By Satina Tolman
For The New Era
Sweet Home High School closed out its final home swim meet of the season in dominant fashion Friday, Feb. 6, over Salem Academy and Kennedy.
The Huskies swept both the boys and girls competitions and easily took the combined team title on a night dedicated to honoring its two graduating swimmers.
The Huskies celebrated senior night for team leaders Kylie Melkvik and Andrew Tolman, recognizing their contributions to the program before rolling to a 236-point team victory. Salem Academy finished second with 86 points and Kennedy placed third with 66.
The meet featured only three schools after Riverside withdrew because of a scheduling conflict.
For Sweet Home head coach A.J. Bronson, the evening carried extra emotion as the program said goodbye to its seniors.
“It’s always bittersweet with the final home meet,” Bronson said. “You never want the seniors to leave, but it’s nice to celebrate them and honor their accomplishments and hard work.”
The Huskies set the tone early. The boys 200-yard medley relay team of Tolman and juniors Grayson Savri, Henry Jones and Austyn Hogan opened the meet with a commanding win, finishing in 1 minute, 53.74 seconds – nearly 29 seconds ahead of the second-place Kennedy squad.
Sweet Home swimmers continued to control the pool throughout the evening.
Sophomore Khloe Sautel won the girls 200 freestyle in 2:02.74, while Tolman claimed the boys race in 2:08.25. The Huskies also swept the 200 individual medley, with junior Lexi Rundell winning the girls event in 2:45.18 and Hogan taking the boys in 2:31.07.
Savri added a victory in the boys 50 freestyle (25.52), and Jones won the boys 100 butterfly in 1:14.35.
Melkvik provided one of the more memorable performances of the meet. As the only girl entered in the 100 butterfly, she swam in the boys heat and finished second overall with a time of 1:27.35 – earning first-place points for the Sweet Home girls.
Hogan later won the boys 100 freestyle in 53.90, while Sautel delivered perhaps the most impressive swim of the day. Entered as the lone competitor in the girls 500 Freestyle, she swam with the boys and still finished ahead of the entire field with a time of 5:28.89. Sophomore Marshall Van Dijk won the boys 500 for Sweet Home in 6:56.92.
The Huskies’ top relay quartet reunited to capture the boys 200 freestyle relay, as Tolman, Hogan, Jones and Savri finished in 1:41.50.
In the 100 backstroke, Tolman again competed in a mixed heat as the only boy entered, posting a time of 1:04.51. Rundell won the girls race in 1:13.52. Savri, the only entrant in the boys 100 breaststroke, swam 1:12.14.
The meet concluded with an intra-squad matchup in the 400 freestyle relay. The experienced girls team of Rundell, junior Ella Haggas, Melkvik and Sautel finished in 4:25.38, edging a boys team of freshman Westin Burns, Van Dijk, sophomore Malakai Walls and junior Ethan Hernandez, who clocked 4:40.29 — nearly five seconds faster than their seed time.
Bronson said the team’s progress this season has been as much mental as physical.
“I would say mental toughness,” he said when asked where the biggest improvements have come. “It’s been a building year for sure. With us losing 11 seniors last year, we’ve had to try and build on our traditions and hard work. The concept of hard work equals accomplishments is what we’ve been hitting hard.”
He also praised several swimmers for standout performances at the meet, highlighting Hernandez and Walls.
“Ethan had PRs in almost every event, so that was impressive,” Bronson said. “Malakai swam the 100 fly for the first time and excelled. Very impressive.”
Beyond wins and times, Bronson hopes the season’s final stretch teaches important lessons as the team heads toward district competition.
“That everyone contributes, and no matter the inherent ability every person can place at district and state,” he said. “You just need to have the right mindset and determination.”
The supportive atmosphere Friday reflected that team-first mentality. High school cheerleaders and students filled the bleachers — decked out in green and yellow beneath a large “Back the Pack” sign — to encourage the Huskies in their final appearance at home and to cheer on Melkvik and Tolman during their senior recognition.
Bronson said success at districts will be measured by more than medals.
“I think an understanding of how much they have improved and a hope and desire for us to recruit and expand our team going into next year,” he said.