Twenty-four swimmers from the Kachemak Swim Club (KSC) converged upon the Bartlett High School pool last weekend in Anchorage for the Alaska Swimming Junior Olympics championship meet. Kings with qualifying times that competed were Kaylin Anderson, Clayton Arndt, Adeline Berry, Ella Blanton-Yourkowski, Briar Boyd, Brady Coppo, Bethany Engebretsen, Annabelle Franciscone, Kane Graham, Teddy Handley, Bristol Johnson, Lauren Kuhns, Kira Milne, Carly Nelson, Jake Nelson, Luke Nelson, Hazel Pearson, Skyler Rodriguez, Makayla Sarsfield, Lucas Story and Madison Story. KSC came in seventh overall in team points out of 24 teams.
Madison Story had another fantastic championship meet, qualifying for finals in all of her events (200IM, 200 yard back, 50 yard freestyle, 200 yard breaststroke, 100 yard backstroke, 100 yard breaststroke and 200 yard freestyle) and racked up 109 points in the girls 13-14 year old division. Story also achieved two Western Zone qualifying times in her 100 and 200 breaststroke and will be travelling with the Alaska All-Star team to Sacramento, Calif., in August to compete at the 2017 Western Zone Age Group Championships. This is the highest level meet for 14 and under and she will swim against the top swimmers in the Western United States.
Homer High School senior Lauren Kuhns swam in her last Junior Olympics and notched 65 points for the Kings. She will be swimming for Assumption College this fall.
Other Kings accumulating points were L. Story with 22, Arndt with 13.5, Boyd with 13, Coppo with 13, Pearson with 13, and L. Nelson with 11.
The girls 10 and under relay team of Boyd, Pearson, Franciscone and Sarsfield took home the bronze medal in the 200 yard medley relay.
The boy’s 11-12 relay team of L. Story, L. Nelson, Nathan Overson and Luke Nollar grabbed silver in the 200 yard medley relay, 400 yard medley relay and the 400 yard free relay and finished 3rd in the 200 yard freestyle relay.
The girl’s 13-14 relay team of Story, Blanton-Yourkowski, Berry and Anderson placed third in the 200 yard medley relay and Story, Blanton-Yourkowski, Berry and K. Milne placed third in the 200 yard freestyle relay.
The Kings compete next at home during the Spring Splash invitational meet on May 13 at the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center.
For more information about the KSC program, visit the club’s website at www.kachemakswim.org.
