The 2024-25 The Dalles swim team. Back row, from left to right: coach Pat Shortt, coach Nate Timmons, Aiden Nunez, Adele Black, Everest Lenardson, Kaiya Doty, Rowena Benjamin, Rhett Loughmiller, and coach Shea Macnab. Front row, from left to right: Jesus Chavez, Sawyer Dray, Vicky Gonzalez, Alaina Casady, Riley Elliot, Laura Black, Lillen Vaught, Maverick Varland and Cruz Peral.
The 2024-25 The Dalles swim team. Back row, from left to right: coach Pat Shortt, coach Nate Timmons, Aiden Nunez, Adele Black, Everest Lenardson, Kaiya Doty, Rowena Benjamin, Rhett Loughmiller, and coach Shea Macnab. Front row, from left to right: Jesus Chavez, Sawyer Dray, Vicky Gonzalez, Alaina Casady, Riley Elliot, Laura Black, Lillen Vaught, Maverick Varland and Cruz Peral.
THE DALLES — The Dalles High Riverhawk boys and girls swim teams competed in their fourth Special District 1 Oregon School Activities Association Class 4A/3A/2A/1A meet of the season, the La Grande High School Invitational, Dec. 21.
The Riverhawks recorded 18 top-five finishes, including individual boys event wins by junior Everest Lenardson and sophomore Maverick Varland. Lenardson swam to first place in the 100-yard freestyle (55.97 seconds) and Varland took first in the 100-yard backstroke (1:14.93).
Lenardson, Varland, sophomore Rhett Loughmiller and junior Peral Cruz combined for a runner-up finish in the 200-medley relay (2:02.92) behind La Grande (1:54.53). The quartet also won the 400 free relay with a time of 4:01.32. Lenardson swam to second in the 200 free (2:06.30) as well and Loughmiller was runner-up in the 200 individual medly (2:30.27), followed by Varland in third place (2:42.42).
Aiden Nunez took third (28.80) in the 50 free, and Loughmilller took second in the 500 free (5:59.57). The boys squad took second place with 71 points; La Grande won with 75 points.
The Dalles’ girls were third behind La Grande and Pendleton. The girls squad recorded five top-five finishes, highlighted by individual runner-up finishes by sophomore Kaiya Doty in the 50 free (29.08) and the 500 free (6:29.88). Doty is also a member of the Riverhawks’ ski team.
Doty, freshman Adele Black, junior Luara Black and senior Rowena Benjamin combined to swim to a third-place finish in the 200-medley relay (2:25.76). The quartet of Benjamin, Doty, Laura Black and sophomore Elliot Riley took third place in the 400 free relay (4:45.87).
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