Lebanon sent an individual swimmer, senior Orianna Buczko, and three relay teams to the 5A state championships last weekend at Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center in Beaverton.
None of them made the finals, but Buczko came close, finishing seventh – one place away from the medals – in the 100 Freestyle in a personal best 58.12, a half-second faster than her districts time, which is one of the fastest times in the program’s history, coach Joe Andrews said.
Andrews said coaches were overall, “very happy” with the Warriors’ performances.
“While we wanted to advance to the finals, this year was another step forward,” he said.
Buczko also competed in the 200 Freestyle, swimming 2:11.16 to finish 11th, a “solid” swim, Andrews said.
Two boys and one girls relay teams competed for the Warriors. All three finished 11th.
In the 200 Freestyle Relay, seniors Grant Basting, Michael Kluttz and Boston Borgmann teamed with sophomore Jack Johnson to finish in 1:37.01, nearly a second below their qualifying time from districts.
The four also swam the 400 Freestyle Relay, finishing in 3:34.73.
Andrews said they were hoping for a slightly higher finish in the 200, “but we swam faster than we have all year.
“It was a nice bonus to swim well on the 400 Free relay but we knew some things beyond our control this year would have to happen for us to make top six.
“This was a great send-off for the three seniors on these teams. Sophomore Jack Johnson dropped significant time over the last two weeks, putting him into a position to earn individual berths next year and really be the core of the team.
“Along with some great improvements from other underclassmen and a few very strong eighth-graders at the club program (next year’s freshmen), it’s exciting to see what the men do over the next couple years.”
The girls 400 Freestyle Relay team of Buczko, junior Molly Basting, sophomore Brooklyn Davis and freshman Samantha Walsh cut six seconds off their district time, finishing in 4:17.75.
“The women’s 400 Free relay really came together and dropped serious time,” Andrews said. “Three of the members of the team were able to benefit from not having individual swims so they were very fresh.
“It is a very encouraging swim going into next year with three of the four women returning along with our alternates. Last year was the first state experience for several of the team, this year that institutional knowledge paid off well.”
