Staying unbeaten for the fall season, Wood River High School's girl swimmers racked up an overwhelming team victory in Saturday's 12-team regional competition at Idaho State University's Reed Gym.
In the Pocatello pool Wood River (310 points) outdistanced second-place Bonneville (157) by 153 points to make it five team victories in five meets.
The Wood River girls will now defend their state championship Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3-4 at West Boise YMCA.
Coach Brian Gallagher said he's pleased with the depth of talent on the Wood River swim team. Second-year swimmers have stepped up the pace and improved the team's point totals. He expects northern Idaho schools to be tough at state, but Gallagher added that Wood River has as many top point-getters as anyone in Idaho.
Sophomore Racheal McGinnis (50 free) and senior McKeanna Collins (100 free) were individual gold medalists at regionals in Pocatello.
The competition started off with a bang when Wood River's 200-yard medley relay team of Lacy Werley, Taylor Straley, Racheal McGinnis and McKeanna Collins won the gold in 2:02.86. And the 200 free relay was edged out of first place by just .25 hundredths of a second.
Wood River's 400 girls' medley team cruised to first place in 4:03.87 for a 10-second victory over Century of Pocatello.
Gallagher's Wood River boys accumulated 90 points for a respectable fifth place team finish at regionals.
The 200 medley relay team of Jon Atkinson, Austen Butler, Nick Dobie and Cole Newcomb were out-touched at the wall by Hillcrest of Idaho Falls and had to settle for fifth place. The 400 free relay team (4:22.59) was an impressive third place out of nine entries in Pocatello.
Results:
Girls' team, top rankings: 1—Wood River 310. 2—Bonneville 157 (12 teams). Boys' team: 1—Idaho Falls 248. 5—Wood River 90.
1sts—Racheal McGinnis 50 free; and McKeanna Collins 100 free.
2nds—Lacy Werley 50 free; Racheal McGinnis 100 back; and McKeanna Collins 100 breast.
3rds—Megan Hayes 200 free; Taylor Coiner 50 free; Lacy Werley 100 free; and Jon Atkinson 50 free.
4ths—Taylor Straley 200 IM; Taylor Coiner 100 free; and Megan Hayes 100 back.
5ths—Hannah McNees 500 free; Taylor Straley 100 back; and Austen Butler 100 breast.
6ths—Esther Williams 200 IM and 100 breast; Ashleigh Share 100 free; Michael Coiner 100 back; and Jon Atkinson 100 back.
7ths—Hannah McNees 200 free; and Austen Butler 50 free.
8ths—Michael Coiner 200 free; Melissa Becker 500 free; and Nick Dobie 200 free.
10ths—Melissa Becker 200 free; and Jessica Pennington 100 breast.
11ths—Jessica Pennington 100 free; and Nick Dobie 100 free.
12ths—Ashleigh Share 200 free; Sophie Nosworthy 100 breast; and Cole Newcomb 100 breast.
15ths—Sophie Nosworthy 100 free.
16ths—Cole Newcomb 50 free.
On Wood River?s winning 200-yard medley relay team at regionals Saturday were, from left, Lacy Werley, Taylor Straley, Racheal McGinnis and McKeanna Collins.
