, the six-time 3A individual champion -- Gammill had also won three state titles in the 500 freestyle -- was the underdog.

When Gammill hit the deck, she wasn't thinking about any of that. She knew that she had broken the 2-minute barrier in the waters at BYU three times before. She didn't want to break the streak now.

"I didn't look over at all. I just got in my groove and tried to block everything else out," Gammill said. "It was my race, not theirs."

One minute, 58.22 seconds later, Gammill had won her fourth consecutive 200 freestyle state title -- an amazing feat considering Logan coach Jerry Hodgkinson tinkered with the idea of keeping her out of the event altogether.

The Grizzlies can be glad he reconsidered.

"She always seems to show up for this meet," Hodgkinson said. "It was just a huge performance for us."

After all, Gammill wasn't only chasing down personal records.

Following the first day of competition, Logan is primed to take home its first girls' state swim title in school history -- an impressive feat considering the Grizzlies are competing in their first year in Class 4A.

"It was huge. I figured that if I didn't get some big points, we'd be fighting to stay in the lead," Gammill said. ""Since the move up, not one sport has even come close. We want to get this for our school and for our sport -- to show that swimming is a strong sport at Logan."

Led by Gammill's first-place finish, the Grizzlies racked up 37 points in the 200 freestyle, as freshman teammates Nichole Sorensen and Jamie Hunsaker placed fifth and sixth in the event, respectively -- a feat apparently aided by a bit of friendly rivalry.

"I'm really proud of what we just did," Sorensen said. "But I always wanted to beat [Janessa] before she was gone."

While Sorensen will have to settle for a chance to beat Gammill by the watch in the coming years, a state title would be a welcomed consolation prize.

With Gammill a favorite in today's 500 freestyle and freshman Megan Gray a contender in the 100 breaststroke, the Grizzlies' chances look good. With three scoring freshmen on the roster, this may only be the beginning for Logan's swim program.

But for now, the Grizzlies are enjoying the hunt.

"It feels good to be part of a new tradition," Hunsaker said. "We want to get a win for these seniors."

"It's something we never expected," Hodgkinson said. "Everyone has exceeded my expectations."