Local swimmers compete in Albany at state meet

“Our kids swam great, and they each dropped a lot of time off their events,” said Caswell. “You can never control who else swims in the same event and how fast they swim. If you’re always improving your time, then you’re making progress.

“Mason and Micaiah both had an absolutely great meet.”

Epstein, Micaiah Adams, Jablonski, and Dennis each recorded top-10 finishes in their events. Epstein highlighted the meet for Hood River as he placed fifth in the boys age 9-10 100-meter freestyle (1:28.90). Epstein was sixth in the 100 backstroke (1:38.49) and eighth in the 50 back (46.40).

Jablonsky swam to eighth place in the girls age 10-and-under 50 breaststroke (51.76). Micaiah Adams took sixth in the girls age 10U 50 free with a personal-record time of 36.95 seconds. Dennis swam to 10th in the girls age 10U 50 free (42.57) and she was 11th in the 100 free (1:36.26).

The six-member The Dalles Dolphins swim team, guided by Coach Ann Goodman, included sisters Maili Doty and Solana Doty, Elijah Bachman, Aspen Denney, Noah Anslinger and Hannah Anslinger. Maili Doty and Bachman swam to top-10 finishes. Denney, Bachman and Hannah Anslinger, age 7, were competing at state for the first time.

“These kids really swam well and I’m very proud of all of them,” Goodman said. “Hannah dropped four seconds in the 50 backstroke, but she was competing in the age 8-and-under class.”

Bachman took eighth in the boys age 9-10 200 free (3:47.48). Maili Doty took 10th place in the girls age 9-10 100 breaststroke (1:53.37) and 12th in the 50 breast (54.75). Denney was 12th in the girls age 8U 50 breaststroke (1:05.24). Solana Doty took 15th in the girls age 9-10 100 free (1:28.64).

Prior to the state meet, The Dalles Dolphins swimmers competed in Pendleton on June 30 to July 2. “In February, we had three kids that qualified for the short course 10U state meet. Now we had six going to the long course (50-meter pool) state meet and we doubled our number of qualifiers,” Goodman said.

The Dalles boys team took first place in the nine-team event with 505 points. The girls squad took fourth place with 303 points. The Dalles Dolphins had 26 swimmers compete at Pendleton, which was the largest number of athletes that they’ve had at a road meet this summer.

Carter Randall, 16, and Everest Lenardson, 15, competed in the boys age 15-and-over 1500-meter event. Randall took first place and Lenardson was third. Jack Dewey won the boys age 14-and-over 400-meter freestyle race. Maverick Varland, 14, was the boys’ top individual scorer with 87 points.

Randall, who has been swimming since age 8, is a The Dalles High senior who also competes on the Riverhawk swim, tennis, and soccer teams.

Sam Ford recorded nine first-place finishes. Ford, 12, won seven individual events and he combined with his teammates to swim to victories in two relays.

“Jack (Dewey) swam really, really well, which was kind of a nice surprise to see,” said Goodman. “Every time we go to a meet, we always seem to have different kids that kind of standout.

“Sam always does well. He works really hard. He makes it to practice and he’s always on time when he gets into the pool. He does every practice set and every interval just like I’ve designed it for him and explained it to him. He understands what the goal is. I have to give him credit for having such a good work ethic.”

Goodman said she is happy with the progress of Kaiya Doty, 14. Since the first meet this year on June 16, Doty has lowered her time in the girls 200 breaststroke by 47 seconds.

The Dalles and Hood River swim teams will compete in their next event July 20-23 in the OSI 11-and-over state championship meet at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham.