By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka High School swim and dive team won 17 of 48 events during last weekend’s invitational at the Blatchley Pool.
Coach Ben Adams said his junior and seniors showed a lot of improvement and his underclassmen are a strong supporting cast.
“Their maturity and effort is evident,” he said. “They perfected thing we have worked so hard over the years to fix, things that freshmen and newcomers are struggling with because we haven’t worked on them as much. It is nice to see that, year after year, they are finally catching on at the end.”
The Wolves girls 200 medley relay is on pace to dent a state record with their 1:55.48 time. Senior Jessica Davis led off with a 28.58 backstroke split, sophomore Grace Harang followed with a 31.50 breaststroke, sophomore Sophia Schwantes a 29.02 butterfly, and senior Kyleigh McArthur a 26.38 freestyle.
Last season at the state championships the girls 200 medley relay, with Skyler Moore and Whitney McArthur in place of Harang and Schwantes, battled with Kodiak and finished second by five-hundreths of a second. Those two times were the fourth and fifth fastest times ever in the history of the Alaska high school championships.
“I think we can be pretty close to breaking that this year,” Adams said. “Considering how well we swam on Saturday. I was extremely surprised and happy with it. I thought that swim was phenomenal and Grace (Harang) split a breaststroke time to keep the relay momentum.”
Sitka sophomore Grace Harang swims the breaststroke in the girls 200 yard IM during the Sitka Invitational swim and dive meet at Sitka’s Blatchley Pool on Friday. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
The girls 200 free relay with McArthur leading off in a 26.56 split, Kai Frawley following in 27.37, Harang in 25.93 and Davis in 25.56 won in 1:45.42 on Friday and won on Saturday in 1:45.52 with Harang leading off in 25.95, McArthur 27.07, Blackmon 26.96, and Davis 25.54. Davis also won the 50 Free on Saturday in 26.59 and 100 Back in 1:03.01. Harang also won the 200 free on Saturday in 2:01.70..
On Friday the girls 400 free relay of Schwantes, freshman Razie Guillory, Frawley, and Blackmon won in 4:04.10. Frawley also won the 100 free on Friday in 1:00.62
“We just have a super solid group of girls that we can do a lot of different things with for the relays,” Adams said. “The goal is to have the fastest in-season time in the state for each of the relays. Our girls put together a really good 400 relay as well.”
Harang, McArthur, Blackmon and Davis teamed up again to win the 400 free relay in 3:53.65 on Saturday.
“Blackmon is a really great asset in the relays this year,” Adams said. “She swam strong and consistent all weekend.”
Harang and Schwantes placed first and second in the 200 IM on Friday with 2:16.99 and 2:30.71, respectively, and first and second in the 100 Breast on Saturday with Harang at 1:11.77 and Schwantes 1:15.89.
In the 100 fly on Friday, Davis and Harang placed first and second with 1:01.34 and 1:02.30, respectively.
The boys 200 medley of freshman Tytan Frawley, senior Jacob Gagner, senior McKinley Janik, and junior Sid Fleming won on Saturday in 1:49.07. They had placed second on Friday to Juneau-Douglas by 1:47.86 to 1:48.50. Those four also teamed to win the final swim of the meet, the boys 400 Free Relay in 3:34.12.
Frawley also won the 100 back on Saturday in 1:03.01. Janik also won the boys 100 fly in 59.32 on Friday and the 200 free in 1:56.92 on Saturday.
“It’s sad but at the same time it is opening a whole new time,” Janik said of his final swims at the Blatchley pool. “My teammates made me feel very respected and happy. I have a really good team behind me, and an even better family.”
On the lighter side coach Adams said his “B” team in the 200 medley relay on Saturday also set a record.
“All four boys were disqualified at one point in the same relay race,” he said.
Freshman Soren Marius was disqualified during his 46.69 back split, freshman Aiden Bailey in his 40.95 breast split, freshman Wesley Urias in his 45.12 fly split, and junior Thomas Bailey in his 30.08 free split.
The Sitka Wolves swim and dive team will next swim at Juneau on September 28-29.
TEAM SCORES
Friday
Women - Thunder Mountain 500, Juneau-Douglas 461, Sitka 459, Ketchikan 275, Petersburg 201, Craig 45.
Men - JDHS 392, Sitka 365, TMHS 347, KTN 297, PSG 173, CRG 121.
Saturday
Women - TMHS 503, Sitka 481, JDHS 415, KTN 279, PSG 220, Wrangell 54.
