2008
11
Swim Team off to promising start, obstacles still to overcome
LI ClAVARELLO & C H R IS ERBIN
Staff Reporters
Before the season
had even started, the
Swim Team had a couple
problems. To begin with,
swim space was already
limited, as the squad is the
biggest in school history.
Students were restricted
to swimming behind each
other, single file in already
cramped lanes at the
Tualatin Swimming Pool.
To make things worse,
the team has struggled to
maintain coaches. The third
new coach in three years,
Jessica Hauser has taken
over the helm. For the most
part this year, swimmers
have taken the absence of a
coach as an opportunity to
learn from each other.
"We don't have a diehard
coach. The competitive
factor has taken a plunge.
Hopefully we can reapply
it. The competitive drive
comes from the swimmers
themselves," Alexander
Jonsson, senior, said.
Jonsson and Thomas
Lord, seniors, have stepped
up as team captains of the
boys' squad, while Julie
Wahlstrom and Kaitlyn
Coffman, seniors, have
taken over as team captains
for the girls.
"I think that the team has
done a great job working
*t'*er in order to learn
niques to help
jv e our swimming
times," Mary Milton, senior,
said.
After a strong start to
the season which included
victories over Milwaukie
and Oregon City, the Lions
began their toughest stint of
the season, as they prepared
to take on both Lake
Oswego schools.
First up was Lakeridge,
a team that has finished at
the top of the Three Rivers
League for the majority of
the last decade. While the
team struggled to keep up
with the improved Pacer
Milton said.
Prince and Sells then
teamed up to compete in
the 200 medley along with
Jessica Broberg, freshman
and Whitney Finnerty,
junior. Sells returned
Freshman swimmers wait for the signal at the Jan. 10 Junior Varsity
meet. The JV and Varsity teams have been working hard, according to
coach Jessica Hauser, despite having a young team and facing tough
TRL opponents.
Photo by Alexandria Namhie
squad, many strong swims
and personal records
highlighted the meet for the
Lions.
Josie Sells, junior, posted
one of her best times of the
season with a 1:08.56 in
the 100 meter backstroke.
She took first by nearly
two seconds, while Elliot
Prince, freshman, came in
an impressive third with
at time of 1:11.14. Prince
also placed first in the 500
freestyle with a winning
time of 6:08.14.
"Elliot has really stepped
up for our team. Even as a
freshman she has already
posted exceptional times,"
to compete in 50 meter
freestyle. The race turned
out to be the closest of the
entire meet, as she fell to
Lakeridge's top swimmer
by just two tenths of a
second.
"I do four different
events, but only two
different strokes. It's a big
challenge but the rewards
outweigh the challenges,"
Sells said.
The boys had an even
more difficult time keeping
up with Lakeridge's depth,
as may individuals were
forced to settle for second
and third place finishes.
West Linn took second and
third place, getting the meet
off to a strong start.
Kevin Sellers,
sophomore, cracked the
top two in the 100 freestyle
for West Linn with a time
of 54.6. In his next event,
Sellers' swam his best
race in the 100 backstroke
where he picked up another
second-place finish with a
time of 1:06.01.
The only competitor to
top him was Lakeridge's
Jason Lou, the defending
District champion in that
event. The boys closed the
meet on a strong note as
Brian Laderoute, junior,
took second in the 100
breaststroke with a time of
1:17.63, just a second behind
the first-place finisher for
the Pacers.
The Swim Team next
faced the long winter break,
before resuming it’s season
against Lake Oswego. The
break made it diffiuclt for
swimmers to find time to
practice, and West Linn
needed it as they took on
a Lake Oswego squad that
had not lost a league meet
in over a year, as they ran
the tables in the TRL last
year on their way to the
league championship.
The Laker team included
some of the most dominant
swimmers in the state. Lake
Oswego may be the only
team in the TRL that will
top Lakeridge. The Lions
were optimistic though,
as they prepare for their
biggest match-up of the
season.
