Grizzly swimmers split with Newberg in opening meet
The Grizzlies swim team opened the season last Thursday, Dec. 12, in a dual meet at Newberg High School.
The boys squad, looking to improve upon its sixth place finish at state last season, topped the Tigers 109 to 52, while the girls lost to Newberg, expected to be a favorite in the Pacific Conference, 100 to 69.
“We had quite a few freshman in there (on the girls team),” said head coach Jason Hafner. “Even for the year-round swimmers, that first high school is a lot different than what they’ve experienced before. I was really happy. They were competitive.”
Hafner noted newcomers Cathryn Shea, who finished third in the 200-yard freestyle (2:15.99), and 100-yard free (1:05.72), and Bria Zemlicka, who finished runner-up in the 200-yard individual medley (2:34.08) and won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:15.67). Shea swam in all three of the Mac’s A relay teams and Zemlicka was on both the 200-yard free and 200-yard medley teams.
Sophomore Emma Khoury also had a good first meet, Hafner said, and is well ahead of her times at the start of last season. Khoury took second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:18.33) behind Zemlicka and second in the 100-yard butterfly (1:12.54).
“We have a really good (girls) group of solid swimmers that can compete in a wide range of events,” Hafner said. “We’re going to stress that even though we got beat by Newberg, at districts we still think we can give them a good run with our depth.”
On the boys side, the Grizzlies are already swimming some state qualifying times, and that’s right where Hafner wants them to be.
With the meet well in heading into the final race, the 400-yard freestyle relay, Hafner gave them a time to target and make sure they weren’t coasting into the meet finale.
Seniors Camden Parson and Jace Zemlicka and juniors Olin Hamilton and Shea Keller posted a time of 3:12.45 – better than the team’s fifth place finishing time at last season’s state meet.
“What we’re really emphasizing this year is that it’s all preparation for districts and state,” Hafner said. “They’ve got to go 100% every meet. Duel meets are fast, without much rest. The first day at state is like that — there’s not a lot of rest between races. So they have to go out and practice that (mentality) all year.”
Parsons won both his individual events, the 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.63) and the 200-yard individual medley (1:59.31), posting times under his best last season, “and he will just continue to get better,” Hafner said.
Zemlicka also had a pair of top finishes in the the 100-yard butterfly (52.01) and 500-yard freestyle (4.56.85)
Senior Michael Khoury won the 50-yard freestyle (22.32), took second in the 100-yard butterfly (55.56) and anchored the 200-yard medley relay with a 21.72 split time.
The Grizzlies hosted Sherwood Thursday evening, after the N-R publishing deadline.
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