Wasilla boys win region title

VALDEZ — It all came down to the final race.

The Wasilla Warriors and Kodiak Bears stood neck and neck in the race for the boys’ team title at the Region III Swimming and Diving Championships at Valdez High School on Saturday, and the outcome of the final event of the meet, the boys’ 400-yard freestyle relay, would decide the winner of the team title.

With the title on the line, Wasilla’s relay team of junior Jeff Frey, senior Charles Frey, senior Max Merriam and junior Christian Long combined with a win in the 400 relay to give the Warriors the region championship.

“They were not going to lose, no question,” Wasilla head coach Matt Hanley said of his relay team’s feat in the final event. “It’s an incredible feeling. The kids had a lot of energy. It’s great.”

Hanley said, just prior to the start of the 400 relay, Jeff Frey — who after the event was named the meet’s most outstanding male swimmer — gave the first-year head coach a look that made him feel pretty good about what was to come.

“When Jeff Frey was leading off, he looked over. We kind of gave each other a nod,” Hanley said. “At that point I was feeling pretty confident.”

Wasilla’s time of 3 minutes and 17.79 seconds in the 400 relay gave the Warriors the first-place finish in the event and 89 total points. Wasilla finished a point ahead of Kodiak in the final standings.

Wasilla won eight events en route to the team title. Jeff Frey was one of a pair of Wasilla swimmers to grab two wins. Jeff Frey won both the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Long was first in the 200 and 500 freestyle races.

Merriam won the 100 breaststroke and senior David Kennedy was first in the 1-meter diving for WHS.

In addition to the 400 freestyle relay, the Wasilla boys won the 200 individual medley relay in record-breaking fashion. Long, Merriam, Jeff Frey and Charles Frey used a time of 1:41.17 to set the Region III mark in the event.

It’s one of two records set by Wasilla athletes at the event.

Rachel Kennedy broke the record in the girls’ 1-meter diving with 415 points, and is one of three athletes on the WHS girls squad who qualified for the state championships in the diving event.

Mariah Schachle and Zandra Christiansen, who finished second and fourth respectively at regions, will also dive at the state meet.

Hanley said not only was he impressed with the work of his divers, but also the ability of the girls’ squad to place third and post their best team finish at the region championships.

“Getting the third place, when never getting higher than fifth (during the regular season), jumping ahead of some of their rivals. That’s big,” Hanley said. “They pretty much shattered all the goals that I had.”

Wasilla moved 14 athletes and three relay teams into the state championships, which start Friday at the Bartlett Pool.

Benjamin Fife, Pavle Pavlovic, Scott Pezzini, Kevin Snavley, Dylan Spargo and Caity Stigen also qualified for the state meet for WHS.

Colony finished fifth in both the girls’ and boys’ standings, and the Knights qualified nine athletes and two relay teams for the state tourney.

Nicholas Brunger, Alexander Deedy, Bryan Gary, Corbyn Jahn, Adam Kincaid, Levi McAuliff, Levi Minder, Joseph Nelson and Rhowe Stefanski will represent the Colony boys. Katelyn Payne, Suzannah Whitford and Darlene Wilson will compete for the CHS girls.

Diver Richard Liebing will represent Palmer in the state meet.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Region III Championships

Friday-Saturday, Valdez

Boys’ team scores:

1. Wasilla 89, 2. Kodiak 88, 3. Homer 44, 5. Colony 31, 6. Seward 16, 6. (tie) Kenai 16, 8. Cordova 8, 9. Palmer 3, 10. Valdez 1.

200-yard medley relay — 1. Wasilla 1:41.17 (new Region III record); 2. Kodiak 1:45.36; 3. Homer 1:48.87; 4. Soldotna 1:49.31; 5. Seward 1:53.22.

200 freestyle — 1. C. Long, Was 1:50.16; 2. K. Irving, Cord 1:54.35; 3. J. Roedl, Hom 1:57.03; 4. A. Nyquist, Ken 1:57.47; 5. C. Paulson, Kod 1:58.10, 6. D. Christensen, Kod 1:58.89.

200 IM — 1. W. Heaven, Sol 2:04.75; 2. H. Linscheld, Kod 1:10.40; 3. R. Ginter, Hom 2:13.54; 4. Q. Langfitt, Kod 2:14.63; 5. M. McNulty, Hom 2:17.36; 6. F. John, Ken 2:23.83.

50 freestyle — 1. J. Frey, Was 22.12; 2. E. Friccero, Kod 22.64; 3. P. Pavlovic, Was 22.76; 4. R. O’Leary, Sew 22.81; 5. N. Macinko, Kod 22.89; 6. R. Stefanski, Col 23.35.

1-meter dive — 1. D. Kennedy, Was 474.35; 2. S. Wandersee, Kod 463.05; 3. A. Deedy, Col 376.55; 4. R. Liebing, Pal 338.60; 5. C. Tate, Sol 303.40; 6. T. Sheffier, Kod 277.75.

100 butterfly — 1. W. Heaven, Sol 53.50; 2. C. Schauff, Kod 55.04; 3. R. O’Leary, Sew 55.85; 4. A. Nyquist, Ken 58.04; 5. R. Ginter, Hom 59.53; 6. J. Anderson, Hom 1:02.20.

