Wednesday, November 8, 2006

One more winning plunge for WRHS swimmers

Second straight state title for Hailey girls


The winning margin was smaller this time around but the final result was the same—Wood River High School's girls' swimming team winning the state championship over Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint.

Led by two individual golds captured by sophomore Racheal McGinnis and two 40-point relay victories, Wood River squeezed out a 245-222 victory over Coeur d'Alene Saturday at West Boise YMCA pool.

Both Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint dogged Wood River for the entire two-day meet, but Wood River's small squad with big depth of talent led all the way.

The winning difference had been 70 points over Coeur d'Alene last November in Boise, but the 2006 Hailey squad had to absorb the loss of critical point-getters Amanda Harris and Anja Sundali to graduation.

But seniors McKeanna Collins, Hannah McNees and Rian Ervin really stepped up to fill the gap this year for Wood River coaches Brian Gallagher and Ed Flory. And the 13-member Wood River team brought home the first-place team trophy.

Gallagher and Flory would be first to say that it's nice having McGinnis around two more years.

McGinnis, fastest female high school swimmer in Idaho, broke Amanda Harris' school record in the 100 freestyle sprint Saturday with a personal-best 54.62 seconds, just .12 seconds ahead of senior runner-up Caroline Campbell of Moscow.

Individual gold in 50 free also went to McGinnis with a personal best 24.89, .07 seconds behind Harris' school mark of 24.82. McGinnis won 50 free by the smallest of margins, .03 seconds over senior Tara Grieger of Boise's Capital High.

Her finishing time qualified McGinnis for the USSA Senior Sectionals next year in Seattle.

McGinnis also anchored the winning Wood River relay teams with fantastic finishes.

The 200 free relay squad of Natalie Hague, McKeanna Collins, Lacy Werley and McGinnis (1:45.35) beat Coeur d'Alene by one second-and-a-half. Winning the climactic 400 free relay were Hague, Megan Hayes, Collins and McGinnis (3:49.68), a full three seconds ahead of Sandpoint.

Posting strong individual top-10 results for Wood River were junior Natalie Hague (3rd 200 free and 4th 100 free), Megan Hayes (6th 100 fly, 9th 100 back) and Hannah McNees (8th 500 free and 10th 200 free).

The judges, in a controversial decision, disqualified McKeanna Collins after the 100 breast final for a false start (a muscle flinch). Collins had been seeded second and ended third with a school record 1:11.09.

It would have been the first time for the Hailey senior on the podium, but instead McKeanna's team lost a critical 16 points in the extremely close race for the overall team title.

Collins, moments after the disappointment, had to shake it off and compete in the final event of the meet, the 400 free relay. But she met the challenge with distinction and helped her team to its 3.27-second win that secured the championship.

The team effort certainly represented a lot more than luck—but Wood River had luck on its side, too.

Luck consisted of a water bottle filled with Zenergy pool water that Wood River girls and boys filled Thursday at the Ketchum pool and emptied with a united shout Friday before the start of the state prelims in Boise.

Other members of Wood River's state championship girls' team were juniors Taylor Straley and Werley; sophomores Megan Hayes, Ashleigh Share and Esther Williams; along with freshmen Melissa Becker, Michael Coiner and Taylor Coiner.

In the boys' competition, Wood River had a small squad of three boys—senior Austen Butler along with freshmen Jon Atkinson and Gene Fairbrother—but they did well and showed promise for the future.

Atkinson swam two personal bests, in 50 free (24.74) and 100 back (1:04.04), but each time finished just out of the finals as second alternate.

Fairbrother set a new Wood River record in the 100 fly (1:06.31). Atkinson, Butler, Fairbrother and Cole Newcomb placed as first alternate to consolation, or 17th place, in both the 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay.

Here are the top team standings from state, which consisted of preliminaries Friday and finals Saturday. In all there were 460 athletes (253 girls, 207 boys) on 33 teams:

Girls' team, top state ranks: 1—Wood River of Hailey 245. 2—Coeur d'Alene 222. 3—Sandpoint 206. 4—Lake City of Coeur d'Alene 154. 5—Caldwell 122. 6—Centennial of Boise 108. 7—Bonneville of Idaho Falls 101. 8—Meridian 100. 9—Capital of Boise 95. 10—Century of Pocatello 95.

WR individual results:

1sts—Racheal McGinnis 50 free (24.89) and 100 free (54.74).

3rd—Natalie Hague 200 free (2:03.08).

4th—Natalie Hague 100 free (57.30).

6th—Megan Hayes 100 fly (1:06.72).

8th—Hannah McNees 500 free (5:48.02).

9th—Megan Hayes 100 back (1:05.61).

10th—Hannah McNees 200 free (2:10.90).

11ths—Taylor Coiner 100 free (1:00.55) and 200 free (2:12.52).

13ths—Rian Ervin 100 breast (1:18.30); and Taylor Straley 200 IM (2:31.32).

14ths—Taylor Straley 500 free (6:02.45); and Michael Coiner 100 back (1:11.11).

15ths—Lacy Werley 100 free (1:01.48).

17ths—Esther Williams 500 free (6:10.84).

Boys' team, top state ranks: 1—Moscow 258. 2—Lake City 240. 3—Sandpoint 206. 4—Boise 205. 5 (tie)—Mountain View of Nampa and Centennial 159. 7—Meridian 158.5. 8—Bishop Kelly of Boise 132. 9—Idaho Falls 120. 10—Skyline of Idaho Falls 89.




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