Coach Doug Peargin said he knew the Huskies were ready for a home meet against Philomath and Salem Academy, two of the stronger teams in Sweet Home’s swimming district, on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
But the Huskies exceeded his expectations with runaway wins on both the girls and boys sides, and a new school record in the girls 200 Medley Relay.
“I was somewhat surprised by how well we competed,” Peargin said. “We have the type of team that can rise to the occasion, but with the two-a-day workouts and the amount of yardage that we’re doing, I thought we would have more trouble than we did coming up with big swim after big swim.”
Sweet Home wound up with 19 personal-best times and 17 first-place finishes out of 22 events, dominating the competition.
Leading the way was the 200 Freestyle Relay team of junior Makayla Nelson, freshman Lauren Yon, sophomore Jessica Coates and sophomore Lucie Davis in 1:53.8, breaking a 28-year-old school record set by Tami Green, Leah Land, Peggy West and Kristi Peargin, the coach’s daughter, of 1:54.5 in 1987.
The new record is one of the fastest times in the state in any division this year.
Peargin said the mentality it takes to win has spread throughout his team, which is larger than usual on both sides and includes a lot of rookie swimmers, some of whom are moving ahead of the competition into scoring positions in races.
“Through the toughness of our veterans, our new swimmers are seeing how to step up and compete at the top of their game,” he said. “Consequently, by getting tougher, they also are starting to score points for our team.
“I feel we’re a little ahead of where we were at this time last year, but to get to where we want to be, we still have a bit to go.”
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Sweet Home sent a limited team to Salem Saturday, Jan. 17, where the Huskies competed for the first time in the Salem Breast Cancer Awareness Invitational.
Peargin said the meet was “fun,” with several events not normally swum at the high school level.
Nine of the Huskies swimmers were competing in a club meet in Washington and others were sick, so the team was depleted. However, Sweet Home still wound up second in the girls in a five-team field, and third in the boys.
Salem Academy won the girls team competition with 138 points, followed by the Huskies (65), Blanchet (58), Stayton (33) and Cascade (20. On the boys side, Blanchet walked away with the team win, with 108 points, followed by Salem Academy (101), Sweet Home (75), Cascade (29) and Stayton (7).
Sweet Home will be back in the water Saturday at South Albany Aquatic Center, the pool that will be used for the district championships Feb. 13-14.
“This gives our swimmers a chance to compete in the district pool one time before we go there for District,” Peargin said.
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Sweet Home vs Salem Academy and Philomath
Girls Results Top 3 and Sweet Home Finishers
*Personal Best **School Record
Team Results – (1) Sweet Home 158; (2) Salem Academy 86; (3) Philomath 64.
200 Medley Relay – (1) Sweet Home (Makayla Nelson, Lauren Yon, Jessica Coates, Lucie Davis) 1:53.81**; (2) Salem Academy 1:59.36; (3) Sweet Home “B” (Esther Gunselman, Elea Hewitt, Mia Davis, Sara Helfrich) 2:09.35; (4) Philomath 2:12.58; (5) Sweet Home “C” (Natasha Benson, Milah Weld, Sierrah Owen, Kendra Vorce) 2:26.07; (6) Philomath “B” 2:27.81; (7) Salem Academy “B” 2:34.12; (8) Philomath “C” 3:01.28; (9) Sweet Home “D” (Hope Fears, Kendyl Stutzman, Megan Oberg, Loka Eksa) 3:07.12.
200 Freestyle – (1) Makayla Nelson (SH) 2:04.50; (2) Jessica Coates (SH) 2:06.92; (3) Grace Warde (Salem Academy) 2:18.73; (4) Sara Helfrich (SH) 2:24.72*; (6) Maddee Hawken (SH) 2:38.81*.
200 Individual Medley – (1) Lucie Davis (SH) 2:21.60; (2) Joelle Debban (Salem Academy) 2:34.71; (3) Elea Hewitt (SH 2:36.69; (4) Natasha Benson (SH) 2:56.81; (7) Livvie Hindmarsh (SH) 3:03.11.
50 Freestyle – (1) Lauren Yon (SH) 25.75; (2) Kendra Sheeder (P) 26.79; (3) Esther Gunselman (SH) 27.50; (8) Kendra Vorce (SH) 31.86; (16) Carol Ann Ross (SH) 39.08; (18) Hope Fears (SH) 39.29; (22) Kendyl Stutzman (SH) 42.16; (25) Loka Eksa (SH) 54.62.
100 Butterfly – (1) Jessica Coates (SH) 1:00.91*; (2) Mia Davis (SH) 1:07.83*; (3) Emma Boles (Salem Academy) 1:08.47; (7) Sierrah Owen (SH) 1:31.61.
