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Eight state medalists named to swim honors

After one of the most successful seasons in Coach Doug Peargin’s 36 years with the Sweet Home swim team, Peargin decided that he couldn’t hand out the normal couple of captain’s stars given to the team’s leading swimmers.

At the team’s awards banquet Wednesday, March 3, he told the crowd of swimmers and their families that he’d decided two wasn’t enough.

Not after eight of his swimmers scored over 247 points each during the season, through the district meet.

So Peargin called up underclassmen Zac Pearce, Gravy Gunselman and Naomi Gunselman, juniors Niccole Simmonds and Sami Webb, and seniors Jayce Calhoon, Kieran Schaefer and Michael Simmonds.

“There’s so much talent right here, this year I have to give each one a captain’s star or I shouldn’t be coaching,” Peargin said. “That level of talent is rare for a school of this size.”

He said his team’s dedication resulted in a season in which the boys dominated the opposition in every meet in which they had a full team of swimmers in the water, and won their second straight state title, and in which the girls placed a surprising third at the district meet against teams with more depth.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our team,” Peargin said. “Even the kids who didn’t letter swam lifetime bests at the district meet.

That’s all you can ask for.”

He emphasized repeatedly the importance of spending time in the pool, noting that nine swimmers only missed one practice in a season that included two months of daily doubles – the morning practices at 6 a.m.

“That’s why they’ve been so successful, because they’ve been so dedicated,” he said.

Jake Johnson, Derek Jaques, Pearce, Brandon Courteau and Michael Simmonds all received awards for perfect attendance at practices this season, Courteau for the second year in a row and Simmonds for the third.

“One thing you want to note: Our guys were district champs, our guys were state champs and (gesturing at the five award winners) these guys had perfect attendance,” Peargin said. “Swim time matters.”

Four-year letter varsity winners were Calhoon, Schaefer and Simmonds.

Three-year varsity letter winners Webb and Niccole Simmonds.

Second-year varsity letter winners were Jaques, Courteau, Pearce, Dakotah Keys, Byron Sanders, Holden Greene, Alyssa Holder, Alex Stupin, Cheryl Wilson, Katie Turner, Bryce Roberts and Cory Martin.

First-year varsity letters went to Megan Sanderson, Donnie O’Brien, Wes Clarkson, Kimber Swanson, Gabriel Gunselman, Donaven Rockstead, Johnson, Naomi Gunselman, Paige Sanders, Emily Thompson, Shelby Wymetalek, Emily Claborn and Victor Stupin.

JV Awards went to Justin Wales, Josh Liskey, Kyle Lewis, Justin Hilburn and Elric Benson.

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