Four swimmers qualify for championship after Juneau meet

Fourteen personal bests, five first-place finishes and four qualifying performances highlighted last weekend's swim meet for Wrangell High School swimmers in Juneau.

Senior Renée Roberts upped her game by finishing first in every one of her competitions, and Roberts, along with junior Nikolai Siekawitch, sophomore Jack Roberts and senior Jimmy Baggen, qualified for the Alaska Senior Championship in Sitka in January.

According to head coach Jamie Roberts, freshman Max Lloyd swam a personal best in all four of his events, Tyson Messmer swam personal bests in three of his events, and Baggen had personal bests in three events.

The boys team, comprised of Messmer, Siekawitch, Baggen and Roberts, placed fourth in the 200-yard medley relay on Friday and third on Saturday. They placed third in the 200-yard freestyle relay on Friday and second in the event on Saturday.

"There were some close races, which always makes for an exciting meet," Jamie Roberts said. "It was fun to watch the kids get out there, use the skills they have been working on and just really race. That's all a coach can ask for - that they give the best they can at that moment."

She went on to say that there are a few swimmers she expects to place fairly high at regionals and hopefully move on to state. "We have a lot of fast swimmers in the region and in the state this year. A hundredth of a second could easily be the difference between qualifying for state or not."

The team travels next to Ketchikan for regionals Oct. 29-30.

Results

Alisha Armstrong: 17th, 50-yard freestyle (31.37); 13th, 100-yard freestyle (1:10.17); 16th, 50-yard freestyle (31.64); ninth, 100-yard breaststroke (1:40.69)

Jimmy Baggen: seventh, 50-yard freestyle (24.49); 12th, 100-yard breaststroke (1:13.02); ninth, 50-yard freestyle (25.03); 15th, 100-yard freestyle (55.76)

Max Lloyd: 20th, 50-yard freestyle (30.19); 15th, 100-yard breaststroke (1:26.58); 19th, 50-yard freestyle (30.03); 22nd, 100-yard freestyle (1:08.18)

Ashleigh Loomis: 11th, 50-yard freestyle (29.63); 11th, 100-yard freestyle (1:05.93); 13th, 50-yard freestyle (30.42); 13th, 100-yard freestyle (1:06.82)

Tyson Messmer: seventh, 200-yard individual medley (2:33.86); 12th, 100-yard freestyle (57.14); 11th, 50-yard freestyle (25.91); third, 100-yard breaststroke (1:20.66)

Jack Roberts: second, 100-yard freestyle (51.67); eighth, 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.50); sixth, 50-yard freestyle (24.06); fourth, 100-yard butterfly (58.62)

Renée Roberts: first, 50-yard freestyle (25.77); first, 100-yard freestyle (55.38); first, 50-yard freestyle (25.62); first, 100-yard freestyle (55.32)

Nikolai Siekawitch: second, 100-yard butterfly (56.07); fourth, 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.79); fourth, 50-yard freestyle (23.50); second, 100-yard freestyle (51.25)

Boys team (Messmer, Siekawitch, Baggen, Roberts): 200-yard medley relay, fourth on Friday (1:50.82) and third on Saturday (1:53.18); 200-yard freestyle relay, third on Friday (1:37.45) and second on Saturday (1:38.66)