High School State Championships: Oregon

GRESHAM, Oregon, February 21. MOUNT Hood Community College in Gresham hosted the Oregon High School Swimming Championships Feb. 15-16. Five state records and four division marks were lowered during the three meets.

Division 1A-4A
Cascade Christian junior set the only division record of the 1A-4A meet with her 1:05.59 in the 100 yard breast. She finished first in finals with a 1:05.93. Sapienza claimed a second victory with her 55.32 in the 100 fly.

North Bend/Oregon Coast Tech was the women's team champion, scoring 45 points. Henley and Phoenix tied for second, one point back with 44 each. Valley Catholic took fourth with 27 points, and the fifth spot went to Madras (23 points).

North Bend/Oregon Coast Tech was led by sophomore Alyssa Bennett, who topped the field in the 200 free (2:00.29) and swam a leg on the team's winning 200 medley relay (1:55.41), along with junior Madysen Hannah, senior Kelsey Morgan and freshman Cassie Dallas. Dallas captured the 500 free with her 5:17.12.

Phoenix junior Alyse Darnall posted a winning 53.41 in the 100 free, and anchored Phoenix's 400 free relay with juniors Kylee Burks, Olivia Sanchez and freshman Lauren Speaks that finished first in 3:47.24. The quartet also captured the 200 free relay with their 1:44.12.

Also taking home first-place awards were Ridgeview junior Rachel Haney (100 back, 58.85); Sophie Gemelas, a Madras sophomore, in the 200 IM (2:14.84); and Sisters freshman Mary Stewart (50 free, 25.70).

Newport junior Austin Turner was the only double-event champion, taking titles in both the 100 back (53.79) and the 200 IM (1:58.50). Turner also anchored both of Newport's winning free relays with sophonmore Austin Thompson, junior Tanner Schipper and senior Kellen Wood (200 free relay, 1:32.09; 400 free relay, 3:21.81). Wood's 48.58 in the 100 free earned him first place.

Newport finished in second place in the team standings (53 points) to Madras (59). Madras was led by sophomore Bryce Williams, tops in the 200 free (1:48.68), and the victorious 200 medley relay of senior Dustin Henderson, Jordan Gemelas, junior Ian Goodwin and sophomore Cade Boston (1:45.56).

Cottage Grove, led by junior Caleb Lecel's first-place finish in the 100 breast (1:01.00), took third with 32 points. Philomath grabbed fourth with 27 points, and Riverdale's 19 points was good for fifth. Riverdale freshman Liam O'Shea finished first in the 500 free (4:50.87).

Bryce Ebel, a freshman at LaGrande, emerged in first in the 100 fly, 6-hundredths ahead of Corbett/Corbett Charter senior Philip Hewitt (53.26 to 53.32). Hewitt prevailed in the 50 free by an even closer margin of victory–2-hundredths ahead of Rainier senior Jade Feigert (22.22-22.24).

Division 5A
State records were set by Wilson senior Grace Carlson in the girls 200 free (1:47.96) and Summit sophomore Tommy Brewer in the boys 100 breast (56.34). Each swimmer also claimed a 5A mark in their second event–Carlson in the 100 back (54.95) and Brewer in the 200 IM (1:51.13). Carlos Hunnicutt, a Springfield junior, set a 5A mark of 50.98 in the 100 fly.

Marist senior Alex Seaver finished his high school competition with victories in the 200 and 500 free (1:41.43 and 4:37.04).

Summit High School claimed the girls 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay. Senior Madi Brewer, freshmen Ali Epple and Merritt Allen, and sophomore Mackenzie Halligan combined for a 1:52.79; the quartet ended the meet with a 3:41.02 in the 400 free relay.

On the boys side, seniors Connor Brenda, Aidan Soles, Marshall Allen and junior Adrien Calmels put together a 1:42.37 in the 200 medley relay; sophomore John Hartmeier joined Allen Soles and Brewer for a winning 3:16.08 in the 400 free relay.

