Jaden Perry swims in the 200 individual medley Friday, August 31 at Petersburg’s pool. (Joe Viechnicki/KFSK)
Petersburg High School’s swim teams combined to finish in fifth place both Friday and Saturday at the opening meet of the season in their home pool.
For both days of competition, the girls team was fourth out of the seven teams competing here last weekend, while the boys team was fifth. Over 100 swimmers and divers competed from other Southeast high schools. Teams from Juneau-Douglas took first place both days.
Petersburg’s coach Andy Carlisle says his teams swam better than he expected. “We had a pretty tough week of practice before that,” Carlisle said. “I expected them to be pretty tired and looking tired but they looked really good, they raced well. Our girls relays, they won a couple of those and were in the hunt on the others.”
On Friday, the girls 200 medley relay team of Brynn Lister, Alyssa Guthrie, Maria Pfundt and Maddy Whitethorn took first. Also that night the 400 free relay also took first with Lister, Guthrie, Whitethorn and Allie Morgan swimming. Petersburg has some depth on the girls team this year, allowing coach Carlisle to try some different combinations on the relays. Both the boys and girls 200 free relay teams took third Friday. On Saturday the girls 200 medley and 200 free relay teams both placed second.
Allie Morgan swims the backstroke during a 200 yard individual medley race Friday, August 31 at Petersburg’s pool. (Joe Viechnicki/KFSK)
In individual top finishes, Morgan was first in the 100 backstroke on Friday. On Saturday, Guthrie took first in the 200 individual medley and Morgan was first in the 50 free. Carlisle said there were some exciting swims over the weekend. “The one I remember is Peter Kowalski in the 100 back, was behind by 6 or 8 inches the whole race and then just gutted it out the last length and won that race just by the touch,” Carlisle said. “We had a couple touch races.”
Coach Ginger Evens urges on Peter Kowalski in the near lane of a 200 free style race at Petersburg’s pool Friday, August 31. (Joe Viechnicki/KFSK)
Petersburg’s teams have this weekend off from competition but head to Sitka in mid-September. The regional meet is in Petersburg at the end of October.
