Swimmers hit the pool at Jay Rowan Invitational

Rongi Yost, Correspondent | Last updated Jan 13, 2015 12:0pm0

Jerry Baldock count

Freshman Anna Bartlett took second in the 400-meter freestyle at Jay Rowan Invitational.

Jerry Baldock count

Jonathon Luz placed fourth in the 100-meter butterfly at last Saturday’s Jay Rowan Invitational in Redmond.

Sisters was the only 4A team at the Jay Rowan Invitational held on Saturday, January 10, which made it a very tough meet for the Outlaws. Bend High, Summit, Redmond, Ridgeview, Mt. View and Baker City also attended.

The Outlaws' overall performance was solid, and almost every team member walked away with at least one personal record.

Several swimmers had notable performances. Noah Huber took nine seconds off in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 36.93. Will Werts took off 10 seconds for a time of 1:31.75 in the 100-meter butterfly and took almost 30 seconds off in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 2:58.53.

"Will had an outstanding performance," said Coach Brittany Morioka (neé Baldessari). "He really took a big turn this meet and had personal records in almost every event. Will also competed on the boys A medley relay and swam an outstanding butterfly

leg. Going forward, he will also take a position on the boys A freestyle relay."

Hawley Harrer finished the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 1:15:97, 15 seconds off her personal best. Anna Bartlett came in second in the 400-meter freestyle with a six-second personal record and time of 5:55.86.

Jonathan Luz had a great showing with personal records in both his 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:14.91 and the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:26.19.

Hannah Stuwe set personal records in both the 100-meter butterfly (1:41.02) and the 100-meter backstroke (1:41.19).

"Hannah has just recently taken up butterfly, but has already made a ton of progress," said Morioka. "We still have a lot of ground to cover, but she learns quickly and applies what she learns very well."

Morioka added, "The kids are starting to gear up and think about what events they will be competing in at the district championships. With so many new swimmers, and limited entries allowed in every event, a lot of veteran swimmers have had to stand up and make sacrifices for the team."

The swim team is excited about attending the annual White Buffalo Classic, which will be held in Madras on Saturday, January 17. For many swimmers, this is the only time prior to districts where they will see a prelim/finals meet format. Competition will be fierce. The Madras boys have won State the last couple of years, and the Lady Buffs also have some excellent swimmers.

Sisters swimmers dive into season

The swim team boasts 22 team members this season, and the majority of the squad is brand-new to the sport.

The Outlaws swimmers already have a couple of meets under their belts and several hope to make their mark this year.

Mary Stewart has the potential to set a new 100-yard freestyle record this season, and Shawn Horton could break the 500-yard freestyle record.

Two freshmen girls, Hawley Harrer and Anna Bartlett, have already made a huge impact on the team. Both girls have already competed on the girls varsity relay and have placed in their individual events. Bartlett will focus on the 500-yard freestyle, while Harrer will focus on the 50- and the 100-yard freestyle.

Noah Huber has already made tremendous progress, has had incredible drops in time, and will put forth his efforts in the 100-yard butterfly. Seniors Emily Christen and Jonathan Luz are also swimmers to watch this season.