GIRLS SWEEP RELAYS AT SWIMMING DISTRICTS

The foursome of Michelle Young , Tia Berg , Katie Stewart and Courteney Satko raced to three first places at the District 3 Swimming Championships in Albany on February 12 and 13.

Leading the medley "A" relay with a 29.33 second backstroke leg, Michelle Young got the group off to a great start, followed by Tia Berg in a PR of 37.14 in the breaststroke, Katie Stewart in a 30.61 butterfly and senior anchor, Courteney Satko , in a 25.89 freestyle leg.

The same relay also swept the 200 yds freestyle relay by almost a second over powerhouse Cascade. The Outlaws put everything into the race and came up with several personal bests during the swim. Michelle Young led with with a 26.63, followed by Tia Berg (28.02), Katie Stewart (27.42) and Courteney Satko (25.62). The final time of 1:47.69 came within a fingernails reach to the old Sisters High School record of 1:47.46.

The last relay of the day, the 400 yds freestyle relay was the biggest improvement for the same girls. Young (58.34), Berg (1:03.30), Stewart (1:01.12) and Satko (56.53) had broken their high school record already twice before in this season and topped it off with best personal splits all around.

All Outlaw "B" relays finished in the top of consolation finals (7th through 12th place). Hillary Johnson (36.5), Peggy Barrett (44.2), Cierra Tigard (37.0) and Samantha Williamson (29.25) were 8th in the 200 yds medley relay.

 

The fifth fastest time (1:59.69) in the 200 yds relay went to Samantha Williamson (29.87), Peggy Barrett (31.54) , Karah Herr (29.33)and Hillary Johnson (28.95) and winner of consolation finals in the 400 yds freestyle were Samantha Williamson (1:05.01), Peggy Barrett (1:13.02), Cierra Tigard (1:13.02) and Hillary Johnson (1:04.98).

Courteney Satko added another first place finish to the medal collection with a great swim in the 50 yds freestyle (26.00 - same as her state prelim time in 2009), Michelle Young was third in the 100 yds backstroke (1:06.28) and Tia Berg outtouched three of her closest competitors in the 100 yds freestyle (PR 1:03.11) race in championship finals. Cascade's Shelby Lundin (1:03.71) was fourth and Stayton's Emma Englehart (1:03.83) fifth.

Hillary Johnson (PR 1:03.11), also entered in the same event, was the winner of consolation finals and tied Tia Berg. Samantha Williamson (PR 1:04.23) finished second in consols.

District rules prohibit moving from consolation finals to championship finals even if the times in consolations are faster than championship finals.

Other consolation final swims by the girls were 10th place by Clare Greaney in the 100 yds breaststroke (1:37.68) and 11th place by Harley Bowler (1:38.19) as well as 12th place in the 200 yds freestyle by Geneieve Mackenzie (2:54.50).

All first place finishers advance automatically to State Championships in Gresham February 19 and 20 at the Mt. Hood Community College Aquatic Center in Gresham. Additional competitors are chosen by the next fastest times from all four district championships that were held this past weekend.

BOYS FINISH STRONG AT DISTRICTS 

 

In a last powerful attempt to swim well enough to make it into State Swimming Championships on several wild card entries, Tyler Berg (57.83), Justin Duvenick (57.82), Tyler Baldessari (54.66) and Holden Sellentin (53.64) earned bronze medals for the third best 400 yds freestyle race (3:43.95), shattering the old Sisters High School record by almost four seconds.

 

Sweet Home dominated not only this event (3:29.46) but also easily won District Championships again.

 

The Outlaws finished 5^th in the other two relays and in the process raised their chances to get into State Championships also in these events.   

 

Tyler Baldessari led off the 200 yds medley relay with a backstroke PR of 28.67, followed by Nick Luz in the breaststroke (33.08), Justin Duvenick in the butterfly (28.24) and Holden Sellentin in the freestyle (23.46). Their combined time of 1:53.45 was only 0.43 seconds slower than 4^th place finisher Junction City and faster than the 8^th fastest time at State last year.

 

Justin Duvenick (25.61) was first off the blocks in the 200 yds freestyle relay with Jake Miller (PR 25.04) second, Tyler Baldessari (25.12) and anchor Holden Sellentin (24.29). Their combined time of 1:40.06 might earn the Outlaws a wild card to state championships as well.

 

 

Top championship finals finishers individually were Holden Sellentin , 4^th in the 50 yds freestyle (23.93), Tyler Berg , 4^th in the 500 yds freestyle (5:54.32) , Tyler Baldessari , 4^th in the 100 yds backstroke (1:02.37) and Billy Sampson in the 100 yds breaststroke (1:15.66).

 

 

 

All three Outlaws relays either won or were second in consolation finals.

 

The "B" medley relay with Tyler Berg (backstroke 32.05), Jonathan Standen (breaststroke 34.51), Billy Sampson (butterfly PR 29.17) and anchor Jake Miller (freestyle PR 25.59) were first with a time of 2:01.32.

 

The 200 yds freestyle "B" relay with Billy Sampson (PR 26.98), Cameron Valdez (PR 26.11), Bryant Lasken (PR 27.33) and Seth Flanders (PR 25.42) finished second in consolation finals behind Cascade "A".

 

Miller , Sampson , Valdez and Flanders teamed up for the 400 yds freestyle "B" team. Jake Miller (55.61) swam the fastest leg as anchor and out-touched the Sweet Home "B" team by 0.26 seconds to win consolation finals.