Senior Jeff Ecker brought home the gold Saturday winning the 200 meter freestyle at the state swimming championship and leading the Huskies to a fourth place finish.
Ecker added a second place medal in the 100 backstroke and was a member of the fourth place 200 medley relay squad.
“There were many people who didn’t think we would do as well as we did,” Ecker said. “We knew we were good for the top five.”
Ecker said he went into the meet aiming for a championship.
“I was the last guy on the team to shave my head and I’ve been training with a leg suit that helps boost energy and reduces fatigue,” Ecker said. “Between the two, they’re good for about a second of time.”
Ecker placed fifth in the 100 backstroke as a sophomore, third in the 100 back and fifth in the 100 free as a junior. He’s also been a member of the champion 400 free relay of a year ago and the second place medley relay squad.
For the Husky girls, freshman Dani Birky brought home the only medal, placing sixth in the 200 freestyle.
“We were a little sluggish on Friday but we got almost every one of the kids into the finals that we thought we would,” Coach Doug Peargin said. “We were very competitive on Saturday. This meet continues to get bigger and faster every year. So many 4A teams have moved down to 3A.”
LaGrande took the meet title followed by Seaside, Junction City and the Huskies. On the girls side, Sweet Home was 21st. Sherwood took the girls championship.
Ecker posted a 1:51.2 time in the 200, the sixth fastest in SHHS record keeping. His 56.8 in the 100 backstroke was good enough for second Saturday and fourth in school history.
“Jeff had the meet of his life,” Coach Peargin said. “Earning that state championship will stick with him the rest of his life. He’s a good kid, a coachable kid who has really stepped up and helped lead this team.”
Sean Martin took second in the 500 freestyle (5:06.45) and teammate Jeff Stratman was sixth (5:30.16). Matthew Grimes of Sherwood won with a 5:05.88 time.
“Sean’s time put him fifth in school history. I know he was a little disappointed about his 200 but he really made up for it in the 500,” Coach Peargin said.
Stratman was a surprise, improving his time nine seconds in the prelims and another second in the finals.
The 200 medley relay of Jeff Ecker, Jeppe Hjørngaard, Chris Bate and Sean Martin finished fourth (1:48.71) as did the 400 freestyle relay of Martin, Chris Burford, Bate and Ecker (3:29.46).
Jeppe Hjørngaard tied for seventh in the 100 breast stroke in 1:08.0 good enough for 10th in the school record books.
Coach Peargin said that although Birky is just a freshman, her time was good enough for ninth on the SHHS charts.
“She’s very competitive. She’s tiny but growing. She’s very intelligent and knows how to attack a race,” Coach Peargin said. “Dani has a great attitude and is always ready to compete.”
Coach Peargin praised the work of his volunteer coaches, Bruce West and Rene Kirkland.
“Without them, we wouldn’t be at state,” Coach Peargin said. “Coach West has been with me for 16 years and Rene for nine. They don’t get paid a dime and yet they’re at every practice every day. Rene works with the kids on stroke correctness and Bruce is devoted to helping them make the turns and using the walls.”