By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka High’s swim and dive team finished out the season with a strong showing at the state championship in Anchorage over the weekend.
The Lady Wolves captured fourth place out of 22 teams. The boys team finished in 14th place of 21 teams, but had only one scoring swimmer, Tytan Frawley. In the girls meet, Diamond High School took first. For the boys, Service High School claimed first.
Speaking about the entire season, coach Tabitha Frawley said everyone had at least four personal best times.
Grace Harang improved the Wolves’ record in the 50-yard freestyle yet again. She finished the event in 24.57, taking second place only 0.04 seconds behind the first place finisher.
“Grace’s 50-free was close,” the coach said. “The girl she was swimming next to was six feet, and Grace is much shorter than that. So they were up there, and Grace, I thought she had it.”
In the girls 200-yard medley relay, Sitka took fifth place at 1:53.22. The swimmers were Jordan Gagner, Grace Harang, Kai Frawley, and Razie Guillory.
Sophia Schwantes finished the 100-yard butterfly in an even minute, taking fourth place. Schwantes went into the meet seeded fifth, but edged out Ketchikan’s Laura Sherrill by 0.02 seconds.
In this November 1 photo from the Region V championship meet, Sophia Schwantes swims the 100-yard butterfly. Schwantes swam the event at the state meet, where she took fourth at an even 1:00.00. (Sentinel photo by James Poulson)
Sitka’s girls took second place in the 400-yard freestyle relay, an event they’ve dominated this season. Razie Guillory, Emma Gassman, Sophia Schwantes, and Grace Harang finished the event in 3:41.07.
Gassman claimed third in the 500-yard freestyle at 5:17.71. She also took third in the 200 freestyle at 200:27.
In addition to the strong performances by Sitka’s swimmers, Olympic qualifier Lydia Jacoby of Seward swam at the meet. Jacoby took first in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Sitka’s sole diver, Brandon Widdison finished in tenth place. Coach Frawley said that he “threw out some really amazing dives.”
Sitka’s only boy swimming, Tytan Frawley, took fifth in the 200 freestyle at 1:46.25. In the long-distance 500 freestyle, Frawley took second place with a time of 4:48.06. While the Sitka boys team took 14th place overall, coach Frawley said that was “pretty good for one person scoring.”
Tytan Frawley swims the 500 freestyle in the second day region championship meet, in Sitka, November 2. Frawley took second place in the event at the state meet with his time of 4:48.06. (Sentinel photo by James Poulson)
“We couldn’t have done this season without the community,” the coach told the Sentinel. With only a handful of athletes graduating from the team, she said “I think next season’s going to be great.”
