On the strength of two individual titles and a relay victory, the Soldotna Stars girls swim team held off Colony and Kodiak to earn the 2016 Region III Swimming and Diving championship in the girls division. The Stars retain the team title won in 2015 amassing 81 points ,defeating the Knights (77) and Bears (71) in Kodiak.
Individual event winners included Sydney Juliussen in the 50 freeestyle and Portia Padilla in the 100 backstroke. The Star girls added a first place in the 200 medley relay.
The SoHi girls scored in 10 of 12 events competed at the region meet.
Other top six performances on the girls side included:
SoHi girls: Rachel Davidson, 2nd in 200 freestyle and 2nd in 100 backstroke; Madelyn Brennan, 4th in 200 freestyle and 4th in 100 freestyle ; Darby McMillan, 4th in 200 IM; Katie Creglow, 5th in 200 IM and 3rd in 100 breaststroke; Portia Padilla, 2nd in 100 butterfly; Sydney Juliussen, 3rd in 100 freestyle; 200 freestyle relay, 3rd; 400 freestyle relay, 2nd.
Kenai girls: Mikaela Pitsch,2nd 1M diving
In the boys competition, the Soldotna boys earned a second-place finish in the team standings behind three, individual championship swims, two for Cody Watkins and a title for Jacob Creglow. The Stars finished behind Kodiak in the team scoring; the Bears have now won nine-straight Region III boys team titles.
For the Stars, Cody Watkins raced to first-place finishes in the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. Jacob Creglow won the 100 breaststroke. The Kodiak Bears Talon Lindquist broke the Region III record in both the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke and was named Region III Male Athlete of the Year.
Other top six performances on the boys side included:
SoHi boys: 200 medley relay, 2nd; Jacob Hall, 2nd in 200 freestyle and 2nd in 500 freestyle; Jacob Creglow, 4th in 200IM; Caleb Frederickson, 6th in 200IM; Kylin Welch, 4th in 1M diving; 200 freestyle relay, 2nd;
Kenai boys: 200 medley relay, 3rd; Hunter Reese, 5th in 200 freestyle and 3rd in 100 butterfly; Savaii Heaven, 3rd in 100 freestyle and 5th in 100 backstroke; Patrick Peralta, 5th in 100 butterfly; Eric Kempf, 5th in 100 breaststroke; 400 freestyle relay, 4th; 200 freestyle relay, 6th
The ASAA State Swimming and Diving Championships are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, November 4-5 at Dimond Park Aquatic Center in Juneau.
All region meet champions and the next fastest 12 swimmers or divers qualify to the Alaska state swim meet.
Click here for qualifier list!