Men - TMHS 381, JDHS 378, Sitka 351, KTN 328, PSG 209, CRG 78.
FRIDAY SWIMS
Girls 200 Medley Relay - 1 SHS 1:55.48 (Jessica Davis 28.58, Grace Harang 31.50, Sophia Schwantes 29.02, Kyleigh McArthur 26.38); 8 SHS 2:19.49 (Jordan Gagner 33.22, Razie Guillory 37.87, Erin Blankenship 33.42, Chloe Cagle 34.98).
Boys 200 Medley Relay - 1 JDHS 1:47.86 (Peimann 28.28, Weldon 28.97, Goering 25.21, Gardinier 25.40); 2 SHS 1:48.50 (Tytan Frawley 27.64, Jacob Gagner 29.64, McKinley Janik 27.20, Sid Fleming 24.02); 7 SHS 2:22.53 (Thomas Bailey, Colton Ewers, Hunter Littlefield, Aiden Bailey).
Girls 200 Free - 1 TMHS Nancy Liddle 2:08.95 (29.16 32.16 33.78 33.85); 5 SHS Gagner 2:19.11 (32.47 35.15 35.94 35.55); DQ SHS Kira Davis (37.01 47.37 47.41 33.41).
Boys 200 Free - 1 TMHS Micah Grigg 1:54.42 (26.17 29.10 29.49 29.66); 2 SHS Gagner 1:55.31 (26.61 29.36 30.11 29.23); 14 SHS Ewers 2:38.42; 15 SHS Soren Marius 3:14.21.
Girls 200 IM - 1 SHS Harang 2:16.99 (29.14 35.16 39.80 32.89); 2 SHS Schwantes 2:30.71 (31.77 39.75 43.64 35.55).
Boys 200 IM - 1 TMHS Raymie Matiashowski 2:10.07 (28.54 34.78 37.00 29.75); 2 SHS Frawley 2:12.05 (27.69 34.08 40.28 30.00).
Girls 50 Free - 1 TMHS Riley Traxler 26.22; 2 JDHS Cameron Howard 27.28; 3 SHS Molly Blackmon 27.56; 4 SHS Guillory 27.70; 5 SHS Kai Frawley 27.81.
Boys 50 Free - 1 JDHS Tyler Weldon 23.22; 2 SHS Fleming 24.77; 7 SHS Littlefield 28.42; 9 SHS Wesley Urias 30.96; 11 SHS T. Bailey 31.22.
Girls 1 Mtr Diving 1 KTN Jessi Sivertsen 143.20; 5 SHS Kessie Vonscheerschmidt 83.30.
Boys 1 Mtr Diving - 1 JDHS Cian Hart 170.05; 5 SHS James McGlone 88.60; 6 SHS Branden Widdison 55.90; DQ SHS Darren Mitchell, Aiden Bailey.
Girls 100 Fly - 1 SHS J. Davis 1:01.34 (28.25 33.09); 2 SHS Harang 1:02.30 (29.61 32.69); 8 SHS McArthur 1:14.27 (34.08 40.19); 11 SHS Blankenship 1:20.26 (37.33 42.93).
Boys 100 Fly - 1 SHS Janik 59.32 (28.03 31.29).
Girls 100 Free - 1 SHS Frawley 1:00.62 (29.24 31.38); 10 SHS Cagle 1:17.39 (37.03 40.36); 13 SHS K. Davis 1:20.69 (36.85 43.84).
Boys 100 Free - 1 TMHS Grigg 52.61 (25.28 27.33); 2 SHS Frawley 54.47 (26.40 28.07); 9 SHS Littlefield 1:02.17 (29.48 32.69); 15 SHS A. Bailey 1:19.63 (36.48 43.15); 17 SHS Marius 1:34.54 (43.15 51.39).
Girls 500 Free - 1 TMHS Liddle 5:34.72 (29.84 32.77 34.09 33.91 33.91 33.32 34.08 34.71 34.35 33.74); 2 SHS J. Davis 5:41.77 (29.28 32.14 32.82 34.35 34.66 35.96 35.99 35.74 35.81 35.02); 6 SHS Gagner 6:12.75 (32.97 36.53 36.60 37.91 37.73 37.96 38.91 39.01 38.18 36.95).
Boys 500 Free - 1 TMHS Matiashowski 5:09.01 (27.43 30.19 30.95 31.55 31.15 31.41 32.02 31.93 31.77 30.61).
Girls 200 Free Relay - 1 SHS 1:45.42 (McArthur 26.56, Frawley 27.37, Harang 25.93, Davis 25.56); 7 SHS 2:02.11 (Gagner 29.83, K. Davis 34.38, Blankenship 31.12, Blackmon 26.78).