100 freestyle — 1. J. Frey, Was 47.89; 2. E. Friccero, Kod 49.61; 3. R. Stefanski, Col 50.23; 4. N. Brunger, Col 50.92; 5. P. Pavlovic, Was 51.85; 6. C. Jahn, Col 52.35.

500 freestyle — 1. C. Long, Was 4:59.54; 2. H. Linscheld, Kod 5:11.23; 3. J. Roedl, Hom 5:13.52; 4. D. Christensen, Kod 5:23.18; 5. B. Schauff, Kod 5:36.44; 6. C. Paulson, Kod 5:27.24.

200 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak 1:31.15; 2. Colony 1:32.65; 3. Wasilla 1:33.12; 4. Soldotna 1:37.46; 5. Homer 1:37.57; 6. Seward 1:39.24.

100 backstroke — 1. N. Macinko, Kod 56.48; 2. C. Frey, Was 56.89; 3. D. Wannamaker, Ken 57.81; 4. K. Irving, Cord 59.02; 5. Q. Langfitt, Kod 59.78; 6. C. Beck, Val 1:01.27.

100 breaststroke — 1. M. Merriam, Was 1:03.60; 2. M. McNulty, Hom 1:05.46; 3. W. Anderson, Hom 1:06.05; 4. N. Broughton, Sew 1:09.59; 5. C. Carrico, Sol 1:11.63; 6. F. John, Ken 1:12.29.

400 freestyle relay — 1. Wasilla 3:17.79; 2. Kodiak 3:20.73; 3. Colony 3:25.94; 4. Homer 3:35.38; 5. Kenai 3:43.45; 6. Soldotna 3:45.89.

Girls’ team scores:

1. Kodiak 109, 2. Homer 61, 3. Wasilla 38, 4. Soldotna 35, 5. Colony 31, 6. Kenai 25, 7. Valdez 18, 8. Seward 8, 9. Palmer 4.

200-yard medley relay — 1. Kodiak 1:52.99; 2. Homer 1:58.71; 3. Soldotna 1:59.83; 4. Colony 2:00.29; 5. Wasilla 2:03.79.

200 freestyle — 1. K. Philpot, Kod 2:02.90; 2. O. Pfeifer, Ken 2:04.37; 3. K. Payne, Col 2:06.92; 4. J. Arndt, Hom 2:07.12; 5. M. O’Leary, Sew 2:08.68.

200 IM — 1. C. Beck-Goodell, Kod 2:18.26; 2. O. Bowen, Sol 2:20.30; 3. M. Schmidt, Hom 2:23.64; 4. E. Cannon, Was 2:33.38; 5. B. Shattuck, Was 2:33.38; 6. E. Schmidt, Hom 2:35.32.

50 freestyle — 1. E. Johnston, Kod 25.72; 2. H. Norris, Val 25.85; 3. C. Stigen, Was 26.05; 4. K. Young, Kod 26.12; 5. K. Barria, Col 26.36; 6.K. Spence, Hom 27.10.

1-meter dive — 1. R. Kennedy, Was 415 (new Region III record); 2. M. Schachle, Was 330.05; 3. S. Whitford, Col 291.75; 4. Z. Christiansen, Was 291.45; 5. D. Wilson, Col 280.30.

100 butterfly — 1. K. Young, Kod 1:02.61; 2. O. Bowen, Sol 1:02.71; 3. C. Stigen, Was 1:03.28; 4. J. Arndt, Hom 1:03.73; 5. K. Barria, Col 1:04.58; 6. D. Olesch, Hom 1:05.30.

100 freestyle — 1. L. Griffing, Kod 55.81; 2. H. Norris, Val 55.92; 3. E. Johnston, Kod 56.84; 4. K. Ashwell, Ken 58.88; 5. G. Harrison, Hom 59.12; 6. S. Steyer, Hom 59.50.

500 freestyle — 1. C. Beck-Goodell, Kod 5:28.05; 2. O. Pfeifer, Ken 5:32.74; 3. M. Schmidt, Hom 5:37.36; 4. D. McNulty, Hom 5:37.97; 5. I. Fletcher, Hom 5:37.97; 6. S. Jones, Kod 6:01.32.

200 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak 1:44.07; 2. Homer 1:46.71; 3. Soldotna 1:47.06; 4. Colony 1:47.17; 5. Kenai 1:50.38; 6. Wasilla 1:51.58.

100 backstroke — 1. K. Philpot, Kod 1:01.85; 2. K. Payne, Col 1:03.62; 3. M. O’Leary, Sew 1:05.00; 4. K. Clark, Kod 1:06.49; 5. E. Audette, Sew 1:08.30; 6. K. Spence, Hom 1:09.85.

100 breaststroke — 1. L. Griffing, Kod 1:07.60; 2. M. Shirnberg, Sol 1:13.84; 3. R. Freestone, Sol 1:14.37; 4. D. McNulty, Hom 1:16.06; 5. I. Schwarzburg, Was 1:19.01.

400 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak 3:47.02; 2. Homer 2:53.50; 3. Kenai 4:08.54; 4. Valdez 4:15.20; 5. Palmer 4:16.23; 6. Wasilla 4:17.16.