Homer boys break SoHi's dominance

Call it deja vu. Call it destiny. Call it dynamic. But Homer's boys swimming team and Soldotna's girls team can call the 2001 Region III swimming meet a done deal, as each team repeated its winning performances Saturday from a dual meet just a week earlier.

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Soldotna's girls took first place overall with 82.5 team points, a convincing margin over Homer's 64 points. The Mariners' boys bested Soldotna's boys 88-81, in what came down to the 400-yard freestyle relay -- the final race of the day -- being the deciding race.

"I was about ready to have a heart attack," said Mariners coach Trent Fischer after watching his relay team inch out the Stars by a half of a second and sealing the region championship for Homer.

It was the first region crown for the Mariners as they became just the second team in 22 years to deny Soldotna's boys of the title. With their effort, the Mariners helped earn Fischer Coach of the Year honors.

"I couldn't be happier," Fischer said. "There's so much good that's happened here today, it's hard to pinpoint."

These good things included a new school record of 1 minute, 32.80 seconds set by the boys 200-yard freestyle relay team, beating out a time set in 1992. Homer senior Monica Ulmer set a regional record of 1:09.61 in the 100-yard breaststroke finals, besting her previous record by nearly a second and leading the girls team to a second-place finish.

Fischer said he was pleased with the way his team performed, but said he would expect even more from them in the state meet.

"They deserve what they got," Fischer said. "They worked their butts off all year. That's why they won. We're going to continue doing what we have been doing. I expect these guys to do even better at state."

Soldotna coach Sohail Marey was excited about his girls victory and their prospects for the state finals.

"I'm happy with their performance," he said.

He said he had high expectations for his team and got what he wanted. Although his boys did not win regions as a team, he said many of them will still see the state finals next weekend.

"A lot of their times are good enough for state," he said. "So, we'll be there. Most of us will be there."

But he said what happened to his boys team was the result of complacency.

Soldotna's Leo Grasso enters the water between competitors from Kodiak, at top, and Homer at the start of the backstroke portion of the 200-yard medley relay Saturday.

Photo by M. SCOTT MOON

"Our school had the tradition of winning this and taking this for granted," Marey said.

Monica Ulmer had set her sights on her record early in the meet, after just missing the record in her victory in the girls 200-yard intermediate medley race.

"It was a second and two-tenths off," Ulmer said of her 2:14.12 finish. "Hopefully, I can get it down to 2:13 or 2:12. I want to break that (breaststroke) record."

She did.

Homer junior Ben Kuhns soared past Soldotna's Clayton Harrison to cinch the 400 relay win, but said he had set other goals for the day around winning the 100-yard backstroke.

"At the beginning of the year, I was swimming 59s," Kuhns said. "And I saw Leo (Grasso of Soldotna). He was doing 57s. All I wanted to do was beat Leo."

He won the backstroke, setting a personal best time of 56.49 seconds and defeating Grasso's 58.07 seconds. He said the team victory, however, meant more to him.

"I really wanted to to beat SoHi," he said, "because Homer has never won regionals."

Soldotna's boys were not without their own bright moments. After taking second in the boys 200 freestyle, Nick Sorrell bounced back, winning the 100 breaststroke and earning a berth in the state finals. He said he could have won the 200 if he'd started his surge from behind Valdez winner Luke Thomas a little sooner.

"I held out a little too long," Sorrell said. "I wanted a better time. I'll work on it and improve at state."

Ty Mann-Schweigert, who was out sick at last weekend's dual meet with Homer, also rebounded well, winning the 50 freestyle with a personal best time of 22.92 seconds and winning a spot in the state finals.

"At the beginning of the year, my goal was to get 22s in the 50 freestyle," he said. "Yesterday, when I swam the preliminaries, I got it for the first time. Today's time was even better."

Many of the girls had outstanding showings at Saturday's event, with Kenai's Rachel Knowles winning the 1-meter diving competition with school-record 375.05 points. She also earned enough points for consideration to be named onto the All-American prep swim team.

Skyview's Stephanie Lambe swims to a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle event Saturday during the Region III championships at Homer High School.

Photo by M. SCOTT MOON

"I've had Rachel diving with me since she was in the fourth grade," said Kenai coach Will Hubler. "We've got to perfect a few more dives, but she'll be ready for next week."

Knowles said she is already strategizing for her state performance.

"My toughest dive today was the back one-and-a-half," she said. "I got a '5' and a '5 1/2' on it. That's one of the dives I'll be working to get up for state."

Knowles and Kelly Mogg of Kodiak's boys team were named Region 3 Top Divers for Saturday's meet. Top swimmer honors went to Valdez's Luke Thomas and Colony's Sarah Brettrager. Thomas and Brettrager won two events, each with Thomas taking first in the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly and Brettrager setting Region III records in the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle.

Brettrager, however, said she had done better than the 14-year-old record of 24.80 seconds before she came to the regional 50-yard finals.

"I didn't swim my best time here," Brettrager said. "I swam my best time (24.12) in practice. When I saw this record and how old it was, I set that as my goal."

The 100 record, she said, was an added surprise.

