The Canby High School girls and boys swim teams set a new high-water mark in their phenomenal debut campaign in the Northwest Oregon Conference Saturday, finishing first and second in the district championships and qualifying for the state meet next weekend.
The girls claimed the district title in a dominant performance, scoring 332 team points, far outpacing second-place Hood River Valley’s score of 230.5. La Salle Prep (141.5), Wilsonville (124), Putnam (108), Hillsboro (100), Parkrose (94), Centennial (78) and Milwaukie (40) rounded out the girls scoring in the NWOC.
The Canby boys finished their side of the meet in second with a score of 240, just behind champion Hood River Valley with 254. Wilsonville came in a distant third (182), followed by La Salle Prep (130), Putnam (119), Hillsboro (111), Parkrose (64), Centennial (62) and Milwaukie (43).
Canby had three relay teams bring home district gold: the girls 200 medley, featuring Allison Yancey, Karina Sawatsky, Avery Keinonen and Kali Mull; the girls 400 freestyle with Allison Yancey, Amanda Yancey, Keinonen and Mull; and the boys 400 freestyle relay consisting of Isaac Beck, Ethan Beck, Andrew Hayhurst and Kai Laitinen.
The same boys also finished second in the 200 medley relay.
In individual performances, senior Allison Yancey took first in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke with times of 2:09.96 and 1:00.93, respectively, while junior Amanda Yancey won the 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke with times of 5:27.25 and 1:11.59.
The duo, along with Wilsonville senior Helena Jones, were the only female athletes to double up on gold in district events.
Keinonen also took first in the girls 100 butterfly with a time of 59.96 seconds, and finished second in the 200 IM. Laitinen won the boys 200 IM with a time of 2:08.29 and second in the 100 breaststroke.
Canby’s nine district champions were the most of any team at the NWOC finals. Wilsonville won six individual titles and Parkrose earned four, while Centennial, Hood River Valley and La Salle Prep each crowned one district champion apiece.
All athletes finishing first or second qualified for the state meet in their individual events.
Mull was second in the girls 100 and 200 freestyle, and Karina Sawatsky finished second in the 100 breaststroke. Rounding out the boy placers, Isaac Beck swam to second place in the 200 and 500 free and Ethan Beck claimed second in the 200 IM.
Canby swim coach Eric Laitinen noted that the teams wouldn’t have finished as high as they did in team scores if not for the contributions of swimmers up and down the line (any swimmers finishing in the top 12 earn points for their team).
Next up, Canby’s top swimmers will get ready for the state meet, which will be held Friday and Saturday, February 17 and 18, at Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center in Beaverton. For more information, visit OSAA.org.