100 Freestyle – (1) Makayla Nelson (SH) 56.53; (2) Kiera Supple (Salem Academy) 1:00.34; (3) Molly Gallagher (Salem Academy) 1:03.40; (7) Megan Oberg (SH) 1:13.34; (8) Milah Weld (SH) 1:19.06; (11) Carol Ann Ross (SH) 1:32.61.
500 Freestyle – (1) Mia Davis (SH) 5:42.78; (2) Sara Helfrich (SH) 6:40.00; (3) Diana Hardin (P) 6:54.42; (4) Natasha Benson (SH) 6:56.36; (5) Livvie Hindmarsh (SH) 7:00.54.
200 Freestyle Relay – (1) Philomath 1:54.51; (2) Salem Academy 1:55.04; (3) Sweet Home “A” (Mia Davis, Sara Helfrich, Elea Hewitt, Esther Gunselman) 1:56.63; (4) Sweet Home “B” (Maddee Hawken, Megan Oberg, Livvie Hindmarsh, Natasha Benson) 2:14.03; (5) Philomath “B” 2:18.38; (6) Sweet Home “C” (Kendra Vorce, Milah Weld, Sierrah Owen, Hope Fears) 2:25.95; (7) Salem Academy 2:30.73; (8) Philomath “C” 2:30.73; (9) Salem Academy “C” 2:54.06.
100 Backstroke – (1) Lauren Yon (SH) 1:01.41*; (2) Kiera Supple (Salem Academy) 1:01.81; (3) Emma Boles (Salem Academy) 1:08.25; (4) Esther Gunselman (SH) 1:08.55; (9) Hope Fears (SH) 1:35.50; (11) Kendyl Stutzman (SH) 2:02.86.
100 Breaststroke – (1) Grace Warde (Salem Academy) 1:16.58; (2) Lucie Davis (SH) 1:19.01; (3) Elea Hewitt (SH) 1:21.29; (7) Milah Weld (SH) 1:32.98; (8) Maddee Hawken (SH) 1:33.17.
400 Freestyle Relay – (1) Sweet Home (Makayla Nelson, Lauren Yon, Jessica Coates, Lucie Davis) 3:52.50; (2) Salem Academy 4:04.47; (3) Philomath 4:42.33; (4) Sweet Home “B” (Natasha Benson, Livvie Hindmarsh, Kendra Vorce, Maddee Hawken) 4:55.81; (5) Salem Academy 5:03.30; (6) Philomath “B” 5:10.50; (7) Philomath “C” 5:35.59; (8) Sweet Home “C” (Name not available, Sierrah Owen, Megan Oberg, Carol Ann Ross) 5:38.01.
Boys Results Top 3 and Sweet Home Finishers
Team Results – (1) Sweet Home 147; (2) Salem Academy 105; (3) Philomath 56.
200 Medley Relay – (1) Salem Academy 1:54.53; (2) Sweet Home (Rawlins Lupoli, Rowland Lupoli, Sean Wolthuis, Tanner Goble) 1:56.60; (3) Philomath 2:01.78; (4) Philomath “B” 2:10.61; (5) Sweet Home “B” (Ryan Yon, Grant Jones, Jun Kaneyama, Adam Barber) 2:15.78; (6) Salem Academy “B” 2:18.60.
200 Freestyle – (1) Brandon Vasfaret (SH) 1:56.95*; (2) Sean Wolthuis (SH) 2:10.64; (3) Jack Ryan Smith (Salem Academy) 2:14.05; (6) Ryan Yon (SH) 2:23.50; (9) Craig Hansen (SH) 2:43.20.
200 Individual Medley – (1) Nathan Hager (SH) 2:14.79*; (2) Rowland Lupoli (SH) 2:15.92*; (3) Jordan Emerich (Salem Academy) 2:31.37.
50 Freestyle – (1) Jaeger Howatt (SH) 24.49; (2) Rawlins Lupoli (SH) 25.12; (3) Tanner Goble (SH) 26.60*; (5) Adam Barber (SH) 29.72; (6) Wesley Parker (SH) 31.09*; (9) Jacob Harden (SH) 32.78; (10) Nick Tolman (SH) 34.64.
100 Butterfly – (1) Nathan Hager (SH) 58.72; (2) Clay Youker (P) 1:02.32; (3) Shane Clark (Salem Academy) 1:06.08.
100 Freestyle – (1) Jaeger Howatt (SH) 55.75; (2) Jack Ryan Smith (Salem Academy) 59.58; (3) Ted Warnock (P) 1:00.23; (6) Jun Kaneyama (SH) 1:06.33*; (7) Jacob Harden (SH) 1:18.42.