Boys 200 Free Relay - 1 JDHS 1:35.99 (Peimann 23.65, Goering 23.76, Gardinier 25.80, Weldon 22.78); 2 SHS 1:37.64 (Janik 25.11, Fleming 24.74, Frawley 24.40, Gagner 23.39); 7 SHS 2:22.73 (Marius 40.50, A. Bailey 37.81, T. Bailey 29.45, Urias 34.97).
Girls 100 Back - 1 WSC Renee Roberts 1:07.21 (32.82 34.39); 2 SHS Blackmon 1:07.67 (32.88 34.79); 3 SHS McArthur 1:09.23 (34.20 35.03); 8 SHS Schwantes 1:14.56 (35.39 39.17); 12 SHS Blankenship 1:23.28 (41.21 42.07).
Boys 100 Yard Back - 1 JDHS Peimann 59.21 (29.57 29.64); 2 SHS Gagner 1:00.31 (29.27 31.04); 13 SHS Urias 1:18.98; DQ SHS T. Bailey.
Girls 100 Breast - 1 KTN Laura Sherrill 1:17.79 (36.48 41.31); 4 SHS Guillory 1:23.93 (39.43 44.50); 13 SHS Cagle 1:40.71 (47.07 53.64),
Boys 100 Breast - 1 JDHS Weldon 1:05.15 (30.05 35.10); 3 SHS Janik 1:16.78 (35.90 40.88); 4 SHS Fleming 1:18.94 (37.64 41.30); 8 SHS Ewers 1:30.13 (43.08 47.05).
Girls 400 Free Relay - 1 SHS 4:04.10 (Schwantes 30.06 1:02.47, Guillory 28.64 1:01.02, Frawley 28.88 1:01.55, Blackmon 27.87 59.06).
Boys 400 Free Relay - 1 TMHS 3:46.10 (Matiashowski 26.98 56.25, Ely 27.61 59.16, Grigg 24.78 52.25, Loseby 27.27 58.44); 4 SHS 4:37.98 (T. Bailey 1:13.42, Ewers 34.62 1:12.69, Urias 34.04 1:11.70, Littlefield 28.22 1:00.17).
SATURDAY SWIMS
Girls 200 Medley Relay - 1 TMHS 2:01.37 (Heaton 32.11, Heidersdorf 34.50, Liddle 28.91, Traxler 25.85); 2 SHS 2:04.64 (Gagner 33.10, Frawley 34.72, Schwantes 28.81, Guillory 28.01).
Boys 200 Medley Relay - 1 SHS 1:49.07 (Tytan Frawley, Jacob Gagner, McKinley Janik, Sid Fleming); DQ - SHS (Marius 46.69, A. Bailey 40.95, Urias 45.12, T. Bailey 30.08).
Girls 200 Free - 1 SHS Harang 2:01.70 (28.43 31.50 31.13 30.64); 2 SHS McArthur 2:08.82 (30.07 32.72 33.34 32.69); 3 SHS Blackmon 2:10.52 (29.58 33.65 33.61 33.68).
Boys 200 Free -1 SHS Janik 1:56.92 (26.96 29.77); 4 SHS Littlefield 2:14.60 (30.65 34.69 36.28 32.98); 11 SHS Urias 2:37.79 (35.97 40.50 1:21.32).
Girls 200 IM - 1 KTN Sherrill 2:24.89 (31.24 38.20 42.30 33.150; 2 SHS Frawley 2:33.58 (33.13 39.57 43.82 37.06); 12 SHS Cagle 3:21.60 (45.60 54.81 56.95 44.24); 13 SHS K. Davis 3:32.70 (45.79 53.35 1:05.73 47.83).
Boys 200 IM - 1 PHS Peter Kowalski 2:15.32 (29.08 35.22 40.32 30.70); DQ SHS Fleming (32.06 37.21 46.31 34.90).
Girls 50 Free - 1 SHS J. Davis 26.59; 2 PHS Morgan 26.85; 3 WSC Roberts 26.98; DQ SHS Blankenship.
Boys 50 Free - 1 JDHS Peimann 23.90; 15 SHS Ewers 32.01; 18 SHS A. Bailey 35.70; 20 SHS Marius 40.79.
Girls 1 Mtr Diving - 1 TMHS Amber Kahklen 130.55; 4 SHS Vonscheerschmidt 106.30.
