PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles produced winners in every event, swept the top three finishes in eight overall events and earned nine district qualifying times as the Roughriders’ earned a 147-30 season opening Olympic League boys swim meet on Wednesday at Shore Aquatic Center.
Port Angeles made a statement in the opening event, the 200-yard medley relay.
“The team of Finn Thompson, Nolan Medgin, Miles Van Denburg, and Patrick Ross clocked an impressive 1 minute, 51.75 seconds —just 3.5 seconds shy of a state qualifying mark,” Riders swim coach Sally Cole said.
Port Angeles swept the podium in the 200 freestyle with Isaac Meek leading the pack with a personal best performance, improving by over 4 seconds from last season.
Teammates Jensen Wolfe and Charlie Kasten rounded out the top three, each with personal records of their own.
“The 200 individual medley was a stage for the Riders’ talented freshmen to shine,” Cole said.
“These rising stars are already making a significant impact, promising a bright future for the team.”
Miles Van Denburg secured first place and Patrick Ross took fourth, both earning district qualifying times.
The Riders continued their dominance in the 50 freestyle, with Killian Waknitz touching in first followed by Jacob Howe and Liam Nicholson.
The 200 free relay team of Jack Root, Waknitz, Eli Warren and Meek added to the Riders’ victory tally, finishing first with a commanding 5-second lead over the competition.
Freshman talent was on full display again in the 100 butterfly as Ross (1:02.45) and Van Denburg (1:04.57) came in first and second, respectively. Both swims met district qualifying standards, and Warren added a third-place finish to complete another Rider sweep.
The 100 free saw Nolan Medgin take top honors, followed by Cliff Hales and Jacob Howe in second and third.
“In the 500 free, Meek outperformed himself, shaving an impressive 8.5 seconds off his previous best to win with a district-qualifying time of 6:10.89. Wolfe and Kasten claimed second and third to secure another sweep,” Cole said.
Thompson continued his strong performance in the 100 backstroke, earning first place with a district qualifying time 1:01.50. Hales and Root rounded out the top three in the event.
The 100 breaststroke provided one of the meet’s most exciting finishes as Waknitz and Medgin battled stroke for stroke. Waknitz ultimately touched first with a 1:14.29, closely followed by Medgin at 1:15.41—both securing district times.
The Riders closed out the meet with what Cole called a resounding victory in the 400 free relay.
Van Denburg, Ross, Hales, and Thompson powered to a first-place finish in 3:56.05, capping off an impressive performance across the board.
“With a roster brimming with talent and a promising crop of freshmen, the Port Angeles Roughriders have set the tone for a successful season,” Cole said.
The Riders (1-0) host Kingston today at 3 p.m.
Boys Basketball Forks 59, Aberdeen 51
FORKS — Down by double digits in the first half, the Spartans worked their way back into the game by outworking the Bobcats on the glass.
“Great job inside by our bigs Brody [Lausche] and Titus [Rowley], both approached nearly 20 rebounds apiece,” coach Keith Weekes said. “We outrebounded Aberdeen by 15, only giving up seven offensive rebounds, three of which were on one possession.”
Lausche had 15 points and 16 rebounds while Rowley added 14 points and 15 boards.
Forks also got 14 points from Bubba Hernandez and Landen Olson.
“Bubba and Landen were able to give us good balanced scoring to go along with our inside work,” Weekes said. “Noah Foster did a great job giving us minutes when guys were in foul trouble in the second half. Kyle [Lohrengel] and DeAnthony Davila did a lot that doesn’t show up in the stat sheet.”
Forks also limited Aberdeen sharpshooter Jacob Quezada to just five second-half points.
“We spent the first quarter adapting to Aberdeen’s Jacob Quezada shooting from the volleyball line, he made three in the first quarter and finished the game with 20 points but only 5 in the second half,” Weekes said.
“We are excited for the way the guys stepped up to a challenge and got over another hurdle. They know the work they’ve done is paying off but understand there is still more we need to be able to fix; too many turnovers and missed free throws.”
Forks (4-0) visits Elma tonight at 7 p.m.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.
