By Mike Weber
For Columbia Gorge News
HOOD RIVER — The Hood River Valley boys and girls swim teams competed in their sixth meet of the season in a Jan. 20, Northwest Oregon Conference four-team event at Parkrose High School in Portland.
The Eagles, guided by first-year head Coach Keith Ebbert, had a strong performance with both squads taking first place in team scoring, and they also recorded a two-team total of 20 personal best times. The Eagle girls recorded 13 top-three finishes, including eight event wins. The Eagle boys had 13 top-threes and five event victories.
“It was … supposed to be a preview meet with all nine teams in our league showing up, but that didn’t happen,” said Ebbert. “I had planned to do some training and strategy to help prepare everyone for the NWOC district meet. … We did have some really good swims by our kids, but it was kind of a bittersweet meet. We were competing against some teams that had just 15 kids and we have over 30.”
The 15-member Eagle boys squad was led by freshman Quinn Henderson (three top-threes), senior Felipe Mendez (three top-threes) and sophomores Kane Wagner (three top-threes) and Liam McGeeney (three top-threes), who each recorded one individual event victory.
Henderson won the 100 backstroke (1 minute, 4.67 seconds), McGeeney swam to first place in the 100 fly (57.91), Mendez took first in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.34) and Wagner won the 50 free (24.30). The Eagles notched a 1-2 finish in the 50 free as senior Francisco Solberg took second in 25.71 seconds. They also helped lead the Eagles to victories in the 200 medley relay (1:48.67), and the 400 free relay (3:42.55), and a second place finish in the 200 free relay (1:50.26).
“We actually broke the school record in the boys 200 medley relay,” said Ebbert. “However, since the meet was so small though, it was not sanctioned because there were no officials there. … But they’ll do it again and I presume that they’ll break the school record again.”
McGeeney and Mendez are returning state qualifiers.
The 18-member girls squad was led by seniors Delaney Hackett (four top-threes) and Sophie Helleberg (four top-threes), sophomore Luca Montague (four top-threes) and junior Ohnyxa Heredia (four top-threes), who each recorded individual event wins.
Hackett won the 100 fly (1:17.57), Montague won the 200 free (2:13.79) and the 100 breaststroke (1:15.10), and Heredia won the 500 free (6:28.15). Helleberg won the 100 free (1:00.34). The quartet also helped lead the Eagles to victories in the 400 free relay (4:24.31), the 200 free relay (1:56.19), and the 200 medley relay (2:02.35).
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