"The 100 wasn't my goal," she said. "I just kind of went on cruise control."

Thomas found smooth sailing to his first victory a bit further from reach than he expected.

"I was thinking 'smooth strokes,'" Thomas said. "The first 100 felt good. The second didn't feel like they should have. Other than that, it was a good race."

He was able to cruise to a healthy one-second lead over Mann-Schweigert, however, in the 100 butterfly.

Fischer said he's unsure where his team will end up in the state finals, but he is hopeful that it will be near the top.

"I'd really like to place in the top three," he said.

All first-place finishers automatically qualify for the state meet. After that, the top 12 best times in the state will qualify. With regional finals going on statewide, the names of all qualifying times were not available at press time.

Other automatic qualifiers include Soldotna's boys 200 yard medley relay team; Nathan Rose, of Kodiak, for the boys 200 intermediate medley and 500 freestyle; Renae Rykaczewski, of Homer, for the girls 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke; Jake Bell, of Homer, for the boys 100 freestyle; Caitlin Coleman, of Valdez, for the girls 500 freestyle; and Homer's 200 freestyle relay team.

The Alaska state swimming and diving finals will be held Friday and Saturday at Bartlett High School in Anchorage.

REGION III CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday

in Homer

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES: 1. Soldotna, 82.5; 2. Homer, 64; 3. Valdez, 55; 4. Colony, 54; 5. Kenai Central, 22; 6. Wasilla, 20; 7. Palmer, 14; 8. Skyview, 13; 9. Seward, 5.5

200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY -- 1. Soldotna (Amberlee Query, Karina Petersen, Abby Kiffmeyer, Jenna Syverson), 1 minute, 54.17 seconds; 2. Homer, 1:58.97; 3. Valdez, 2:00.88; 4. Palmer, 2:08.18; 5. Kenai, 2:11.06; 6. Wasilla, 2:12.07.

200 FREESTYLE -- 1. Keely Chavka, Sol, 2:03.49; 2. Stephanie Lambe, Sky, 2:05.55; 3. Atali Smith, Was, 2:07.53; 4. Jen Jenkins, Ken, 2:12.18; 5. Ruth McConnell, Ken, 2:15.53; 6. Stephanie Van Der Sluis, Sol, 2:17.99.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY -- 1. Monica Ulmer, Hom, 2:14.12; 2. Caitlin Coleman, Val, 2:16.47; 3. Elise Long, Col, 2:21.54; 4. Jamie Call, VAl, 2:25.58; 5. Amberlee Query, Sol, 2:27.88; 6. Katelyn Wythe, Hom, 2:28.38.

50 FREESTYLE -- 1. Sarah Brettrager, Col, 24.50; 2. Jenna Syverson, Sol, 24.92; 3. Tara Ganser, Sew, 26.25; 4. Jorin Klawitter, Col, 26.41; 5. Caitlin Martin, Sol, 26.52; 6. Leah Thomas, Val, 26.96.

DIVING -- 1. Rachel Knowles, Ken, 375.05; 2. Cara Hesselbach, Was, 278.30; 3. Blair Pettijohn, Was, 263.20; 4. Elizabeth Embick, Val, 227.55; 5. Sarah Gilette, Col, 215.60; 6. Jesse Miller, Ken, 180.35.

100 BUTTERFLY -- 1. Renae Rykaczewski, Hom, 1:01.19; 2. Abby Kiffmeyer, Sol, 1:01.43; 3. Katie Fair, Val, 1:02.10; 4. Kelly Cross, Pal, 1:03.19; 5. Allison Willis, Was, 1:06.72; 6. Rhiannon Jennings, Hom, 1:08.05.

100 FREESTYLE -- 1. Sarah Brettrager, Col, 53.86; 2. Jenna Syverson, Sol, 54.94; 3. Jorin Klawitter, Col, 58.68; 4. Jen Jenkins, Ken, 58.77; 5. Tara Ganser, Sew, 58.78; 6. Caitlin Martin, Sol, 58.78.

500 FREESTYLE -- 1. Caitlin Coleman, Val, 5:25.66; 2. Elise Long, Col, 5:33.60; 3. Keely Chavka, Sol, 5:33.72; 4. Atali Smith, Was, 5:37.46; 5. Hannah Baechler, Hom, 5:47.80; 6. Stephanie Van Der Sluis, Sol, 6:01.05.

200 FREESTYLE RELAY -- 1. Soldotna (Caitlin Martin, Abby Kiffmeyer, Keely Chavka, Jenna Syverson), 1:42.63; 2. Colony, 1:44.09; 3. Valdez, 1:46.58; 4. Homer, 1:52.47; 5. Skyview, 1:52.93; 6. Kenai, 1:52.99.

100 BACKSTROKE -- 1. Renae Rykaczewski, Hom, 1:01.46; 2. Abby Kiffmeyer, Sol, 1:01.84; 3. Amberlee Query, Sol, 1:04.67; 4. Kelly Cross, Pal, 1:06.67; 5. Leah Thomas, Val, 1:08.06; 6. Melissa Malcolm, Hom, 1:09.89.

