Long-standing Port Angeles Swim Club records fall
PORT ANGELES — Two Port Angeles Swim Club members broke 41-year-old records at the January Challenge Meet at William Shore Memorial Pool.
Alex Che, age 10, set a new record in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 29.55 seconds.
Nadia Cole, 13, swam the 100 breaststroke in 1 minute, 10.66 seconds, to surpass the previous mark set in 1975.
Che took first in the 50 free as well as the 100 backstroke, 100 breast, 100 butterfly, 100 free, 50 back and 50 fly at the meet, which was held January 30-31 and featured nearly 200 swimmers and teams from Federal Way, Tacoma, Monroe and Enumclaw.
Along with her winning the 100 breast, Cole also won the 200 breast, 100 free, 200 free and 50 free. She also took second in the 200 individual medley and first in the 100 fly.
Other Port Angeles Swim Club members who earned top-three finishes:
■ Mina Bojarzin, 9: second in 200 free; third in 100 back and 100 IM.
■ Clare Bowechop, 8: first in 25 free and 25 back; second in 25 breast and 25 fly.
■ Cameron Butler, 14: first in 100 breast, 100 fly, 100 free, 200 fly, 200 breast and 400 IM.
■ Felicia Che, 14: first in 200 IM, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 back and 400 IM; second in 100 free; third in 100 breast.
■ Jesse Driese, 12: second in 200 free and 50 breast.
■ Carter Droz, 12: third in 100 IM.
■ Mackenzie DuBois, 10: first in 200 IM, 50 breast and 500 free; second in 100 breast, 100 free, 50 back, 50 free and 50 fly.
■ Yau Fu, 9: third in 200 free.
■ Josh Gavin, 12,: first in 200 IM and 100 fly; second in 100 free and 500 free.
■ Alex Hertzog,14: first in 500 free; second in 100 back, 200 free, 200 back and 50 free; third in 100 fly.
■ Sage Hunter, 12: second in 500 free and 200 back; third in 400 IM.
■ Sierra Hunter,15: first in 100 free and 100 IM; second in 200 breast; third in 100 back, 200 free and 200 back.
■ Kenzie Johnson, 14: first in 100 back and 100 IM; second in 100 fly, 100 breast, 200 free, 200 breast, 200 fly and 50 free.
■ Drake Lacy, 13: third in 200 free and 200 back.
■ Kaleb Lightner, 9: second in 100 IM.
■ Jaine Macias, 16: first in 200 IM, 100 fly, 100 breast, 200 free, 200 fly, 200 back and 50 free; second in 100 back.
■ Emma Murray, 13: third in 200 fly, 200 IM, 100 back, 100 fly, 200 free, 200 breast and 50 free.
■ Blake Nahory, 9: first in 100 IM; third in 100 free.
■ William Rife, 11: third in 100 back and 100 breast.
■ Kiara Schmitt, 12: second in 100 back and 50 back; third in 50 free.
■ Henry Shaw, 12: second in 100 back, 100 breast and 100 IM.
■ Mylee Soiseth,10: third in 100 breast and 500 free.
■ Finn Thompson, 8: first in 25 fly and 100 IM; second in 100 free; third in 100 back and 200 free.
■ Bridget Weed, 8: second in 25 back and 25 free; third in 25 yard breast and 25 yard fly.
■ Adam Weller, 11: first in 200 breast and 200 free; second 50 back; third in 50 free.
Rowing for gold
SEATTLE — The Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association earned four gold medals at the Northwest Indoor Rowing Championships.
New association coach Deborah Swinford took 11 rowers who competed in seven different events at the Northwest Indoor Rowing Championships, also known as Ergomania, at Magnuson Park on Saturday.
The club’s medal count tied for sixth out of 33 teams.
“This is a great accomplishment for a team our size, against some of the strongest, and largest, clubs in the country,” Swinford said.
Swinford was hired by the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association late last year to replace Rodrigo Rodrigues, who left to take over a program in California.
Jake McGovern, Veronica Kennedy, Sean Halberg and Calum Swinford won gold medals Saturday for the Port Angeles-based rowing club.
McGovern won the Youth 500-meter Dash Free with a time of 1 minute, 33.6 seconds. He finished more than 10 seconds ahead of second-place Caeden Crotty of Renton.
Kennedy claimed the Women’s Open Ltwt 1K with a time of 4:34.70.
Halberg won the Men’s Open Ltwt 1K by more than 15 seconds, finishing the race in 3:19.90.
Calum Swinford was the Men’s Open Adaptive 1K champion with a time of 3:09.40.
“All our rowers were very competitive in their events. Everyone matched or set a new personal record,” Deborah Swinford said.
“We had several middle school girls who not only competed in a high school varsity event but finished strongly in the standings.
“I was very impressed by the determination and effort all of our athletes showed. It was a great start to the spring season.”
Skate park fundraiser
PORT ANGELES — Snowboard movie “Seasoned” will be shown as part of a fundraiser for a new and improved skate park in Sequim at Bar Hop on Thursday night.
The film stars Forrest Burki, a pro snowboarder from Gig Harbor who now lives in Port Angeles. Burki will be at Thursday’s fundraiser, which begins at 7 p.m. Kids are welcome until 9 p.m.
A $5 donation is recommended.
Also, there will be a raffle for a plethora of prizes, including a snowboard from area snowboard makers Mervin MFG. Raffle tickets are $2 each, or three for $5 or seven for $10.
All proceeds will benefit the Sequim skate park.
Bar Hop is located at 124 W. Railroad Ave. in Port Angeles.
Paddlers meet tonight
PORT ANGELES — Olympic Peninsula Paddlers club will meet tonight at 7 p.m at the Vern Burton Community Center.
At the meeting, Steve Hiegel of Port Townsend Paddlesports will share his kayaking experience in the R2AK 2015 Race to Alaska.
The meeting is open to the public.
Olympic Peninsula Paddlers is a club for sea kayakers, white water paddlers, rafters, canoeists and those who enjoy using other paddle-powered watercraft.
Vern Burton Community Center is at 308 E. 4th St. in Port Angeles.
