Sisters swimmers plunge into test

An almost complete Sisters High School swim team tested the waters in their first scheduled competition on Friday, December 6, at Sweet Home High School.

Sixteen of 18 swimmers on the Outlaws squad competed in the relay meet against teams from Marist, LaSalle, Cottage Grove, Junction City and Sweet Home. They set some impressive marks for the beginning of the season.

For many of the swimmers, this was the first encounter with a regulation size pool, starting blocks and early take-off rules.

Starting with the 200-yard Medley Relay, Andie Lesowske sent the Outlaws on a fast course in her backstroke leg, followed by veteran Jacquelien Mansker in the breaststroke, captain Tessa Durdan-Shaw's powerful butterfly and newcomer Kaylin Brink's respectable freestyle debut.

On the boys' side, novices Casey Meudt in the backstroke and Morgan Mansker in the breaststroke joined Justin Hedemark in the butterfly and captain Lee Pyke in the freestyle for an impressive time of 2:11.00.

Meudt and Mansker show great promise in their strokes and are expected to be forces during District Championships in February. Hedemark and Pyke raced a 27-plus second butterfly and freestyle respectively.

The 400-yard freestyle relay with legs of 50, 100, 200 and 50 yards was swum by Evan Livsey, Kyle Whipps, Lee Pyke and Brandon Johnston. Though new to swimming, Livsey and Johnston put out good sprints to frame their teammates 100-yard and 200-yard segments.

The girls did not compete in this event but saved their stamina for the 4x100 Medley Relay in which each swimmer must compete in one length of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

Tessa Durdan-Shaw led the team with an outstanding time of 1:21.1, followed by co-captain Anna Evered, Jacquelien Mansker and Andie Lesowske, finishing the event with respectable results for the beginning of the season. The boys team did not compete in the 4x100 Medley Relay.

In the 200 yard freestyle relay, Lauren Anderson led the pack with a time of 35.5, followed by Kaylin Brink, Katlyn Diener and anchor Andie Lesowske. On the boys' side, Kyle Whipps started with a personal best of 28.1, followed by Evan Livsey's 30.0, Casey Meudt's 30.8 and Justin Hedemark's best of 25.4.

Swimming with two novices, the final time of 1:54.3 put them within striking distance of the standing Sisters High School record. Nick Patterson, Travis Comfort, Eli Pyke and Kevin Carlsmith set the record in the 200 with a time of 1:51.19.

The Outlaws did not feature teams for the 200 yard butterfly relay.

Good times were clocked in the backstroke segments by expert Andie Lesowske as well as senior Tessa Durdan-Shaw. First year swimmers Mareta Lindley and Kaylin Brink completed the backstroke relay for the girls. The boys backstroke relay finished with a time of 2:25.9 and personal bests for Kyle Whipps and Justin Hedemark.

Jacquelien Mansker, Anna Evered, Andie Lesowske and Tessa Durdan-Shaw finished the 200-yard breaststroke relay in a time of 2:59, with a personal best of 39.8 for Durdan-Shaw. Morgan Mansker and Casey Meudt swam excellent legs on the boys relay, with Justin Hedemark setting the pace with a personal best and Kyle Whipps anchoring with a 39.7.

The final event of the competition, the 4x100 freestyle relay, showed even swims by Kaylin Brink, Mareta Lindley, Katlyn Diener and Anna Evered. Justin Hedemark, Evan Livsey, Brandon Johnston and Lee Pyke finished with respectable times.

Co-captains Will Hanson and Casey Pyke were absent due to Jazz Band commitments. The next competition for the Outlaws swimmers is at the Redmond High School Pool, Saturday, December 21.