Valley swimmers win region gold

KENAI — Prior to the region meet, Colony head coach Matt Hanley said he’d like to see junior Zach Bloom do well this weekend, and prepare to dominate as a senior.

Well, Bloom was pretty dominant on Saturday.

Bloom won a pair of events to help lead Colony to a third-place finish in the boys’ team standings of the Region III Championships swimming and diving meet in Kenai.

Bloom posted season bests en route to winning gold in both the 200-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle. In the 200, Bloom notched a time of 1 minute, 48.96 seconds to finish just ahead of Kodiak’s James Blake (1:49.29). Bloom’s prior season best was a 1:51.55.

Bloom also enjoyed his best race of the season in the 500 freestyle, finishing with a time of 5:04.43, just about three seconds better from his previous best as a junior (5:07.65).

Alex Kessler also won an event for the Colony boys, finishing first in the 100 freestyle. His time of 49.23 was also his best effort of the year.

Bloom and Kessler earn automatic bids to next week’s state championships in Juneau with their wins.

Kessler added a second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke. The Knights were second in the 200 freestyle relay. Joseph Anderson was third in the 200 individual medley for the Knights.

Senior Noelle Graham led the Palmer girls to a runner-up finish in the region, earning her second straight region title in the 100 butterfly. Graham successfully defended her title with a time of 1:01.21, a season-best.

Led in part by Graham, Palmer finished with 61 total points in the team standings, second to only region champion Kodiak (82).

Millie Snelders (200 IM), Katie Stark (50 freestyle) and Graham (100 breaststroke) each recorded runner-up finishes during individual events. The Moose were also second in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, shattering school records in the process. Palmer’s 200 freestyle relay team (Stark, Snelders, Noelle Graham and Naomi Graham) broke a school mark for the second time in less than a month. Earlier this year, during the Valley Invitational at the Palmer Pool, the foursome recorded a time of 1:42.30. Saturday, the team cut nearly two seconds off, swimming a 1:40.33.

Palmer’s 400 relay team (Stark, Noelle Graham, Naomi Graham and Sarah Hanson) did even more damage in the finals Saturday, posting a time of 3:40.41, about six seconds better than the previous mark set by the same group of girls last year.

Sierra Kinworthy led Colony to a sixth-place finish in the girls standings. Kinworthy was second in the 500 freestyle and third in the 200.

Daniel Jackson led the third-place Palmer boys with a runner-up finish in the 50 freestyle. Jackson was also third in the 100 freestyle. John Snelders was third in the 50 freestyle for the Moose.

Wasilla’s girls’ 400 freestyle relay team led the Warriors with a sixth-place finish in the finals.

The state’s four region champions in each event earn automatic bids to next week’s state championships. The next 12 best finals times statewide during region championship weekend also advance. In the relay events, the conference champions will head to state. The next four times statewide will also advance.

The top two divers (boys and girls) will earn spots in the state championships. The next eight scores statewide will also advance.

The ASAA/First National Bank Alaska State Swimming and Diving Championships begin Nov. 8 at Dimond Park Aquatic in Juneau.

The Region III meet began with girls and boys diving preliminaries Thursday afternoon. Diving semifinals begin today at 8:30 a.m., and the swimming preliminaries are slated for today at 1 p.m.

Swimming and diving finals are scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

Region III Championships

Saturday, Kenai

Girls team scores:

1. Kodiak, 82 points; 2. Palmer, 61; 3. Soldotna, 58; 4. Seward, 34; 5. Valdez, 31; 6. Colony, 25; 7 Kenai Central, 13; 8. Wasilla, 2; T9. Skyview, 1; T9. Homer, 1.

Girls individual results:

200-yard medley relay — 1. Soldotna (English, Henry, Groleske, Weeks), 1:57.34; 2. Seward, 1:58.93; 3. Colony, 1:59.51; 4. Kodiak, 2:00.61; 5. Palmer, 2:03.11; 6. Kenai, 2:03.40.

