Bulldog swimmers dominate action at season opening Icebreaker meet
(Courtesy photo) Pictured from left to right are the two winning medley relay teams: Garrett Bamer, Hayden Norling, Autumn Morgan, Kate Bokowy, Ellie McCray, Payton Bokowy, Jacob Ballard and Charlie Wiesner.
SANDPOINT — Between sweeping the boys and girls sprints, four freshman hitting state qualifying times in their first varsity meet, and four Sandpoint team records getting broken, it was tough to pick which was the biggest accomplishment on Saturday at the powerhouse Bulldog swim teams topped the North Idaho schools at the Icebreaker Invitational in Asotin, Washington.
The Bulldog girls scored 57 to top the field, followed by Lake City (39), Post Falls (37), Coeur d’Alene (30), Bonners Ferry, Lakeland and Moscow. The Bulldog boys scored 50 to score a surprise win over state power Coeur d’Alene (47), followed by Lake City (31), Post Falls (28), Moscow and Lakeland.
Payton Bokowy swept the 50 and 100 free, and Charlie Weisner did the same, as the Bulldogs featured the fastest sprinters in the pool in the opener.
Jacob Ballard set a team record in the 100 butterfly to finish first, also finishing second in the 200 IM in a strong showing to post the Bulldogs’ only other individual win.
Four high placing freshman started the season off well, with Hayden Norling (2nd in 200 and 500 free), Autumn Morgan (2nd in 100 breast, 3rd in 200 IM), Kate Bokowy (2nd 200 IM, 4th 100 back) and Sabrina Wilson (3rd 100 breast) all hitting state qualifying marks. Other Bulldogs scoring points included Garrett Bamer (2nd 100 back, 4th 50 free), Sierra Speakman (3rd 100 back, 5th 500 free), Mikayla Schoening (3rd 100 free, 5th 50 free), Johnny Parkinson (5th 200 free, 5th 100 back) and Ellie McCray (5th 100 back).
Bonners Ferry freshman swimmer Julia Cummings, who competes with the Bulldogs, qualified for state in the 50 free with a third place finish and PR of 26.10, and also in the 100 back with a fifth place time of 106.95. Her places were high enough for the Badgers to beat both the Moscow and Lakeland teams.
The girls 200 medley relay team of Payton Bokowy, Morgan, McCray and Kate Bokowy finished first, while the Bokowys, McCray and Schoening won the 200 free relay in a new team record, and Speakman, Schoening, Morgan and Wilson were second in the 400 relay, racking up valuable points.
The boys 200 medley relay team of Bamer, Weisner, Ballard and Norling came in first, while the same four swimmers finished second in the 400 free, breaking team records in both.
Sandpoint is at the Kroc Center vs. Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland on Saturday.