Sweet Home’s young swimmers got a taste of what the district meet will look like Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Albany Sprint Meet, held at the South Albany pool where the Huskies will swim at districts Feb. 10 and 11.
Coach A Jay Bronson said the meet is a training meet not only for swimmers but for coaches and officials, some of the latter of whom are not necessarily familiar with the pool and the layout at South Albany.
There were numerous disqualifications for a late-season meet, which Bronson attributed to some extent to officials getting used to the pool.
“Sometimes our kids just screw up,” he said.
The meet was non-scoring, which allowed coaches to put swimmers in events they normally would not compete in.
“That helps us get more accurate relay times and gives us the opportunity to experiment without losing points, sacrificing a meet,” he said.
Ninety-five percent of the Huskies’ swims were best times, he said, and on the boys side Shayne Schuster and Arman Marble both registered PRs in three events each.
Rookie swimmer Anna Perez also registered best times in all her events. Bronson said coaches put together goal times for each swimmer at the beginning of the season, which generally are fast enough that the swimmers may not actually get there.
“Anna crushed them at this meet,” he said.
Two Huskies were double winners for the girls: Kirsten Sautel in the 200 Freestyle and the 50 Butterfly, and Alyssa Voight in the 100 Freestyle and the 50 Backstroke. The girls also won the 200 Freestyle Relay.
For the boys RJ Abbott was the lone winner, taking first in the 200 Freestyle.
Up next for Sweet Home are three home meets to finish out the regular season.
On Friday, Jan. 20, the Huskies host Madras, one of the top boys teams in the state, Junction City and Cascade, both of which are expected, with Sweet Home, to be among the top boys finishers in the district meet.
On Saturday, Jan. 28, they will host Marist, Philomath and Newport, the latter expected to be among the top girls teams in the state meet.
“This week is a guys’ meet and next week will be a girls meet,” Bronson said.