200 freestyle — 1. Ila Hughes, Kod, 1:53.30; 2. Kaitlyn Groleske, Sol, 2:01.41; 3. Sierra Kinworthy, Col, 2:02.22; 4. Sarah Hanson, Pal, 2:06.45; 5. Elinore Millstein, Kod, 2:09.06; 6. Celestina Castro, Ken, 2:12.43.

200 IM — 1. Tahna Lindquist, Kod, 2:05.33; 2. Millie Snelders, Pal, 2:24.47; 3. Illa Macinko, Kod, 2:26.94; 4. Roslyn Kreigh, Kod, 2:27.71; 5. Josie McNelly, Val, 2:30.03; 6. Cheyanne Smith, Hom, 2:30.70.

50 freestyle — 1. Alex Weeks, Sol, 24.21; 2. Katie Stark, Pal, 24.72; 3. Naomi Graham, Pal, 24.90; 4. Colleen Murphy, Val, 25.59; 5. Isabel Barnwell, Sew, 25.94; 6. Millie Snelders, Pal, 26.37.

100 butterfly — 1. Noelle Graham, Pal, 1:01.21; 2. Riley McNelly, Val, 1:03.15; 3. Megan English, Sol, 1:04.62; 4. Celestina Castro, Ken, 1:05.81; 5. Roslyn Kreigh, Kod, 1:07.14; 6. Mika Morton, Sky, 1:10.06.

100 freestyle — 1. Ila Hughes, Kod, 51.38; 2. Alex Weeks, Sol, 52.62; 3. Katie Stark, Pal, 53.49; 4. Naomi Graham, Pal, 54.75; 5. Colleen Murphy, Val, 56.01; 6. Jessica Degnan, Sew, 1:00.90.

500 freestyle — 1. Tahna Lindquist, Kod, 5:00.20; 2. Sierra Kinworthy, Col, 5:20.25; 3. Brittany Horne, Kod, 5:29.33; 4. Kaitlyn Groleske, Sol, 5:29.66; 5. Rachel Henry, Sol, 5:44.15; 6. Elinore Millstein, Kod, 5:50.83.

200 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak (Hughes, Macinko, Horne, unknown), 1:39.93; 2. Palmer, 1:40.33; 3. Seward, 1:44.04; 4. Valdez, 1:47.89; 5. Colony, 1:53.18; 6. Soldotna, 1:55.20.

100 backstroke — 1. Olivia Beckham, Seward, 1:02.04; 2. Megan English, Sol, 1:02.79; 3. Isabel Barnwell, Sew, 1:03.92; 4. Illa Macinko, Kod, 1:04.91; 5. Zoya Hanson, Ken, 1:06.82; 6. Kirsten Duran, Ken, 1:09.46.

100 breaststroke — 1. Riley McNelly, Val, 1:13.13; 2. Noelle Graham, Pal, 1:15.32; 3. Anne Sullivan, Col, 1:16.53; 4. Rachel Henry, Sol, 1:17.01; 5. Sasha Hamner, Sew, 1:17.49; 6. Haleigh Walker, Kod, 1:17.80.

400 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak (Lindquist, Millstein, Horne, Hughes), 3:39.73; 2. Palmer, 3:40.41; 3. Soldotna, 3:52.35; 4. Valdez, 3:59.11; 5. Kenai Central, 4:10.74; 6. Wasilla, 4:17.03.

1-meter diving — 1. Jasmine Lewis, Hom, 318.05 points; 2. Kirsten Duran, Ken, 268.55; 3. Katherine Dolma, Hom, 266.35; 4. Tessa Heiberg, Kod, 264.30; 5. Katelyn Foster, Col, 252.35; 6. Lucy Haney, Pal, 241.30.

Boys team scores:

1. Kodiak, 97 points; 2. Soldotna, 57; 3. Colony, 51; T4. Palmer, 33; T4. Homer, 33; 6. Kenai Central, 21; 7. Wasilla, 6; T8. Valdez, 4; T8. Unalaska, 4.

