The Wrangell High School swim team was in Juneau this past weekend for an invitational tournament. Wrangell was one of seven schools represented at Juneau. According to the team’s coach, Jamie Roberts, it was an eventful meet.
Team member Renee Roberts took first place in two events, the 50 and 100-yard freestyles. Jimmy Baggen became the first member of the swim team to compete in all eight events offered in high school swimming. These events are the 50, 100, 200, and 500-yard freestyle, the 100-yard butterfly, the 100-yard breaststroke, the 100-yard backstroke, and the 200-yard individual medley.
Another milestone of note came from Wade Jack, who swam the 50-yard freestyle in 25.45 seconds. Roberts said that this was the fastest time ever recorded in Wrangell High School’s records, and also ties with the fastest time reported in the Wrangell Swim Club.
“So far the season is going really great,” she said. “All the swimmers are improving in their times. They’re entering longer distance events, which can be expected as they get more time and more practice in. This weekend, when we travelled to Juneau, we had 13 new personal best times.”
The results from the Juneau meet are as follows: Xoe Affholter took 25th place in the 50-yard freestyle, 26th in another 50-yard freestyle, and 17th in the 100-yard freestyle; Jimmy Baggen took 8th in the 50-yard freestyle, 6th in the 200-yard freestyle, 9th in the 100-yard freestyle, and 3rd in the 100-yard breaststroke; Laura Helgeson took 21st in two 50-yard freestyle events; Wade Jack took 5th in the 50-yard freestyle, 5th in the 100-yard breaststroke, 6th in the 100-yard freestyle, and 6th in the 200-yard freestyle; Aaliyah Messmer took 20th in the 50-yard freestyle, 17th in the 100-yard backstroke, 19th in the 50-yard freestyle, and 23rd in another 100-yard backstroke; Sophie O’Brien took 14th in the 50-yard freestyle, 17th in another 50-yard freestyle, 17th in the 100-yard freestyle, and 13th in the 100-yard breaststroke; and Renee Roberts took 1st in the 50-yard freestyle, 1st in the 100-yard freestyle, 9th in the 100-yard breaststroke, and 6th in the 200-yard freestyle.
“The kids have been working hard and swimming hard when they go to swim meets. It’s a bit tiring for them,” Roberts said. “Our Friday night meets, for whatever reason, have been going until 9:30 or 10 o’clock at night. Typically, most athletes aren’t at their prime at 9:30 at night, so it’s incredible when they come out and stick it out to the end on a Friday night and still swim fast.”
Up next for the swim team is a meet in Ketchikan on Oct. 12 and 13. Looking ahead, after this meet will be the regional tournament at Petersburg scheduled for Oct. 26 and 27. Roberts said the team is focused on Regionals, as well as the possibility of getting to State beyond that.
“Right now we’re working with the swimmers on narrowing in on what they want to swim at the regional event,” she said. “It’s going to be run as preliminaries and finals, so they can only choose two events.”
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