KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The Kodiak High School Bears showed their dominance at the Region Three swimming and diving championships, which wrapped up Saturday here in Kodiak. It was the first regionals held in Kodiak, thanks to the new swimming pool.
The Lady Bears won handily, taking their fourth straight region crown by 74 points over the Homer Mariners. The boys, meanwhile, needed a win in the last event on Saturday to eke out a one-point win over Homer, 64-to-63. That win came in the 400-freestyle relay, and gave the Bears their eighth championship in the past decade.
Individually, Jori Lindquist won the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke, setting Region Three records in both. Celeste Beck-Goodell and Laura Griffing also had two individual wins apiece. Beck-Goodell won the 200 individual medley and the 500-yard freestyle. Griffing took the 100 in both the freestlye and the breaststroke, setting a region record in the latter.
On the boy’s side, Michael Smith won the 500-freestyle and Nando Macinko won the 100 backstroke.
Meanwhile, Kenai senior Winter Heaven set four individual records in the event. They were the 200-yard freestyle, the 100-butterfly, and because the rules allow region records to be set in the opening leg of relays, he also set high marks in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle.
The girls’ final rankings had Kodiak with 117 points, followed by Homer’s 43 and Wasilla’s 41. Kenai was 4th just one point behind. Valdez was 5th, followed by Seward, Soldotna, Palmer and Colony.
The Kodiak boys had 64 points, and Homer with 63. Seward was third with 55, followed by Soldotna, Kenai, Colony, Palmer and Wasilla.
The state championship, where the Lady Bears will be contenders for the crown, will be held Friday and Saturday at Bartlett High and the Central Swim Club in Anchorage.
