Moose relay off to fast start

KENAI — Local teams are less than a month into the heart of the prep swimming season, but a group of Palmer High swimmers are off to a fast start.

Juniors Noelle Graham and Katie Stark, and sophomores Naomi Graham and Sarah Hanson combined to win both the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays Saturday at the Kenai Invitational at Kenai Central High School. The foursome, which also enjoyed great success in their individual races, helped Palmer finish second in the girls’ team standings with 68.50 points, just shy of first-place Soldotna’s 70.

The Moose relay squad combined to post a time of 1 minute, 46.87 seconds in the 200 freestyle relay and finish ahead of runner-up Soldotna (1:47.33). The four PHS swimmers held a much more commanding lead in the 400 freestyle relay, winning with a time of 3:55.38. Second-place Soldotna was nearly 10 seconds behind with a time of 4:05.07.

Noelle Graham scored a pair of first-place finishes in the individual events. The junior was first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:03.74, and won the 200 IM with a mark of 2:25.72.

Stark also won an event, finishing first in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:04.45, and second in the 100 freestyle. Naomi Graham was second in the 50 freestyle and fourth in the 100 freestyle. Hanson posted fifth-place finishes in the 200 and 500 freestyle races.

Colony finished third in the boys’ class with 68 total points.

Four Knights won individual races on the boys’ side. Zach Bloom finished first in the 100 backstroke, Alex Kessler finished first in the 100 breaststroke, Zane Mileur placed first in the 200 freestyle and Gaven Nelson won the 500 freestyle.

Kessler was also third in the 100 freestyle.

Daniel Jackson led sixth-place Palmer with a sixth-place finish in the boys’ 100 breaststroke. The Moose also finished sixth in the boys’ 200 freestyle relay.

Mike Foy led Wasilla with a third-place finish in the boys’ 500 freestyle. Eliza Zugg finished fourth in the girls’ 200 freestyle for Palmer.

Kenai Invitational

Saturday, Kenai

Girls team scores:

1. Soldotna 70; 2. Palmer 68.50; 3. West Valley 58; 4. Kenai 41.50; 5. Seward 30; 6. West Anchorage 26; 7. Anchorage Christian 14; 8. Valdez 9; 9. Colony 8; 10. Homer 5.

Girls individual results:

200 medley relay — 1. West Valley 2:001.34; 2. Kenai 2:01.84; 3. Soldotna 2:07.22; 4. Seward 2:12.33; 5. Valdez 2:16.85; 6. Kenai B 2:16.86.

200 freestyle — 1. K. Stark, Pal 2:04.45; 2. K. Donnolly, ACS 2:04.64; 3. K. Groleske, Sol 2:05.14; 4. E. Zugg, Col 2:17.32; 5. S. Hanson, Pal 2:17.76; 6. L. Harris, West 2:19.98.

200 IM — 1. No. Graham, Pal 2:25.72; 2. K. O’Donoghue, WV 2:27.08; 3. V. Wetterhall, WV 2:31.87; 4. C. Castro, Ken 2:36.86; 5. E. Doyel, Val 2:38.35; 6. L. Gordon, West 2:40.26.

50 freestyle — 1. A. Weeks, Sol 25.42; 2. Nao. Graham, Pal 25.68; 3. K. Louthan, Ken 25.68; 4. I. Barnwell, Sew 27.06; 5. M. Silta, Sol 27.45; 6. O. Beckham, Sew 27.51.

1-meter diving — 1. S. Gibbs, Sol 168.45; 2. K. Dolma, Hom 161.25; 3. T. Israel, West 123.15; 4. S. Laselle, Pal 122.95; 5. A. Ritchie, Ken 107.00; 6. K. Foster, Col 88.25.

100 butterfly — 1. No. Graham, Pal 1:03.73; 2. T. DeGeorge, West 1:04.89; 3. K. Groleske, Sol 1:06.38; 4. M. English, Sol 1:07.36; 5. L. Harris, West 1:13.41; 6. J. Wannamaker, Ken 1:16.53.

100 freestyle — 1. A. Weeks, Sol 55.66; 2. K. Stark, Pal 55.96; 3. K. Donnolly, ACS 56.10; 4. Na. Graham, Pal 56.32; 5. K. Louthan, Ken 58.19; 6. M. Silta, Sol 1:01.45.

500 freestyle — 1. C. Heaton, WV 5:34.64; 2. I. Barnwell, Sew 5:38.07; 3. R. Henry, Sol 6:04.08; 4. B. Donnolly, ACS 6:05.78; 5. S. Hanson, Pal 6:08.52; 6. K. Heaven, Ken 6:16.50.