Boys 1 mtr Diving - 1 JDHS Hart 162.55; 5 SHS McGlone 90.55; 6 SHS A. Bailey 89.50; 7 SHS Mitchell 75.55; 8 SHS Widdison 60.20.
Girls 100 Fly - 1 TMHS Liddle 1:04.61 (30.49 34.12); 2 SHS Schwantes 1:05.28 (30.43, 34.85); 3 SHS Guillory 1:07.74 (31.82, 35.92); 8 SHS K. Davis 1:53.51 (49.57, 1:03.94).
Boys 100 Fly - 1 TMHS Grigg 58.23 (27.61 30.62); 2 SHS Gagner 58.43 (27.30 31.13); 3 SHS Frawley 1:00.12 (28.49 31.63); DQ SHS Littlefield (35.39 40.52).
Girls 100 Free - 1 WSC Roberts 58.37 (28.72 29.65); 3 SHS McArthur 58.88 (28.59 30.29); 7 SHS Blackmon 1:01.12 (29.31 31.81); 12 SHS Gagner 1:04.63;
Boys 100 Free - 1 PHS Rylan Wallace 54.45 (25.99 28.46); 10 SHS T. Bailey 1:11.67 (31.97 39.70); 11 SHS Urias 1:11.93 (35.51 36.42); 12 SHS Ewers 1:12.24 (34.50 37.74).
Girls 500 Free - 1 TMHS Liddle 5:38.66 (30.47 33.88 34.55 35.08 34.67 34.10 35.00 34.67 33.86 32.38); 4 SHS Guillory 6:03.18 (30.98 34.56 36.82 37.46 37.28 37.52 37.57 36.12); 8 SHS Blankenship 6:53.44 (37.36 40.76 40.75 41.87 42.26 42.51 42.97 42.76 42.11 40.09); 10 SHS Cagle 7:35.42 (39.06 45.57 46.52 45.78 46.40 46.16 45.03 44.87 42.96 53.07).
Boys 500 Free - 1 TMHS Grigg 5:04.55 (27.69 30.10 31.17 31.51 31.51 31.51 30.94 30.85 30.36 28.91); 4 SHS Janik 5:15.70 (27.23 30.05 31.55 31.64 32.13 32.33 33.03 33.41 33.01 31.32); 9 SHS Gagner 6:24.20 (30.08 35.77 37.67 39.47 40.10 40.38 40.93 40.84 39.89 39.07).
Girls 200 Free Relay - 1 SHS 1:45.52 (Harang 25.95, McArthur 27.07, Blackmon 26.96, J. Davis 25.54); 2 SHS 1:55.67 (Blankenship 32.86, Frawley 27.69, Guillory 27.87, Schwantes 27.25).
Boys 200 Free Relay - 1 PHS 1:43.36 (Kowalski 25.08, Lockhart 27.69, Spigelmyre 26.24, Wallace 24.35); 5 SHS 2:10.63 (Marius 40.52, Ewers 32.41, Urias 31.17, Littlefield 26.53).
Girls 100 Back - 1 SHS J. Davis 1:03.01 (30.19 32.82); 3 SHS Gagner 1:10.92 (35.41 35.51)..
Boys 100 Back - 1 SHS Frawley 1:03.01 (30.75 32.26); 4 SHS Fleming 1:07.14 (32.77 34.37); 10 SHS Marius 1:42.66 (48.61 54.05).
Girls 100 Breast - 1 SHS Harang 1:11.77 (33.67 38.10); 2 SHS Schwantes 1:15.89 (35.48 40.41); 5 SHS Frawley 1:18.55 (37.05 41.50).
Boys 100 Breast - 1 TMHS Matiashowski 1:10.72 (33.08 37.64); 9 SHS T. Bailey 2:08.55 (55.42 1:13.13).
Girls 400 Free Relay - 1 SHS 3:53.65 (Harang 27.99 57.28, McArthur 27.99 58.83, Blackmon 27.67 59.01, J. Davis 27.42 58.53); 8 SHS 4:56.22 (Blankenship 34.42 1:10.75, Cagle 37.33 1:19.92, K. Davis 37.46 1:21.95, Gagner 30.20 1:03.60).
Boys 400 Free Relay - 1 SHS 3:34.12 (Janik 25.85 53.70, Fleming 26.23 56.24, Frawley 25.73 52.93, Gagner 24.56 51.25); 7 SHS 4:52.74 (T. Bailey 1:16.36, A. Bailey 35.87 1:20.83, Ewers 35.45 1:14.86, Littlefield 28.78 1:00.69).
