Vikings swimmers surface

from injuries for region wins

Klas Stolpe

November 5, 2004.

Water is supposed to be a cure-all for injuries, a soothing relaxer for troubles. For the Petersburg High School Vikings swim and dive team it became their biggest nemesis before the Region V Championships at Juneau’s Augustus G. Brown Swimming Pool even started. Warm-up injuries to senior Angela Henderson and junior Carole Triem rocked the Vikings deeper than any surface wave could.

“It was an emotional time,” Vikings coach Lisa Schramek said. “With injuries to Angela and Carole it could have been really devastating.” Henderson was accidentally struck in the goggles by a teammate during pool warm-ups when all the lanes are full of various schools’ competitors. The blow resulted in a cut and swelling around the left eye, forcing Henderson to pull out of Friday’s events. Triem aggravated an old shoulder injury and pulled out of the 200 IM. The Vikings also pulled out of the 200 free relay.

“The whole team was shaken up but they handled it well,” Schramek commented. “Everybody that needed to make it into the finals did so.”

Individual event winners from each of the four region championships in Alaska earn automatic berths to the state championships along with the next 11 fastest times from those meets. The winning relay teams from each region and teams with the next four fastest times earn state berths.

Sophomore Abbey Jackson will swim two individual races at the state championships at Anchorage’s Bartlett High School. Jackson broke the 1997 Region V meet record of 1:01.40 set by Sitka’s Annie Madsen in the 100 backstroke, cruising to a finish of 1:01.16. She will also swim the 100 Fly, finishing second in 1:01.13 to Juneau’s Melissa Bogert (1:00.45).

“I didn’t expect to beat any records,” Abbey Jackson, now ranked number two in the state for 100 back, said after her swim. “I wasn’t aware of any records. I feel really great. I’ve been working on getting my dolphin kick correct and it paid off. If I do everything right there’s a chance I can take first in state.”

Junior Carole Triem qualified in the 100-breaststroke, finishing second with a time of 1:11.08 to Ketchikan’s Elizabeth Jagusch (1:09.00). Teammate Helen Riemer was fifth (1:16.69). This was Triem’s fastest 100-breast stroke since her freshman year.

“It’s still not as fast as I want it to be but it’s okay for the shape I’m in,” Triem commented. ”My times have been slower because I haven’t been able to swim as much.”

Riemer also made the finals of the 500 free finishing seventh with 5:5.08 (1. Jones JNU 5:20.49).

Triem (back), Riemer (breast), Jackson (fly), and Henderson (free) will swim the 200 Medley Relay. They finished second with 1:57.66 to Juneau (1:56.15). Juneau’s win broke the 2000 Region V record set by Petersburg’s Amber Beardslee, Erin Schwartz, Teri Jo Hasbrouck, and Brittany Carlson.

“The relay hurts my shoulder a little,” Triem stated. “But it is only a fifty-yarder in the back stroke. “It really shook us all up Friday when Angela was hurt. I’m really glad she gets to do the relay at state.”

Senior Aaron Marsh provided one of the most startling swims in the 100 Fly, finishing third with a 59.63 and qualifying for state (1 Levy, JNU 57.45; 2 Dailey, SIT 58.84). Marsh also finished fifth in the 50 free with 24.33 (1. Smyth JNU 21.98.) This time breaks the meet record of 22.38 set by PSG’s Derek Carlson, but is still short of Derek Gibb’s Region V record of 21.47).

“I was faster on the turns and had a faster stroke rate,” Aaron Marsh commented after his swim. “I feel pretty good. I’m real tired but I’m also really pleased.”

The five dive members made it into the final rounds on Saturday. Susie Henderson finished fourth for girls with 248.30 points, Sarah Fernau fifth with 247.95, and sophomore Megan O’Neil seventh with 165.10. Henderson also finished sixth in the 100 fly (1:11.92). For the boys, Andy Marsh made the medal podium with a third place finish of 266.80 points and sophomore Adam Fisher was fourth with 231.50. Juneau’s Marnita Coenraad was top girl with 333.10 and Ketchikan’s Ryan Borup top boy with 427.65.

Senior Taylor Norheim made the finals of the 100 Free, finishing seventh with 56.44 (1. Smyth JNU 48.64); and the 100 breast, finishing eighth with 1:11.89 (1. Way SIT 1:00.90).