HOOD RIVER — The Hood River Valley (HRVHS) Class 5A boys and girls swim teams will compete in the Northwest Oregon Conference district meet Feb. 13-14 at Parkrose High School in Portland.
The Eagle girls won the 2025 NWOC district championship, and the HRV boys finished fourth.
“It’s going to be a fun district meet, and the girls will definitely be competing for a district championship, but they’ll have to fight hard to win it,” first-year head Coach Keith Ebbert said. “The boys will have two very strong teams, with Canby and Hillsboro, that they’ll compete with to try and win the championship.”
First-place winners in each individual and relay event at Oregon’s four Class 5A district meets automatically qualify for the OSAA state meet. Remaining open lanes at state will be filled by the next fastest times from district meet finals — up to 12 participants.
Sophie Helleberg, Ohnyxa Heredia Merida, Ava Giordano and Delany Hackett are returning girls state qualifiers for HRV. Heredia Merida, Giordano, and Hackett were members of HRV’s 2025 first place 200 freestyle relay at district, and Heredia Merida and Helleberg were on the Eagles’ first place 400 free relay. The Eagles’ 2025 200 medley relay of Helleberg, (graduated) Kylin Elliott, Hackett, and Giordano earned a wild card spot in the state meet. Helleberg garnered another wild card berth for the HRV girls with her second-place district finish in the 100 backstroke a season ago.
Liam McGeeney, Yahir Mendez, Kane Wagner, Francisco Solberg, Charlie Marcotte and Logan Griffith are returning boys state qualifiers for HRV.
The 2026 state meet will be held Feb. 20-21 at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center in Beaverton.
In 2025, the Eagle girls used their superior depth to score 432 points, to the 376 of runner-up and 2024 champion, Canby High. Hood River had 14 different swimmers earn 26 individual placings at district and earn team points, attesting to its team depth. The HRV boys were fourth in their meet, trailing Canby, Hillsboro and La Salle Prep.
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