Outlaws swimmers compete at District

Sisters will be represented by two boys and one girl at the OSAA State Swimming Championships after achieving qualifying times at the Special District 3 meet held at Sweet Home High School February 11 and 12.

Special District 3 is comprised of 12 schools including Sweet Home, Junction City, Stayton, Philomath, Marist, Cascade, Salem Academy, Blanchet, North Marion, Kennedy, Pleasant Hill, and Sisters.

Clayten Heuberger will race in two events at State based on his performances in the 50-yard free and the 100-yard backstroke. He is the third-ranked swimmer based on district times going into the state meet.

Heuberger established the top time in the prelims in the 50 free at 23.84, but Kyler Lajoie of Marist Catholic edged him in the final by just under two-tenths of a second as Heuberger finished with a time of 24.13.

Ted Stolasz placed ninth in the event with a time of 26.53.

Heuberger turned the tables on Lajoie in the 100-yard backstroke with a runner-up finish in 57.29 to Lajoie’s 57.89. Cameron Miller of Kennedy High School won the race in 55.48.

Freshman Joe Souza finished a very close third in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:12.29 and gained entry based on his time, which was announced Sunday, according to Coach Alex Bick.

On the girls’ side, Ella Bartlett will also compete at State thanks to her second-place finish in the 500-yard backstroke. Her time of 6:02.81 was ten seconds better than her preliminary time.

Additionally, Bartlett scored for the Outlaws in the 100-yard breaststroke, placing fifth in 1:18.89, and like Souza, discovered on Sunday she had qualified for State by time.

Neya Kountchev placed eighth in the 100-yard freestyle (1:08.42) and 11th in the 200-yard freestyle (2:40.57).

“Most of the swimmers achieved their personal records for the year,” said Bick. “For those moving on we expect that progress to continue.”

Sweet Home took home the title for girls and Marist captured the top spot for boys.

The 4A/3A/2A/1A State Championships will be held Saturday, February 19 at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center in a one-day

format beginning at 3:15 p.m. The 6A championships will take place earlier that day, while the 5A meet is scheduled for Friday, all at the same site.