100 BREASTSTROKE -- 1. Monica Ulmer, Hom, 1:09.61; 2. Katie Fair, Val, 1:11.38; 3. Karina Petersen, Sol, 1:13.71; 4. Jamie Call, Val, 1:13.88; 5. Liz Percak-Dennett, Col, 1:17.80; 6. Britta Baechler, Hom, 1:18.93.

400 FREESTYLE RELAY -- 1. Homer (Hannah Baechler, Katelyn Wythe, Renae Rykaczewski, Monica Ulmer), 3:49.07; 2. Colony, 3:51.74; 3. Soldotna, 3:54.28; 4. Valdez, 4:04.09; 5. Skyview, 4:13.40; 6. Palmer, 4:21.59.

TEAM SCORES: 1. Homer, 88; 2. Soldotna, 81; 3 (tie). Valdez, Kodiak, 52; 5 (tie). Seward, Palmer, 14; 7. Cordova, 13; 8. Kenai Central, 10; 9. Colony, 6.

200 FREESTYLE RELAY -- 1. Soldotna (Leo Grasso, Clayton Harrison, Seth Chavka, Ty Mann-Schweigert), 1:46.88; 2. Homer, 1:47.69; 3. Kodiak, 1:50.99; 4. Valdez, 1:56.31; 5. Cordova, 1:57.29; 6. Colony, 2:01.96.

200 FREESTYLE -- 1. Luke Thomas, Val, 1:49.38; 2. Nick Sorrell, Sol, 1:51.17; 3. Ben Kuhns, Hom, 1:51.98; 4. Leo Grasso, Sol, 1:54.73; 5. Logan Beun, Pal, 1:58.21; 6. Darryl Wythe, Hom, 1:58.53.

200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY -- 1. Nathan Rose, Kod, 2:06.03; 2. Evan Smith, Hom, 2:08.94; 3. Andy Vait, Hom, 2:10.72; 4. Travis Riley, Hom, 2:13.18; 5. Alex Park, Val, 2:13.54; 6. Seth Chavka, Sol, 2:14.29.

50 FREESTYLE -- 1. Ty Mann-Schweigert, Sol, 22.92; 2. Jake Bell, Hom, 23.20; 3. J.D. Pault, Ken, 23.81; 4. Jacob Boulden, Sew, 24.00; 5. Jonah Swiderski, Sew, 24.23; 6. Jeremy Young, Kod, 24.25.

DIVING -- 1. Kelly Mogg, Kod, 400.90; 2. Eric Hansen, Pal, 371.45; 3. Tyler Randolph, Kod, 356.85; 4. Jordan Cubbedge, Kod, 337.90; 5. Hal Willardson, Pal, 259.60; 6. Eric Bleicher, Col, 186.70.

100 BUTTERFLY -- 1. Luke Thomas, Val, 54.51; 2. Ty Mann-Schweigert, Sol, 56.04; 3. Evan Smith, Hom, 56.83; 4. Jamey Smith, Hom, 57.58; 5. Seth Chavka, Sol, 58.15; 6. Greg Rose, Kod, 58.63.

100 FREESTYLE -- 1. Jake Bell, Hom, 49.96; 2. Clayton Harrison, Sol, 52.31; 3. Jesse Tapley, Ken, 52.33; 4. Aladean Marey, Sol, 52.36; 5. Darryl Wythe, Hom, 52.75; 6. Wade Turner, Col, 53.70.

500 FREESTYLE -- 1. Nathan Rose, Kod, 5:03.33; 2. Jimmy Rutter, Val, 5:03.94; 3. Alex Park, Val, 5:14.51; 4. Logan Bean, Pal, 5:24.55; 5. Matt Goudreau, Val, 5:32.98; 6. Lance Haggerty, Hom, 5:42.11.

200 FREESTYLE RELAY -- 1. Homer (Jake Bell, Andy Vait, Ben Kuhns, Evan Smith), 1:32.80; 2. Soldotna, 1:33.48; 3. Valdez, 1:35.53; 4. Cordova, 1:43.55; 5. Kodiak, 1:43.87; 6. Colony, 1:46.84.

100 BACKSTROKE -- 1. Ben Kuhns, Hom, 56.49; 2. Leo Grasso, Sol, 58.07; 3. Jeremy Young, Kod, 59.46; 4. Clayton Harrison, Sol, 1:00.19; 5. J.D. Pault, Ken, 1:00.41; 6. Aladean Marey, Sol, 1:00.71.

100 BREASTSTROKE -- 1. Nick Sorrell, Sol, 1:03.55; 2. Jacob Boulden, Sew, 1:05.37; 3. Andy Vait, Hom, 1:05.74; 4. Martin Soucek, Val, 1:07.57; 5. Sean Beecher, Cor, 1:09.15; 6. Chance Gray, Cor, 1:12.49.

400 FREESTYLE RELAY -- 1. Homer (Jake Bell, Darryl Wythe, Ben Kuhns, Evan Smith), 3:24.44; 2. Soldotna, 3:24.98; 3. Valdez, 3:30.73; 4. Kodiak, 3:32.45; 5. Seward, 4:01.68; 6. Palmer, 4:17.22.