Wasilla senior finds another gear to win Soldi Pentathlon

Peninsula Clarion

SOLDOTNA — Wasilla senior Jeff Frey did at the 2009 SoHi Pentathlon on Friday what many shovel-hating, cold-start-fearing Alaskans wish they could do right about now — put off Winter for another year.

Frey entered the final event, the 50-yard freestyle, trailing Soldotna junior Winter Heaven by .29 seconds. The 2008 Pentathlon champion then cranked it up for a time of 21.83 seconds, topping Heaven’s 22.38 and keeping the crown with an overall time of 2:35.45. Heaven fnished at 2:35.71, while Seward’s Ryan O’Leary was third at 2:39.26.

On the girls side, Soldotna junior Olivia Bowen also won her second-straight Pentathlon. The Soldotna boys edged Wasilla by two for the team title, while the Kodiak girls also earned team hardware.

In a pentathlon, competitors swim the 100 individual medley, 50 butterfly, 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke and 50 freestyle. It takes different strokes to move the Pentathlon world, as all five times are then added together to determine the swimmer’s placement.

The meet is unique because competitors get to swim five events, and because all of the strokes are used. Most swimmers Friday said the event is a fun way to break up the middle of the season.

Even though Soldotna coach Sohail Marey said Heaven, who also finished second last year, woke up Friday feeling a little sick, Heaven got off to a fast start in the meet. He defeated Frey by .16 seconds in the 100 individual medley and .71 seconds in the 50 butterfly. Even after Frey edged Heaven in the 50 backstroke, Heaven had a lead of .84 seconds.

“I really thought he was going to go faster in the first couple of events,” Heaven said. “I knew he would be coming after me in the breaststroke and freestyle, though.”

Frey set up his clinching 50 freestyle by shaving the advantage to .29 seconds with his 50 breaststroke.

“I knew it would be close,” Frey said of the final race. “I knew I’d have to swim a really good 50 and probably pull off a really good time.”

Marey said Frey has a shot at winning the state title this year in the 50 free, so Heaven has nothing to hang his head about after losing the Pentathlon to Frey last year by more than three seconds. Heaven improved his overall Penathlon time from last year by about seven seconds.

So will Heaven win the Pentathlon as a senior?

“That’s the plan,” he said.

Bowen improved her Pentathlon time by .04 seconds from last year, but that was easily enough to cruise past the field again. The SoHi junior finished at 2:59.34, while Kodiak freshman Jori Lindquist was second at 3:05.95 and Wasilla’s Karina Barria was third at 3:07.74.

Marey said he got Bowen psyched up before the event by telling her that it was her event to win.

“I told her to walk like a champion today,” Marey said. “She did a very good job.”

Bowen had to hold off a pack of Kodiak girls to pick up the towel that goes to the Pentathlon champion. The top girls heat featured four Kodiak swimmers, Homer’s Marie Schmidt and Bowen. The Bears’ team is so strong that when computer glitches kept the girls team score from being tallied before the awards ceremony, Marey took a small leap of faith and gave the trophy to Kodiak.

“I was intimidated a little bit by the Kodiak girls,” said Bowen, who thanked Marey for getting her ready for the meet. “I know I’m not a strong breaststroker, but I got a big and held on during the breaststroke.”

Fortunately for Bowen, Lindquist was in the same boat.

“My breaststroke did not go well,” she said. “I’m not a breaststroker.”

The SoHi boys got a nice shot of confidence at the meet by topping Region III powerhouse Wasilla by two points for the team crown.

“That’s really big, and really inspiring, for them,” Marey said. “Especially with not having depth.”

The coach said a top placement from Heaven was a given. The crucial performance came from sophomore Christian Carrico, who finished fifth after taking 29th last year. Also scoring for the Stars was Austin Whitaker at 11th.

Due to a computer issue at Soldotna High School, the girls pentathlon results were unavailable.

2009 SoHi Pentathlon

BOYS

Team scores: 1. Soldotna, 37; 2. Wasilla, 35; 3. Homer, 26; 4. Kodiak, 21; 5. Kenai, 18; 6. Seward, 16; 7. Palmer, 2.

Individual results:

(name, total, 100 indivicual medley, 50 fly, 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 50 freestyle)

1. Jeff Frey, Was2 (35.45, 55.03, 24.53, 25.53, 28.53, 21.83); 2. Winter Heaven, Sol (2:35.71, 54.87, 23.82, 25.56, 29.08, 22.38); 3. Ryan O’Leary, Sew (2:39.26, 56.33, 24.33, 27.18, 29.43, 21.99); 4. Christian Long, Was (2:45.04, 59.25, 25.48, 26.89, 30.03, 23.39); 5. Christian Carrico, Sol (2:52.13, 1:01.53, 26.82, 29.65, 30.02, 24.11); 6. Anders Nyquist, Ken (2:54.60, 1:01.81, 25.85, 30.18, 32.41, 24.35); 7. Alder Fletcher, Hom (2:57.86, 1:03.88, 26.35, 29.46, 33.59, 24.58); 8. Richard Ginter, Hom (2:58.64, 1:03.24, 27.36, 30.62, 32.98, 24.44); 9. Carlton Burnside, Kod, (2:58.86, 1:03.17, 28.36, 28.83, 33.30, 25.20); 10. Clayton Schauff, Kod (3:00.61, 1:03.69, 26.02, 29.71, 36.38, 24.81); 11. Austin Whitaker, Sol (3:00.65, 1:04.88, 27.60, 30.23, 32.90, 25.04); 12. Dylan Wannamaker, Ken (3:01.22, 1:04.05, 28.13, 28.34, 35.76, 24.94); 13. Josh Guadet, Kod (3:01.24, 1:03.71, 27.39, 29.85, 35.62, 24.67); 14. Kyle Wentz, Hom (3:01.71, 1:03.61, 28.42, 31.62, 33.11, 24.95); 15. Riley Newman, Pal (3:02.52, 1:06.08, 27.95, 31.71, 31.84, 24.94); 16. Austin Reed, Kod (3:04.10, 1:04.58, 28.08, 31.48, 34.96, 25.00); 17. Nick Brunger, Col (3:04.91, 1:06.49, 28.55, 30.56, 35.12, 24.19); 18. Dylan Spargo, Was (3:06.68, 1:05.76, 28.79, 34.92, 32.18, 25.03); 19. Ryan McMaster, Sky (3:07.06, 1:06.21, 30.34, 31.43, 35.03, 24.05); 20. Nathanael Hardy, Hom (3:08.30, 1:07.33, 28.72, 33.92, 33.03, 25.30).