500 Freestyle – (1) Shane Clark (Salem Academy) 5:54.63; (2) Sean Wolthuis (SH) 6:07.60; (3) Grant Jones (SH) 6:10.12*; (7) Adam Barber (SH) 7:27.11.
200 Freestyle Relay – (1) Sweet Home (Rawlins Lupoli, Brandon Vasfaret, Nathan Hager, Jaeger Howatt) 1:37.76; (2) Philomath 1:43.17; (3) Salem Academy 1:47.92; (4) Sweet Home “B” 1:52.54; (5) Salem Academy “B” 1:57.39;
100 Backstroke – (1) Rawlins Lupoli (SH) 1:01.50*; (2) Brandon Vasfaret (SH) 1:01.61*; (3) Clay Youker (P) 1:03.43; (11) Nick Tolman (SH) 1:41.17; (12) Wesley Parker (SH) 1:44.89.
100 Breaststroke – (1) Rowland Lupoli (SH) 1:10.43*; (2) Samon Nishikawa (Salem Academy) 1:18.18; (3) Jordan Emerich (Salem Academy) 1:18.75; (4) Grant Jones (SH) 1:23.10*; (6) Craig Hansen (SH) 1:27.23*; (8) Jun Kaneyama (SH) 1:30.92.
400 Freestyle Relay – (1) Sweet Home (Rowland Lupoli, Brandon Vasfaret, Nathan Hager, Jaeger Howatt) 3:41.77; (2) Salem Academy 3:52.86; (3) Sweet Home “B” (Tanner Goble, Grant Jones, Sean Wolthuis, Ryan Yon) 4:08.93; (4) Salem Academy “B” 4:17.42; (5) Philomath 4:19.41; (6) Philomath “B” 4:49.65; (7) Sweet Home “C” (Jacob Harden, Wesley Parker, Nick Tolman, Craig Hansen) 5:21.45.
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Salem Breast Cancer Awareness Invitational
Sweet Home Girls Results
200 Medley Relay – (3) Sweet Home “A” (Natasha Benson, Maddee Hawken, Esther Gunselman, Sara Helfrich) 2:09.3; (6) Sweet Home “B” (Hope Fears, Milah Weld, Megan Oberg, Kendyl Stutzman) 2:46.0.
200 Breaststroke – (6) Livvie Hindmarsh 3:21.5.
200 Individual Medley – (1) Esther Gunselman 2:32.3; (3) Sara Helfrich 2:48.5.
100 Freestyle – (4) Megan Oberg 1:14.2; (5) Milah Weld 1:17.5.
200 Breaststroke Relay – (3) Sweet Home (Milah Weld, Maddee Hawken, Livvie Hindmarsh, Natasha Benson) 2:50.8.
100 Backstroke – (1) Esther Gunselman 1:08.0.
100 Breaststroke – (3) Maddee Hawken 1:31.3; (5) Milah Weld 1:37.8; (6) Livvie Hindmarsh 1:38.0.
400 Freestyle Relay – (3) Sweet Home “A” (Sara Helfrich, Livvie Hindmarsh, Natasha Benson, Esther Gunselman) 4:35.7; (5) Sweet Home “B” (Megan Oberg, Kendra Vorce, Hope Fears, Kendyl Stutzman) 5:35.6.
Sweet Home Boys Results
200 Medley Relay – (3) Sweet Home “A” (Ryan Yon, Grant Jones, Jaeger Howatt, Tanner Goble) 2:03.0; (6) Sweet Home “B” (Adam Barber, Craig Hansen, Sean Wolthuis, Jun Kaneyama) 2:15.1.
200 Breaststroke – (3) Grant Jones 3:03.4.
200 Individual Medley – (1) Sean Wolthuis 2:30.2; (6) Adam Barber 3:04.2.
50 Freestyle – (1) Jaeger Howatt 24.1; (5) Tanner Goble 25.9.
50 Breaststroke – (6) Craig Hansen 38.6.
100 Freestyle – (2) Jaeger Howatt 53.9; (3) Sean Wolthuis 58.3.
200 Breaststroke Relay – (2) Sweet Home (Grant Jones, Craig Hansen, Jun Kaneyama, Jaeger Howatt) 2:23.6.
100 Breaststroke -– (3) Grant Jones 1:22.2; (5) Jun Kaneyama 1:29.3.
400 Freestyle Relay – (3) Sweet Home “A” (Adam Barber, Sean Wolthuis, Tanner Goble, Ryan Yon) 4:10.7; (4) Sweet Home “B” (Craig Hansen, Grant Jones, Wesley Parker, Jun Kaneyama) 4:32.8.