Although the Lions lost
the meet, they saw some
of their best results of the
season. Most notably, the
400 freestyle relay team of
Sells, Prince, Finnerty and
Broberg, won the final event
of the night for the girls.
It marked the only event
West Linn would win on the
evening.
Sells had a pair of
second-place finishes in
the 50 freestyle and the 100
backstroke.
Prince picked up where
she left oh before the break
with a solid swim in the
500 freestyle to earn second
place.
One of the better swims
of the afternoon came
from Rosa Bhutarak in the
200 freestyle in which she
also took second place. It
was Bhutarak’s first time
swimming in the event.
On the boys side of the
competition, Jonsson earned
a pair of second-place
finishes for West Linn in
the 200 individual medley
and the 100 butterfly,
showing his versatility.
Also garnering two second-
place finishes was Thomas
Hollingsworth, sophomore,
in the 50 and 100 freestyle
events.
With their toughest
stretch of schedule in the
past, the team now focuses
on some of the weaker
teams in the league, as
well as a non - league meet
against McKay. McKay
is known for producing
strong swimmers who
go on to have stand out
performances at State.
The Lions conclude their
regular season with a meet
against Clackamas, which it
will most likely determine
thrid place in the TRL.
"Our team is full of
strong swimmers and we
are always eager to get in
the pool with the best of
them," Hauser said. "We
love the opportunity to
take on a big opponent
even when we are the
underdogs."
Boys1 Varsity Basketball Team manages 7-5 season start
■ A dam H o lm es
Staff Reporter
The Varsity Boys'
Basketball team began the
season with a tough 6-4
non-league start. The team
hopes to improve from pre
season play and reaching
the playoffs, and more
specifically, the Final Eight.
Their first game of the
season, facing off against the
Barlow High School Bruins,
was a squeaker, with the final
score 73-80.
"Barlow ran right past us
even though we scored 34
points in the fourth quarter,"
Aaron Downs, head coach,
said.
Other games included a
44-45 heartbreaker against
Tualatin and a 51-70 loss to
Westview.
"I feel we have gotten off
to a rough start, but we are
improving every week and
hm be ready for league,"
Bryce Baker, junior,
we all enjoy each
said.
others company and
Things seemed to
play well together,"
be looking up when
Baker said.
the team scored its
Starters are Justin
first win of the season
Monahan, Max
on Dec. 11 against
Cathcart, Spencer
Sprague, 64-50 and
Flores, seniors,
followed it with
and Bryce Baker
another win against
and Ryan Barnes,
Southridge, 67-70.
juniors. Rounding
They then suffered
out the team are
defeats against South
Jesse Pyrch, Reed
Salem and South
Nicholson and Taylor
Eugene, 55-62 and 62-
Reavely, seniors,
65, respectively.
Josh Oltman, junior,
The team is still
Jeffrey Bush and
hanging in there,
Michael Underriner,
as they managed to
sophomores.
clinch a win against
On Jan 8, their first
Aloha 52-49, a 72-66
league matchup of the
victory against Central Guard Justin Monahan, senior, drives past a defender during the Lions' Jan. 4 non- year
Lions pulled
Catholic, and a 57-54
lea8ue win a8ainst TiSard'
71,6 win was the team's third in a row leadinS UP “> out a close win 63-60
.
, Tf their Three Rivers League opener.
Photo by Adam Holmes
T . ., ' T
win against Iigard. It
o r
j
over Lakendge. In
44 at home on Jan. 11.
the wins continue, the team
good vibe. They are a good
their next league game, they
Downs says that versatility te^m with a lot of chemistry,
might be able to beat its 17-8
fell to Oregon City, 72-51.
is important for a functioning and a fun group," Downs
track record last season.
Tonight, the Lions will
host the Milwaukie Mustangs
In another non-league win, basketball team, and the team said.
at 7:15.
"I like our team chemistry,
the Lions beat West Salem 61- has it this year. "There's a