Knights finish third

in Soldotna Tri

SOLDOTNA — The Colony Knights posted a pair of third-places finishes during a tri-meet at Soldotna High School on Saturday.

Katelyn Payne led the Colony girls squad with a win in the 100 backstroke.

Alexander Deedy was second in the 1-meter dive for the CHS boys.

Girls team scores:

1. Kodiak, 94; 2. Soldotna, 63; 3. Colony, 22.

Girls individual results:

200 medley relay — 1. Kodiak (Clark, Scholze, Beck-Goodell, Griffing), 1:58.06; 2. Soldotna, 1:58.29; 3. Kodiak, 2:07.93; 200 freestyle — 1. Jori Lindquist, Kod, 2:02.36; 2. Elyse Johnston, Kod, 2:08.40; 3. Alena Newgren, Sol, 2:14.86; 200 IM — 1. Olivia Bowen, Sol, 2:21.34; 2. Laura Griffing, Kod, 2:27.59; 3. Megan Jester, Kod, 2:31.77; 50 freestyle — 1. Myra Scholze, Kod, 26.72; 2. Celeste Beck-Goodell, Kod, 27.14; 3. Randi Freestone, Sol, 27.30; Diving — 1. Erica Byerley, Sol, 114.40; 2. Ashley Eby, Sol, 105.50; 100 butterfly —1. Michaela Shirnberg, Sol, 1:05.84; 2. Megan Jester, Kod, 1:06.96; 3. Alena Newgren, Sol, 1:09.42; 100 freestyle — 1. Jori Lindquist, Kod, 56.02; 2. Olivia Bowen, Sol, 56.09; 3. Kalsin Clark, Kod, 59.06; 500 freestyle — 1. Celeste Beck-Goodell, Kod, 5:26.82; 2. Sonja Jones, Kod, 5:59.47; 3. Jessica Jackson, Sol, 8:15.71; 200 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak (Lindquist, Scholze, Johnston, Clark), 1:44.48; 2. Soldotna, 1:46.65; 3. Kodiak, 1:53.69; 100 backstroke — 1. Katelyn Payne, Col, 1:06.60; 2. Kalsin Clark, Kod, 1:06.75; 3. Michaela Shirnberg, Sol, 1:08.62; 100 breaststroke — 1. Laura Griffing, Kod, 1:09.43; 2. Myra Scholze, Kod, 1:11.52; 3. Randi Freestone, Sol, 1:12.03; 400 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak (Beck-Goodell, Johnston, Lindquist, Griffing), 3:49.27; 2. Soldotna, 4:26.25; 3. Colony, 4:45.15.

Boys team scores:

1. Kodiak, 91; 2. Soldotna, 60; 3. Colony, 30.

Boys individual results:

200 medley relay — 1. Soldotna (Rickman, Carrico, Heaven, Rickman), 1:50.21; 2. Colony, 2:01.06; 3. Soldotna, 2:07.79; 200 freestyle — 1. Clayton Schauff, Kod, 1:56.82; 2. Christian Carrico, Sol, 1:59.35; 3. Brandon Schauff, Kod, 2:02.36; 200 IM — 1. Carlton Burnside, Kod, 2:17.79; 2. Josh Gaudet, Kod, 2:23.86; 3. Ehren Rickman, Sol, 2:29.31; 50 freestyle — 1. Austin Reed, Kod, 24.25; 2. Chad Paulson, Kod, 24.87; 3. Chase Talbot, Col, 25.98; Diving — 1. Scott Wandersee, Kod, 308.85; 2. Alexander Deedy, Col, 239.20; 3. Elrik Hanson, Kod, 182.95; 100 butterfly —1. Clayton Schauff, Kod, 57.47; 2. Josh Gaudet, Kod, 1:03.63; 3. Austin Whitaker, Sol, 1:11.22; 100 freestyle — 1. Winter Heaven, Sol, 49.26; 2. Austin Reed, Kod, 52.61; 3. Nicholas Brunger, Col, 52.92; 500 freestyle — 1. Brandon Schauff, Kod, 5:27.19; 2. Michael Smith, Kod, 5:34.52; 3. Ehren Rickman, Sol, 5:53.64; 200 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak (Schauff, Paulson, Gaudet, Reed), 1:37.39; 2. Kodiak, 1:42.74; 3. Soldotna, 1:46.19; 100 backstroke — 1. Winter Heaven, Sol, 56.40; 2. Carlton Burnside, Kod, 1:01.95; 3. Axl Levan, Kod, 1:21.07; 100 breaststroke — 1. Christian Carrico, Sol, 1:08.17; 2. Mark Youngren, Sol, 1:11.08; 3. Kevin Wold, Col, 1:32.81; 400 freestyle relay — 1. Kodiak (Reed, Paulson, Gaudet, Schauff), 3:32.99; 2. Soldotna, 3:33.64; 3. Colony, 3:49.96.