In a gutsy effort, the Riverton boys swim team held off Evanston to win the Class 4-A West Regional Championship in the Natrona County pool on Friday and Saturday. Riverton scored 281 points, 36 ahead of the runner-up Red Devils, to win the meet.
It’s believed that this is the first 4-A Regional Championship in boys swimming and diving in Riverton High School history.
“It was nip and tuck, we had prelims last night, and after we were all done, I like to do the numbers, and it was just a five-point margin,” Riverton head coach Jay Dayton said. “We met last night and talked with the boys, going through each heat; can you get the guy in front of you, can you fend off the guy behind you? We knew it was going to be tight, and the boys responded well.”
Riverton won two of the three relays and placed third in the other race.
“In the medley relay, we broke a conference record,” Dayton said. “Evanston was first after the prelims, they edged us Friday night. We took it to them in the first heat, that set the tone for the meet.“
Relays are key events in swimming, even more so than in track and field. Relays score twice as many points as an individual event.
“Fingernails and toenails is what we tell the boys,“ Dayton said. “When his fingernails hit the wall, your toenails better be off the board. We had good exchanges and great splits. We were within a second of the school record.”
In the 200 freestyle, a grueling race, the equivalent of an 800-meter run on the track, Teter Hovander was second. “We like what we’re seeing out of him,” Dayton said.
The 200 individual medley was a huge event for the Wolverines, with four boys placing.
“It was a great event, Alex Jordan first, Brodie Koch second, Porter Olson fourth, and Calum Tate eighth. This was one of the key points of why we came out on top.”
Coaching swimming is much like track and field, where you place your talented athletes in races where they can garner the most team points.
“It’s like a chess match, where do you put your pieces?” Dayton said. “This year we have pieces.”
Diver Micah Wodrich had a great meet and helped the team total with a fourth-place finish.
“The 200 freestyle relay set a conference record,” Dayton said.
Riverton heads for the state meet in two weeks at Cheyenne East High School.
“We’re eyeballing the state meet,” Dayton said. “We came out on top of Laramie last week at Cheyenne East. That’s never happened before.”
Class 4-A West Boys Swimming Championships
Team Scores:
1. