Saturday was a big day for the Sweet Home swim teams, but it was a really big day for senior Kirsten Sautel.
Sautel turned in a dominating performance, capped by a head-turning 53.9-second leg as she came from behind to give the girls a win in the final race of the 1A/2A/3A/4A District 4 Championships held Saturday afternoon and evening, Feb. 15, at South Albany.
Due to complications caused by weather and the fact that the Mid-Willamette Conference used the same pool on the same day for its district championship meet, Sweet Home didn’t get to swim until late afternoon and the meet ended at 10:30 p.m. after all events were run as timed finals – no prelims.
But it didn’t faze the Huskies, who won their 13th straight girls district swimming title and the boys finished a close second to Marist, which literally had more than twice the numbers that Sweet Home had – 18 swimmers to seven.
“We were really happy with how everyone performed,” Coach A Jay Bronson said. “Everybody had a personal best in at least one event.
The girls scored 235 points, winning seven of 11 events, to outscore Junction City (178 points), Marist (143) and Salem Academy (136).
Their achievement marked the 50th straight year that Sweet Home has won a district swimming title on either the boys or girls side, or both.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment,” Bronson said. Now-Assistant Coach Doug Peargin, still on the pool deck, has coached the team every year during that stretch.
The fact that there were no preliminaries on Friday, due to the shutdown of Albany schools on Friday due to snow, helped up the ante on Saturday and things got dramatic at the end – in a competitive way.
The boys were trailing Marist closely going into the final event, the 4×100 Freestyle Relay, and they held their own through the first three legs, Andrew Tolman, Henry Jones and Grayson Savri staying neck and neck with the Spartans, until Marist’s anchor swimmer Jonathan McDonough, who won the 100 Butterfly and 100 Backstroke, pulled away on the final leg and Sweet Home’s Arman Marble couldn’t catch him, despite a valiant effort.
But the Huskies’ second-place finish in 3:42.63 was good enough to get them into state.
“We outswam them, they out-depthed us,” Bronson said. “Getting all three boys’ relays across was something we hoped for, but not something we thought would happen.”
Marist finished with 270 points, 19 ahead of Sweet Home (251), with Philomath third (157).
“We killed it this year,” said senior R.J. Abbott Jr., who led the boys with two individual wins and swam on their two winning relays.
“We have a lot lower numbers than previous years, and we still managed to pull out a second place and the fastest relays we’ve had in a long time. Even though we lost Blake (Arthur, who graduated last year), we still managed to drop two seconds in each relay.”
The girls’ final relay was no less dramatic. Senior Kirsten Sautel had already set the event record in winning the 100 Breaststroke, in 1:05.84, bettering former teammate Malia “Josie” Hewitt’s time of 1:07.59, set in 2022.
But the girls were trailing Marist after three legs of the 4×100, and when Sautel dove in for the anchor leg, she was several meters behind Spartans freshman Mira Firet, who earlier won the 100 Backstroke.
Sautel, looking like the college swimmer she intends to be, furiously stroked down the lane to take the lead after Marist had led the whole race, finishing in 53.9 on Sweet Home coaches’ watches (or 54.07 per the touchpad).
Sautel said she did not expect that time.
“Not at all, oh, my goodness,” she said, adding that her “first goal was to catch up, because I know my teammates were going to catch up for me, just a little bit. I dove in and then I caught her at the 50 and I was like, ‘I just gotta pull it strong.’
“That was my goal the whole time. I couldn’t see her after that first 50.”
Bronson said he saw outstanding performances across the board, but along with Sautel’s heroics and the boys 4×100 swimmers, one of the top swims of the day came from senior Timber Nobles who cut 20 seconds off her previous best time in the 500 Freestyle, finishing in 6:32.04.
Nobles said she did not expect that as she dove in for her final individual race of her high school career.
“I was so tired – I could not talk or breathe, but it was so worth it,” she said of her performance. “I have some pretty amazing coaches and they push me to be the best I can possibly be – especially Mark (Circkosz) and A Jay. I was just going as fast as I can.”
State Qualifiers
Sautel qualified for state in four events, counting two relays, as Sweet Home’s girls finished with eight state qualifiers in seven events, winning district titles in all seven of those.
In addition to the 100 Breaststroke, Kirsten Sautel also won the 200 Freestyle (1:59.13) and her younger sister Khloe Sautel, a freshman, won the 200 Individual Medley (2:19.34) and the 500 Freestyle (5:24.07). Senior Peyton Markell also qualified for state with a third-place finish in the 100 Backstroke (1:08.32) and a fourth-place finish in the 100 Freestyle (1:00.23).
The Sautels, together with Markell, Daisy Lalonde and Lexi Rundell combined in various combinations for wins in all three relays.
On the boys side, Huskies Abbott, Savri, Tolman, Austyn Hogan and Shayne Schuster combined to win individual titles in the 200 Medley Relay and the 200 Freestyle Relay. Abbott also won the 200 Freestyle (1:50.79) and 100 Freestyle (51.37), both handily.
“I’m really happy with my swims.” Abbott said after the meet. “ I feel like I did pretty OK. I missed the district record by .06 seconds (in the 200 Freestyle) so that was kind of a bummer. It lingered on my mind for quite a while.”
Also qualifying for state were Savri, a freshman, in the 200 IM (2:18.33) and the 500 Freestyle (5:38.89), Marble in the 500 Free (5:29.90), Schuster in the 100 Breast (1:05.16) and Tolman in the 100 Backstroke (1:00.75).
Bronson said he expects Catlin Gable to be the team to beat at state and to put the Husky girls in the best position possible, he said Kirsten Sautel will not swim the 200 Freestyle and Markell will not compete in the backstroke at state because swimmers are limited to four events and if they swim all three relays, Sweet Home can score more points than it would from their individual scores.
“We will get second or third, depending on how things shape out,” he said.
“We’re shooting for the best point total possible, the best team outcome possible, which is what makes this different than club swimming or other individual sports, in that you compete at the end of the day as a team.
“And it’s a big thing, especially for captains and our seniors to sometimes scratch their own individual goals to focus on the team.”
The 4A/3A/2A/1A state championships will begin with prelims at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and finals at the same time Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center.
OSAA Special District 4 4A/3A/2A/1A Swimming Championships
Top 3 (Top 5 Relay finishers) and Sweet Home Results
*State Qualifier
#State Qualifier But Foregoing State Individual Event
Girls Results
Team Scores – (1) Sweet Home 235; (2) Junction City 178; (3) Marist 143; (4) Salem Academy 136; (5) Philomath 123; (6) Stayton 107; (7) Sisters 94; (8) Cascade 90; (9) Crosshill Academy 47; (10) Pleasant Hill 46; (11) Blanchet Catholic 43; (12) Kennedy 22.
200 Medley Relay – (1) Sweet Home* (Lexi Rundell, Khloe Sautel, Peyton Markell, Daisy Lalonde) 2:01.59; (2) Marist* 2:02.26; (3) Cascade* 2:09.63; (4) Philomath* 2:13.14; (5) Salem Academy 2:11.87.
200 Freestyle – (1) Kirsten Sautel# (SH) 1:59.13; (2) McKenna Cummins* (Cascade) 2:11.12; (3) Libby Fox* (JC) 2:16.29; (6) Ella Haggas (SH) 2:28.55; (12) Emma Whitton (SH) 2:43.79; (18) Emerson Martineau (SH) 3:08.56.
200 Individual Medley – (1) Khloe Sautel* (SH) 2:19.34; (2) Lily Jackson* (JC) 2:27.51; (3) Piper Van Buskirk (M) 2:29.59; (5) Kylie Melkvik (SH) 2:48.45; (9) Timber Nobles (SH) 2:57.12.
50 Freestyle – (1) Ellie Gladow* (SA) 26.89; (2) Eliana Kuenz* (SA) 27.09; (3) Caitlin Courtney (B) 27.23; (6) Lexi Rundell (SH) 28.06.
100 Butterfly – (1) Piper Van Buskirk* (M) 1:03.95; (2) Evy Hogervorst* (PH) 1:08.43; (3) Kyah Weeber* (P) 1:09.28; (4) Sydney Brink* (PH) 1:10.59; (5) Mae Roth* (S) 1:12.84; (10) Kylie Melkvik (SH) 1:24.48.
100 Freestyle – (1) Ellie Gladow* (SA) 58.82; (2) McKenna Cummins* (C) 29.11; (3) Carson Birky* (SA) 59.41; (4) Peyton Markell* (SH) 1:00.23*; (5) Caitlin Courtney* (B) 1:00.73; (8) Emerson Martineau (SH) 1:28.07.
500 Freestyle – (1) Khloe Sautel* (SH) 5:24.07; (2) Leah Ellerbee* (S) 5:27.86; (3) Fina Miret* (M) 5:33.46; (4) Lily Jackson* (JC) 5:55.08; (7) Daisy Lalonde (SH) 6:27.65; (8) Ella Haggas (SH) 6:28.65; (9) Timber Nobles (SH) 6:32.04.
200 Freestyle Relay – (1) Sweet Home* (Daisy Lalonde, Kirsten Sautel, Lexi Rundell, Khloe Sautel) 1:47.12; (2) Salem Academy* 1:50.54; (3) Junction City* 1:52.83; (4) Cascade* 1:53.54; (5) Sisters 1:55.10.
100 Backstroke – (1) Fina Miret (M) 1:03.77*; (2) Leah Ellerbee (S) 1:05.43*; (3) Peyton Markell# (SH) 1:08.32; (4) Carson Birky* (SA) 1:10.05; (17) Emma Whitton (SH) 1:40.13.
100 Breaststroke – (1) Kirsten Sautel* (SH) 1:05.84; (2) Kyah Weeber* (P) 1:16.10; (3) Bebe Dussell* (JC) 1:20.15;
400 Freestyle Relay – (1) Sweet Home* (Daisy Lalonde, Lexi Rundell, Peyton Markell, Kirsten Sautel) 4:00.80; (2) Marist* 4:06.79; (3) Stayton* 4:24.17; (4) Sweet Home “B” (Emma Whitton, Ella Haggas, Timber Nobles, Kylie Melkvik) 4:43.02; (5) Junction City 4:47.80.
Boys Results
Team Scores – (1) Marist 270; (2) Sweet Home 251; (3) Philomath 157; (4) Stayton 121; (5) Crosshill Christian 109; (6) Blanchet 96; (7) Cascade 94; (8) Junction City 67; (9) Kennedy 30; (10) Salem Academy 29; (11) Sisters 28.
200 Medley Relay – (1) Sweet Home* (Andrew Tolman, Shayne Schuster, RJ Abbott Jr., Austyn Hogan) 1:46.82; (2) Philomath* 1:49.81; (3) Marist* 1:51.31; (4) Blanchet 1:59.77; (5) Marist “B” 2:02.99.
200 Freestyle – (1) R.J. Abbott Jr.* (SH) 1:50.79; (2) Cole Tofflemire* (C) 1:58.20; (3) Arman Marble (SH) 2:02.89; (4) Henry Jones (SH) 2:10.34.
200 Individual Medley – (1) Deegan Deng* (M) 2:16.69; (2) Grayson Savri* (SH) 2:18.33; (3) Charlie Westover (M) 2:20.08; (4) Andrew Tolman (SH) 2:20.17.
50 Freestyle – (1) Joseph Souza* (S) 23.49; (2) Cole Tofflemire* (C) 24.04; (3) Shayne Schuster (SH) 24.17; (5) Austyn Hogan (SH) 25.66.
100 Butterfly – (1) Jonathan McDonough* (M) 54.43; (2) Cameron McLennan* (P) 58.35; (3) Sawyer Bain (CC) 1:04.26.
100 Freestyle – (1) RJ Abbott JR.* (SH) 51.37; (2) Markus Hildebrandt (B) 54.89; (3) Titus Ford (S) 55.69; (5) Austyn Hogan (SH) 56.50.
500 Freestyle – (1) Lucas Brandt* (P) 5:06.96; (2) Arman Marble* (SH) 5:29.90; (3) Charlie Westover* (M) 5:31.47; (4) Grayson Savri* (SH) 5:38.89.
200 Freestyle Relay – (1) Sweet Home* (Austyn Hogan, Shayne Schuster, Grayson Savri, RJ Abbott Jr.) 1:37.14; (2) Marist 1:42.52; (3) Cascade 1:42.60; (4) Philomath 1:42.76; (5) Crosshill Christian 1:49.46.
100 Backstroke – (1) Jonathan McDonough* (M) 56.67; (2) Andrew Tolman* (SH) 1:00.75; (3) Markus Hildebrandt (B) 1:03.02.
100 Breaststroke – (1) Lucas Brandt* (P) 1:02.99; (2) Shayne Schuster* (SH) 1:05.16; (3) Joseph Souza* (S) 1:07.1.
400 Freestyle Relay – (1) Marist* 3:35.81; (2) Sweet Home* (Andrew Tolman, Henry Jones, Grayson Savri, Arman Marble) 3:42.63; (3) Stayton 3:54.45; (4) Cascade 3:58.27; (5) Blanchet 3:59.43.
