With 12 teams and hundreds of swimmers from Idaho and Nevada, the three-day Snake River Summer Championships July 29-31 in Twin Falls were a real challenge for the small-in-number SV5B team based out of the Wood River Community YMCA pool in Ketchum.
Coach Brian Gallagher took only 12 swimmers to the USA Swimming-sanctioned competition that was the official end of the spring and summer long course season in the 50-meter pool. But those 12 swimmers made an impression against big city teams from Boise, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls.
Although SV5B finished seventh of 12 teams in final team standings, Gallagher's group (317.5 points) captured the award for "Most Points by Swimmer Average," at 22 points per swimmer.
The SV5B 14-and-under girls won all three of their relays, by substantial 2.27-, 6.23- and 2.51-second margins over the second-place teams at Twin Falls.
Gallagher's excellent coaching has been recognized over the years because he brings out the best in young people and makes sure they are positions where they can succeed. And, for the third time, Snake River Swimming Inc. through a vote of its swim team coaches named SV5B's Gallagher as its "Coach of the Year."
One of the younger SV5B swimmers, 13-year-old Maddie Johnson, has for the past year made the trip from her home in Twin Falls up to Ketchum to train with coach Gallagher and the Ketchum swim team.
Gallagher said Johnson is an exceptional swimmer for her age. Her younger brother, Mason Johnson, also has traveled to Ketchum to train with his sister.
Maddie Johnson, an incoming eighth-grade student in Twin Falls, enjoyed quite a meet at the Snake River finals. She won all seven of her events in the Girls' 11-12 year-old class (Maddie just turned 13 last week). In the 50-meter butterfly, she was just a fraction of a second off the meet record.
On the winning relay teams were Maddie Johnson, Olivia Wentzell, Loni Unser and Kaedi Fry. "They crushed everybody," said Gallagher.
The coach added that Kaedi Fry, 14, had a terrific meet with four golds and three silvers in the Girls' 13-14 age class.
Elizabeth Fry, 17, won her 400m free event in Girls' 15-19 and added two silvers and one bronze. Mason Johnson had two silvers in Boys' 11-12, and Olivia Wentzell added two bronzes in Girls' 13-14.
Last week, Maddie Johnson and SV5B swimmer Lena Friesen competed in the Western Zones Age Group Championships at Clovis, Ca.
Johnson entered the tougher Girls' 13-14 class for the first time and did well in Thursday's 100m butterfly preliminaries—finishing 15th of 49 swimmers and just missing the finals.
Next, Gallagher is looking forward to the high school swimming season that starts in September and the SV5B short-course season in the 25m pool beginning in October.
Here are results from the Snake River finals sponsored by the Magic Valley Marlins swim team at the YMCA/Twin Falls City Pool:
Top team standings: 1—Boise YMCA Swim Team 1,456 points. 2—Streamliner Aquatics 734. 3—Tiger Aquatic Club 656. 4—Idaho Falls Swim Team 618. 5—Magic Valley Marlins of Twin Falls 608. 6—Idaho Falls Cutthroats 508. 7—Sun Valley 5B 317.5 (12 teams).
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Girls 15-19
Elizabeth Fry, 17: 2—50m free (29.97 seconds); 3—200m IM (2:45.03, 2.44:24 prelims); 1—400m free (5:04.61); 4—100m free (1:06.88); 6—100m fly (1:16.10); 2 (tie)—200m free (2:25.32); 4—100m breast (1:27.59).
Tayler Bates, 16: 5—50m back (36.87); 5—400m free (5:24.86); 14—100m free (1:10.44 prelims); 7—100m fly (1:18.27); 13—100m back (1:21.91 prelims); 9—200m free (2:32.92 prelims); 4—200m back (2:48.87).
Kailey Wilt, 15: 17—50m breast (50.96 prelims).
Boys 15-19
Gus Kimball, 16: 15—50m free (28.69 prelims); 7—50m back (35.41); 12—200 IM (2:50.53 prelims); 21—100m free (1:06.51 prelims); 5—50m breast (38.25); 12—200m free (2:27.30 prelims).
Girls 13-14
Kaedi Fry, 14: 1—50 back (33.17, 32.91 prelims); 1—200m IM (2:41.29, 2:38.16 prelims); 1—400m free (5:04.16); 2—100m back (1:13.36); 1—400m IM (5:37.24); 2—100m breast (1:23.43); 2—200m back (2:36.90).
Olivia Wentzell, 13: 3—50m free (30.56, .30 seconds better than prelims); 5—200m breast (3:22.44); 6—100m free (1:10.61, 1:10.28 prelims); 3—50m breast (38.77); 17—100m back (1:28.75 prelims); 9—200m free (2:36.70 prelims); 4—100m breast (1:29.81).
Loni Unser, 13: 10—50m free (32.39 prelims); 7—50m back (39.51, 38.51 prelims); 9—200m IM (2:59.76 prelims); 11—100m back (1:25.66 prelims); 6—200m free (2:34.37, 2:33.60 prelims); 6—200m back (2:56.01, 2:54.50 prelims).
Ashley Dreyfus, 13: 12—50m back (40.37 prelims); 14—200m IM (3:08.86 prelims); 11—100m fly (1:32.24 prelims); 12—100m back (1:26.12 prelims); 5—50m fly (37.96, 36.94 prelims); 8—100m breast (1:38.33, 1:36.56 prelims).
Easton Kimball, 14: 17—50m free (36.52 prelims); 17—50m back (45.93 prelims); 10—50m breast (51.92 prelims).
Girls 14-and-under relays
400m free: 1—SV5B (Olivia Wentzell, Loni Unser, Kaedi Fry, Maddie Johnson) 4:41.25, a winner by 2.27 seconds.
200m medley: 1—SV5B (Kaedi Fry, Maddie Johnson, Olivia Wentzell, Loni Unser) 2:23.21, a winner by 6.23 seconds.
200m free: 1—SV5B (Maddie Johnson, Loni Unser, Olivia Wentzell, Kaedi Fry) 2:06.23, a winner by 2.51 seconds.
Girls 11-12
Maddie Johnson, 12: 1—50m free (29.60, .70 seconds off the meet record); 1—100m fly (1:13.89, 11:11.25 prelims); 1—200m IM (2:46.55); 1—100m free (1:04.11, just .59 seconds off the meet record); 1—50m fly (31.13, just .12 seconds off McCall Dorr's 18-year-old meet record); 1—200m free (2:24.12); 1—100m back (1:15.74).
Jackelyn DeLaCruz, 12: 4—50m free (32.92); 7—100m breast (1:41.29); 5—100m free (1:12.66).
Boys 11-12
Mason Johnson, 11: 4—50m free (33.45); 2—400m free (5:42.71); 6—100m free (1:15.44, 1:14.83 prelims); 5—50m fly (39.97, 39.57 prelims); 4—50m back (41.98, 40.26 prelims); 6—50m breast (50.97, 50.41 prelims); 2—100m back (1:29.03, 1:28.70 prelims).
Winning all three of their relay events was the SV5B Girls’ 14-and-under group of, from left, Kaedi Fry, Maddie Johnson, Loni Unser and Olivia Wentzell. Here they pose with coach Brian Gallagher during the Snake River Summer Championship finals in Twin Falls July 29-31. Courtesy photo
