THE HRV SWIM TEAM competed this past Saturday in Hood River against the 10 teams present in The Dalles Invitational. The girls placed second and the boys, who only have seven swimmers, placed fifth. Above, Cameron Marquez-Villegas, captain for the boys, swims in the 200-yard freestyle event.
Dhani Freeland, captain for the girls, swims to a first-place finish.
Ben Mitchell
THE HRV SWIM TEAM competed this past Saturday in Hood River against the 10 teams present in The Dalles Invitational. The girls placed second and the boys, who only have seven swimmers, placed fifth. Above, Cameron Marquez-Villegas, captain for the boys, swims in the 200-yard freestyle event.
The HRV swim team hasn’t had many chances to show its stuff this season, with about half of the team’s scheduled meets having been canceled due to various reasons.
On Saturday, the Eagles made up for lost time at the Hood River Aquatic Center, where the team competed against 10 teams in The Dalles Invitational. The girls, buoyed by some standout performances from both veterans and newbies alike, took second, placing behind Columbia River Conference rival Pendleton. The boys were able to place fifth despite having a roster of just seven swimmers.
“I am very pleased with how Saturday went,” said Kelly Cunningham, HRV’s first-year head coach. “I look to individual swimmer successes more than overall scores and was happy with many personal records and several swimmers pushing themselves, competing in new events.”
High individual scorers for the girls included team captain Dhani Freeland who won both her individual events (100-yard and 200-yard freestyle), as well as Courtney Castaneda (third in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke), Allison Burke (fifth in the 50 freestyle and second in the 500 freestyle) and frosh Alea McCartly, who Cunningham said “had a very successful meet with significant drops in her times and a push that helped our 400 freestyle relay win their event.”
Cunningham added that the girls relays were a significant help in scoring with the medley teams taking fourth, 200 freestyle taking second and 10th, and 400 freestyle relays taking first and third.
High individual scorers for the “small but strong boys team” were David Walker (fourth in the 100 backstroke), Trey Schilling (50 freestyle) and team captain Cameron Marquez-Villegas (fifth in 100 freestyle), who Cunningham said “had a great drop in his individual 200 freestyle.”
In relay events, the boys medley and 400 freestyle each placed third to score some significant points for HRV.
The team heads to Madras on Saturday for its next meet.
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