The Dalles swim coach Derek Shortt, in middle, addresses his boys and girls team ahead of this past weekend’s River City Invitational in Scappoose. The Dalles swim team posted 18 top-3 finishes, including two wins by Kendall Webber, a victory from Lydia DiGennaro, and the girls freestyle relay quartet claimed top honors to help the girls squad to second place.
The Dalles swim coach Derek Shortt, in middle, addresses his boys and girls team ahead of this past weekend’s River City Invitational in Scappoose. The Dalles swim team posted 18 top-3 finishes, including two wins by Kendall Webber, a victory from Lydia DiGennaro, and the girls freestyle relay quartet claimed top honors to help the girls squad to second place.
With their first meet in the books, The Dalles swim team posted 18 top-3 finishes, including two wins by Kendall Webber, a victory from Lydia DiGennaro, and the girls freestyle relay quartet claimed top honors to help the girls squad to second place at this weekend’s River City Invitational in Scappoose.
“We had a coaches meeting last week, and all three of us were commenting on the focus and effort that the kids have been putting in at practice,” said TD head coach Derek Shortt. “I really believe the performances we saw today were proportional to the effort they have been putting into their workouts. Last year we set a goal to be a competitive program. After days like today, it feels like we are really on the right track to do that.”
In all, coach Shortt fielded 26 swimmers to face six other schools, and they responded with four wins, eight seconds and six third-place outcomes, with several others setting personal records.
Kendall Webber placed first in her two individual events, the 200-yard freestyle (2:16.34) and the 500-yard freestyle (6:08.78), while DiGennaro won the 100-yard butterfly following her final time of 1:08.88 and the girls 200-yard relay team of Webber, DiGennaro, Kennedy Abbas and Bree Webber combined for a 1:53.31 to lock down first place.
In the girls 200-yard medley relay, Kendall Webber, Hannah Haight, DiGennaro and Bree Webber scored second place with their mark of 2:08.81.
The foursome of Haight, Paige Compton, Abbas and Maisie Bandel-Ramirez timed out in 4:29.24 to take second place in the girls 400-yard freestyle relay.
Four girls took home second place in their individual events, led by Compton, who ended up second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:32.00). DiGennaro was second-best in the 50-yard freestyle (27.14), Abbas second place in the 100-yard freestyle (1:03.24), and Haight hit for runner-up status in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:23.13).
Haight grabbed third in the 200-yard individual medley (2:56.85), Bandel-Ramirez was third in the 50-yard freestyle (29.20), and Abbas turned in a third-place time of 1:16.27 in the 100-yard individual medley.
Bree Webber added a fourth-place time in the 50-yard freestyle (29.70) and placed fifth in the 100-yard freestyle (1:08.22), Compton wound up fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (7:15.22), and Lydia Evans was eighth in the 100-yard backstroke (1:33.87).
Addison Little had an 11th-place time of 1:48.90 in the 100-yard backstroke, Hanna Rodriguez ended up 11th in the 100-yard freestyle (1:17.88), Lydia Evans notched 12th in the 100-yard individual medley (1:35.39), and Maddie Troutt had her best finish in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:41.06).
Those times gave The Dalles girls 272 points to secure second place behind Blanchet Catholic (301).
“The girls team is exceptional this year,” Bree Webber said. “Every single one of them is improving every day. Our team is strong and has a great chance at going to state in a couple of events.”
Scappoose (243), St. Helens (172.50), Molalla (167), Gladstone (111.50), and North Marion (107) rounded out the standings.
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On the boys side, Scappoose won the event with 372 points, besting St. Helens (238.50) and The Dalles (207).
Molalla (190), North Marion (159.50), Blanchet Catholic (99), and Gladstone (68) made up the rest of the finishers.
While the Riverhawk boys did not secure any wins on the day, they had two seconds, three thirds and two fourths, with a second and third coming in relay events.
“The boys team this year is one of the best we’ve had in a long time,” Will Evans said. “Everyone is improving a ton over the past few weeks and we even had some PRs at our first meet, which is amazing for where we are in our season.”
Will Evans rattled off second place in the 200-yard freestyle (2:11.26), and the trio of Evans (24.93), Bryce Harris (25.37), and Michael Cole (26.34) went third, fourth and sixth, respectively, in the 50-yard freestyle, as both Evans and Harris hit their personal records.
Harris added third place to his ledger after swimming to a 56.96 in the 100-yard freestyle, and Xander Kirby placed fourth in the 100-yard individual medley (1:12.75) and was fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (1:12.18).
Grant Loughmiller turned in a sixth-place rally of 7:44.76 in the 500-yard freestyle and clinched seventh place after his final time of 2:42.27 in the 200-yard freestyle.
Skyler Coburn was seventh in the 200-yard individual medley (2:52.32), Cole picked up seventh in the 100-yard butterfly (1:14.05), and Jacob Comini posted a personal record of 1:23.62 to lock down eighth place in the 100-yard backstroke.
Coburn placed ninth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:24.99) and he was 10th in the 200-yard freestyle (2:44.79), Jonathan Snodgrass ended up 11th in the 50-yard freestyle (29.73), William Hoover had his best output of 14th place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:37.48), and Drew Evans had a time of 31.31 for 16th in the 50-yard freestyle.
The boys 200-yard freestyle relay team of Harris, Coburn, Cole and Will Evans matched forces for a second-place mark of 1:43.57, and 400-yard relay group consisting of Evans, Harris, Kirby and Cole scored a close second place with their rush of 4:02.37.
With so much depth on the boys roster, coach Shortt now can mix and match the right personnel groupings to get the best relay times.
Those marks can only get better from here.
“To have so many talented and motivated guys on the team really is what’s propelling our boys team forward,” Will Evans said.
Up next, the Riverhawk swimmers head to Bend for an invitational meet slated for 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, and after that, the team travels to Redmond at Noon on Saturday, Jan. 4.
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