Sandpoint Sharks end long course season with record bests

The Sandpoint Sharks finished their summer season with a plethora of new personal records at the 2023 IES Long Course Championships held July 21-23 in Pasco, Wash. The Sharks finished ninth out of 15 teams with 484 points.

“For a team our size to finish ninth overall is a big deal,” head coach Emily Renzini said. “Almost everyone on the team had a top 14 finish, which puts points on the board. I am proud of how far we have come.”

Myelle Jensen led the sharks by finishing in second place in two events. She placed first in the 200-meter IM (2:45.27) and the 200-meter freestyle (2:25.71). These finishes helped her qualify for the 2023 Western Age Group Zones Championship held Aug. 2-5 in Boise at the Greater Boise Aquatics Facility.

Ava DeLeeuw also had a fantastic day in the water. She qualified for the Senior Zones Championship in the 200-meter freestyle (2:19.13), the 400-meter freestyle (4:50.71) and the 1500-meter freestyle (19:26.47) in which she placed second.

Senior Caleb Norling, who will be swimming at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois this winter, finished his club swimming career by making finals in every single event he competed in. Most notably, Norling dropped over two seconds off his 100-meter freestyle time (54.84). He also won the prestigious Senior of the Year award.

Andrew Ford set a new personal best by three seconds in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:29.63), good enough for second place.

Several other members of the team showcased their hard work and talent. Some additional highlights include: Lou Foust taking fifth place and breaking the five minute mark in the 400-meter freestyle (4:54.56); Ryleigh Bamer placing ninth in the 200-meter butterfly (2:51.33), a six second improvement; McCoy Jensen dropping ten seconds off her previous best in the 400-meter IM with a time of 5:31.05; Mia Driggs taking sixth with a strong 200-meter breaststroke (3:09.82); Terra Converse dropping seven seconds in the 400-meter IM (6:36.78); and Eli Norling cracking the top ten in the 200-meter freestyle (2:42.61).

Not only did the Sharks showcase their talent in the pool, but showed their enthusiasm outside the pool and took home the Spirit Award.

“Some of the teams here had over 60 swimmers,” Renzini said. “We had a team of just 19 and showed our dedication by not only working hard for fast swims, but for cheering on our teammates. The kids gave it their all on the deck and in the water this weekend. I could not be more proud.”

With the long course season over, the Sharks will focus on open water swimming with the Long Bridge Swim in Sandpoint on Saturday, Aug. 5, and the 2023 Western Zone Open Water Championships, which nine team members have qualified for, held Saturday, Aug. 26 in Coeur d’Alene.

If you would like to sponsor any Sandpoint Sharks swimmers while they race across Lake Pend Oreille, visit the Sharks vertical fundraiser at https://verticalraise.com/single-fundraiser/?fundraiser_id=421017