Boys individual results:

200 medley relay — 1. Kodiak (Schauff, James, Lincoln, Schauff), 1:40.27; 2. Soldotna, 1:44.23; 3. Colony, 1:44.25; 4. Kenai, 1:49.46; 5. Homer, 1:51.50; 6. Palmer, 1:52.81.

200 freestyle — 1. Zach Bloom, Col, 1:48.96; 2. Blake James, Kod, 1:49.29; 3. Mark Nagle, Hom, 1:53.04; 4. River Hanson, Kod, 1:53.90; 5. Dan Lambert, Kod, 1:57.41; 6. Jacob Dye, Ken, 2:03.85.

200 IM — 1. Nicholas Lincoln, Kod, 2:00.71; 2. Dustin Hunter, Sol, 2:07.57; 3. Joseph Anderson, Col, 2:08.25; 4. Josh Peck, Ken, 2:13.08; 5. Jacob Creglow, Sol, 2:14.49; 6. Mica Linscheid, Kod, 2:17.57.

50 freestyle — 1. Daniel McElroy, Sol, 22.39; 2. Daniel Jackson, Pal 22.93; 3. John Snelders, Pal, 23.21; 4. Jonas Anderson, Kod, 23.86; 5. Cody Watkins, Sol, 24.12; 6. Tobin Sworts, Pal, 24.65.

100 butterfly — 1. Nicholas Lincoln, Kod, 53.33; 2. Dustin Hunter, Sol, 54.76; 3. James Nagle, Hom, 54.77; 4. Jonas Anderson, Kod, 54.90; 5. Josh Peck, Ken, 59.62; 6. Baxter Anderson, Kod, 1:05.70.

100 freestyle — 1. Alex Kessler, Col, 49.23; 2. Dyton Schauff, Kod, 49.25; 3. Daniel Jackson, Pal, 49.84; 4. Nathan Schauff, Kod, 51.10; 5. Max Mutch, Kod, 51.74; 6. John Snelders, Pal, 53.41.

500 freestyle — 1. Zach Bloom, Col, 5:04.43; 2. Mark Nagle, Hom, 5:11.80; 3. River Hanson, Kod, 5:11.93; 4. Dan Lambert, Kod, 5:15.56; 5. Mica Linscheid, Kod, 5:29.28; 6. Gregory Smith, Hom, 5:35.81.

200 freestyle relay — 1. Soldotna (Watkins, Corona-Cain, Hunter, McElroy), 1:32.33; 2. Colony, 1:32.64; 3. Palmer, 1:35.28; 4. Kenai, 1:37.94; 5. Unalaska, 1:45.29; 6. Kodiak, DQ.

100 backstroke — 1. Dyton Schauff, Kod, 54.32; 2. Nathan Schauff, Kod, 57.59; 3. Chase Corona-Cain, Sol, 1:00.60; 4. Gregory Smith, Hom, 1:01.36; 5. James Nagle, Hom, 1:03.11; 6. Cole Gross, Ken, 1:04.85.

100 breaststroke — 1. Daniel McElroy, Sol, 1:02.81; 2. Alex Kessler, Col, 1:03.08; 3. Blake James, Kod, 1:03.10; 4. Joseph Anderson, Col, 1:03.89; 5. Max Mutch, Kod, 1:06.32; 6. Jacob Creglow, Sol, 1:07.93.

400 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak (Anderson, Hanson, Mutch, Lincoln), 3:27.68; 2. Homer, 3:37.68; 3. Palmer, 3:48.63; 4. Valdez, 4:00.93; 5. Kenai Central, 4:12.30; 6. Wasilla, DQ.

1-meter diving — 1. Cole Gross, Ken, 327.15; 2. Bill Ashwell, Ken, 308.65; 3. Brian Rowe, Hom, 304.45; 4. Ian Hall, Hom, 301.65; 5. Kaec Brinster, Hom, 301.45; 6. Gabe Waldhaus, Pal, 298.40.