200 freestyle relay — 1. Palmer 1:46.87; 2. Soldotna 1:47.33; 3. Kenai 1:50.11; 4. West Valley 1:51.11; 5. Colony 1:58.82; 6. West Anchorage 1:58.82.

100 backstroke — 1. O. Beckham, Sew 1:07.10; 2. K. O’Donoghue, WV 1:09.15; 3. Z. Hanson, Ken 1:10.29; 4. R. Henry, Sol 1:11.31; 5. B. Donnolly, ACS 1:11.57; 6. M. Snelders, Val 1:11.80.

100 breaststroke — 1. C. Heaton, WV 1:16.56; 2. T. DGeorge, West 1:18.50; 3. C. Chess, Ken 1:19.15; 4. V. Wetterhall, WV 1:19.71; 5. E. Doyel, Val 1:22.68; 6. M. Taube, WV 1:25.18.

400 freestyle relay — 1. Palmer 3:55.38; 2. Soldotna 4:05.07; 3. Seward 4:14.89; 4. West Valley 4:15.75; 5. West A 4:25.65; 6. West C 4:25.72.

Boys team scores:

1. Soldotna 82; 2. West Valley 76; 3. Colony 68; 4. Homer 32; 5. Kenai 30; 6. Palmer 14; 7. West Anchorage 12; 8. Wasilla 8; 9. Valdez 5; 10. Seward 2.

Boys individual results:

200 medley relay — 1. Soldotna 1:45.62; 2. West Valley 1:53.56; 3. Colony B 1:55.03; 4. Colony A 1:58.01; 5. Homer 2:00.83; 6. Kenai 2:01.15.

200 freestyle — 1. Z. Mileur, Col 1:59.56; 2. I. Voronin, WV 2:01.32; 3. C. Cain-Corona, Sol 2:04.46; 4. J. Snelders, Val 2:07.91; 5. J. Dye, Ken 2:11.34; 6. C. Minder, Was 2:11.72.

200 IM — 1. D. Hunter, Sol 2:13.02; 2. T. O’Donoghue, WV 2:13.11; 3. Z. Bloom, Col 2:13.37; 4. J. Nagle, Hom 2:18.71; 5. J. Anderson, Col 2:22.28; 6. J. Balowski, Val 2:27.84.

50 freestyle — 1. S. Rickman, Sol 22.86; 2. D. McElroy, Sol 23.31; 3. G. Nelson, Col 24.74; 4. J. Carson, WV 24.77; 5. D. Jackson, Pal 25.06; 6. N. Fitzgerald, West 25.58.

1-meter diving — 1. B. Rowe, Hom 201.3; 2. C. Gross, Ken 177.65; 3. B. Ashwell, Ken 173.20; 4. R. Wik, Ken 169.90; 5. G. Ames, Sol 162.30; 6. N. Huntington, Pal 137.60.

100 butterfly — 1. D. Hunter, Sol 57.56; 2. J. Nagle, Hom 58.35; 3. R. Nicholson, WV 1:00.80; 4. K. Roylance, West 1:04.74; 5. N. Hamlin, Sew 1:07.95; 6. K. Kawada, Una 1:08.82.

100 freestyle — 1. L. Marquez, WV 50.39; 2. S. Rickman, Sol 50.52; 3. A. Kessler, Col 52.17; 4. J. Carson, WV 54.92; 5. M. Nagle, Hom 57.35; 6. N. Fitzgerald, West 58.19.

500 freestyle — 1. G. Nelson, Col 5:44.50; 2. J. Zahn, WV 5:55.20; 3. M. Foy, Was 5:57.25; 4. J. Rife, Sol 5:58.59; 5. A. Hellen, West 6:04.26; 6. J. Snelders, Val 6:08.99.

200 freestyle relay — 1. Soldotna 1:34.80; 2. West Valley 1:35.44; 3. Kenai 1:43.21; 4. Colony A 1:43.60; 5. Colony B 1:45.59; 6. Palmer 1:46.70.

100 backstroke — 1. Z. Bloom, Col 1:02.24; 2. T. O’Donoghue, WV 1:02.28; 3. C. Corona-Cain, Sol 1:03.31; 4. C. Minder, Was 1:07.95; 5. C. Gross, Ken 1:08.01; 6. G. Smith, Hom 1:09.40.

100 breaststroke — 1. A. Kessler, Col 1:05.83; 2. L. Marquez, WV 1:06.95; 3. D. McElroy, Sol 1:07.99; 4. K. Roylance, West 1:09.58; 5. J. Anderson, Col 1:11.45; 6. D. Jackson, Pal 1:12.56.

400 freestyle relay — 1. West Valley 3:40.57; 2. Homer 3:58.48; 3. Palmer 3:38.50; 4. Soldotna 4:02.73; 5. Kenai 4:30.51; 6. West 4:35.46.