Six sophomore girls posted winning times: Bend's Jennifer Robeson (200 IM, 2:12.19), Lebanon's Maddy Kelly (50 free, 24.33), Cleveland's Ida Donohue (100 fly, 58.62), Sherwood's Julia Bush (100 free, 51.80), West Albany's Kenzie Settlemeyer (100 breast, 1:08.32) and Summit's Halligan (500 free, 5:00.67).

Finding their way to the top of the podium stand on the boys side were Pendleton senior Jacob Rickman (50 free, 21.88); Summit's Hartmeier (100 free, 48.86) and Liberty junior Anton Loncar (100 back, 51.25).

The Bend girls 200 free relay of freshman Chyna Fish, senior Brooke Miller, plus sophomores Jennifer Robeson and Bella Wiener were timed in 1:42.00; Pendleton's quartet of juniors Evan O'Grady and Nick Jennings, sophomore Nate Rickman and senior Jacob Rickman completed the distance in 1:30.46.

Summit claimed both the girls and boys championship titles. The girls scored 58 points to claim the girls team title, followed by Bend (47), West Albany (35), Sherwood (32) and Wilson (20). Summit's boys scored 72 points to Corvallis' 52, Pendleton's 41.5, Liberty's 24 and Ashland's 22.5.

Division 6A
Cameron Stitt capped off his career at Sunset with a state record in the 500 free during prelims (4:25.21) and came in first in finals with a 4:33.89. He came close to a second individual victory, finishing second to classmate Jonathan Zoucha (1:39.23-1:39.41).

Stitt and junior Zoucha teamed up with freshman Tristan Furnary and senior Cole Hurwitz to set a state record 1:33.54 in the 200 medley relay.
Senior Jordan Hurwitz joined Zoucha, Furnary and Stitt for a second relay state record in the 400 free relay (3:08.01).

Hurwitz's 56.41 in the 100 breast earned him a 6A record and fell just 7-hundredths off the existing state record. Furnary cruised to a 50.58 in the 100 back.

Sunset dominated the boys race, putting together 260 points for the win, followed by Southridge (120), Jesuit (105), Lincoln (97) and Grant (90).

Westview senior Michelle Cefal had quite a meet as well. She lowered the state record in the 100 back to 54.81. Rowan Hauber, the second-place winner (54.99) had set the prior mark at 55.19 during prelims, and Wilson's Grace Carlson posted a 54.95 during the 5A meet. Cefal also cleared out Kaylin Bing's state and division mark of 54.52 in the 100 fly with her 53.13.

Blaise Wittenau, a senior at Jesuit, bettered division marks in the 200 IM (2:03.24) and the 500 free (4:52.91). Forest Grove junior Prudence Rooker's 1:03.70 was just 1-tenth shy of the division record.

Lincoln senior Carson Brindle swept the sprint frees with 23.28 in the 50 free and 45.59 in the 100 free. Brindle anchored the victorious 200 free relay with seniors Nicolas Lanker and Andre DeNegri, plus sophomore Bailey Pearson (1:27.02). Newberg's Alysha Bush, also a senior, equaled Brindle's feat with her 23.28 and 50.47 in the 50 and 100 free, respectively.

Individual event champions included Century sophomore Ellie Thornbrue (200 free, 1:50.11), Barlow junior Nicholas Thorne (100 fly, 49.80) and Southridge senior Max Yakubovich (100 fly, 49.80).

First place in the girls relays went to West Linn's 200 medley relay of freshmen Laura Laderoute and Robin Pinger, junior Brie Balsbough and senior Sindey Pinger (1:46.28); Newburg's senior quartet of Alysha Bush,Mekala Gassner, Catherine Mays and Cassie Beecher (1:38.03); and Sunset's sophomore Emily Chen, junior Haley Fellows, sophomore Nina Stitt and senior Marita Sailor (3:34.03).

Jesuit emerged as the girls team victor with 152 points. Sunset finished two points ahead of West Linn for second (145 to 143), with Newberg fourth (100) and Westview (95.5).

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