Silver Salmon squeeze by Kings in sprint champs

While the Kachemak Swim Club Kings were leading going into the 13-and-over relays on Saturday at the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center, the Soldotna Silver Salmon used their depth in the older age groups to overtake the Kings for the team victory, finishing with 449 points to the Kings’ 442.5. 

Third place went to the Kodiak Kingfishers with 393.

The meet drew 220 competitors and also included teams from Seward and Kenai. Many of these athletes also competed in Friday Night Time Trials, featuring longer events. 

Teamwide, the Kings swam personal records in 73 percent of their individual races and 67 percent of their relay legs over the weekend with 39 Kings contributing to a total of 58 new events completed. 

Leading the way for the Kings over both days of competition was 9-year-old Carly Nelson, who swam 5 of 5 personal records, or PR, in individual races and 2 of 2 PR in relay races, notched four new Alaska Junior Olympic Championship cuts in the girls 9-10 100 individual medley (1:28.54), 50-yard butterfly (40.06), 50 freestyle (35.62), and 100 free (1:19.27), the latter fast enough to win the event. She dropped an average of 4.5 seconds/100 yards swum and tallied enough points to earn the second-place high-point award for her division.

Some other notable achievements:

First swim meet: Anna Anderson, Hudson Loboy, Aaron Toro

100 percent individual PR: Jamen Anderson, Jai Badajos, Ethan Benedetti, Johannes Bynagle, Cassidy Carroll, Theo Castellani, Bethany Engebretsen, Katelyn Engebretsen, Olivia Etzwiler, Delta Fabich, Teddy Handley, Bristol Johnson, Piper Kassouni, Kate Krautler, Eric Marshall, Kira Milne, Carly Nelson, Nathan Overson, Viveya Polushkin, Skyler Rodriguez, Sydney Shelby, Daisy Walker, Selah Weisser

100 percent relay PR: Jamen Anderson, Kaylin Anderson, Ethan Benedetti, Adeline Berry, Claira Booz, Theo Castellani, Griffin Downey, Iris Downey, Bethany Engebretsen, Katelyn Engebretsen, Delta Fabich, Teddy Handley, Aria Hill, Leif Jaworski, Bristol Johnson, Kenzy Johnson, Piper Kassouni, Walden Kraszeski, Kate Krautler, Hartley Miller, Kira Milne, Mattie Moyer, Carly Nelson, Lucas Story, Skyler Rodriguez, Daisy Walker, and Selah Weisser

New Junior Olympic cuts: Kaylin Anderson, Ella Blanton-Yourkowski, Theodore Castellani, Iris Downey, Bethany Engebretsen, Teddy Handley, Lauren Kuhns, Carly Nelson, Luke Nelson, Nathan Overson, John Roedl, Lucas Story

Individual event wins: Ella Blanton-Yourkowski, Griffin Downey, Carly Nelson, Jake Nelson, Hazel Pearson, Lucas Story, Theo Castellani

 

High-point medalists:

• First place: Luke Nelson in the boys 9-10, Ella Blanton-Yourkowski in the girls 11-12, and Griffin Downey in the boys 13-14

• Second place: Carly Nelson in the girls 9-10 and Lucas Story in the boys 9-10

• Third place: Hazel Pearson in the girls 8-and-under and Jamen Anderson in the boys 8-and-under

Kachemak Swim Club specific awards:

Relay-Big — Selah Weisser:

• Anchored the girls 11-12 200 medley in 32.98, a six-second drop

• Led off the girls 11-12 200 medley in 35.15, a three-second drop

Team Spirit for vociferous cheering from the ends and sides of the pool: Iris Downey

Sportsmanship: Mattie Moyer

• Raced hard and congratulated her competitors

 

• Anchored boys 13-and-over relays, dropping four seconds in each

• Manifests a “whatever-it-takes” attitude

Helper Award for noting and recording acts of distinction: Teddy Handley 

Team Cheer: Hazel Pearson, Kane Graham, Jamen Anderson

Posters

• Largest: Kira and Elsa Milne

• Best use of team theme: Jamen Anderson

• Most creative: Kaylin Anderson

The Kings compete next in Anchorage at the Alaska Junior Olympic Championships, April 23-26.  

KSC is a non-profit, year-round youth sports organization that practices in the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center and competes around the peninsula, the state, and the region. Anyone age 6 or older who can swim the width of the pool in freestyle and backstroke is encouraged to tryout. 

Contact head coach Neil Romney (neilromney@gmail.com or 405-795-3392) or visit the club (websiteksc.tundratechnologies.com) for more information.

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