The Husky boys swim squad overran Valley Catholic 123-40 and the girls squad pulled off a 71-65 win in the last regular swimming meet of the year.
The squads head for the district meet Friday and Saturday to be held at South Albany High School.
Veteran Coach Doug Peargin said his squads are right on track as they head into the final two weeks of competition.
“We’re ready for a big meet,” Coach Peargin said. “Our sprinters have already begun to taper and our distance swimmers will start today (Friday). Without question are toughest competition will be from Junction City in the boys meet.”
Coach Peargin said he hopes to push five Huskies into the finals in the 200 and 500 meter freestyle races.
“We’re deep there,” Coach Peargin said. “Our relays could go far, too. It would be a major upset to beat Junction City though.”
LaGrande and Seaside will join Junction City as the teams to beat at the state meet, Coach Peargin believes.
From the girls perspective, Coach Peargin said there will be several teams with one, two or three good swimmers but as a team, the finals will be a wildcard.
“The race isn’t as secure as with the guys,” Coach Peargin said.
Sweet Home’s team chances are hampered somewhat by a lack of numbers, with only six girls.
Senior Nicole Starha has led the girls squad this season and says she heads into her last district meet “scared.”
“I think our chances are pretty good but we don’t have a lot of bodies,” Starha said.
Jeff Ecker said the boys squad has come together as a team after losing talented Rhys Birky to graduation.
“We’ve come a long way,” Ecker said. “We expect to meet or exceed where we finished last year.”
The Huskies won the district title, took second at the state meet and won the 400 free relay there.
Boys Results
Sweet Home 123
Valley Catholic 40
200 medley relay: SHHS, first, 1:53.63 (Ecker, Hjørngaard, Bate, Martin).
200 freestyle: Martin, first, 2:04.36; F. Coulter, second, 2:08.48; J. Davis, third, 2:32.53.
200 I.M.: Burford, second, 2:25.83; Stratman, third, 2:34.29; Caswell, fourth, 3:28.31.
50 freestyle: Hjørngaard, first, 27.38; Ertsgaard, second, 27.43.
100 butterfly: Burford, first, 1:07.50; Lovik, second, 1:16.41; L. Coulter, third, 1:16.64; Casewell, fourth, 1:42.55.
100 freestyle: Ecker, first, 53.92; Bate, second, 55.83.
500 freestyle: Martin, first, 5:28.62; F. Coulter, second, 5:59.70; Lovik, fourth, 6:46.10.
200 free relay: SHHS A, first, 1:46.69 (L. Coulter, F. Coulter, Stratman, Burford); SHHS B, second, 1:54.13 (Lovik, Ertsgaard, Davis, Hjørngaard).
100 backstroke: Ecker, first, 59.52; Bate, second, 1:09.43; L. Coulter, third, 1:11.11.
100 breast stroke: Stratman, first, 1:14.52; Hjørngaard, second, 1:14.62; Davis, fifth, 1:43.51.
400 free relay: SHHS A, first, 3:44.30 (Martin, Burford, Bate, Ecker); SHHS B, third, 4:08.17 (L. Coulter, Stratman, Erstgaard, F. Coulter).
Girls Results
Sweet Home 71
Valley Catholic 65
200 medley relay: SHHS A, first, 2:12.31 (Jones, Starha, Birky, Helfrich).
200 freestyle: Birky, first, 2:14.45; Jones, second, 2:33.68.
200 I.M.: Starha, first, 2:30.27; Larsen, fourth, 3:21.44.
50 freestyle: Helfrich, first, 29.08.
100 butterfly: Starha, first, 1:12.16.
100 freestyle: Helfrich, first, 1:05.61.
500 freestyle: Birky, first, 5:58.11.
200 free relay: SHHS A, first, 1:57.68 (Starha, Jones, Helfrich, Birky).
100 backstroke: Jones, first, 1:19.80.
100 breast stroke: Larsen, fourth, 1:37.80; Miashita, fifth, 1:44.63.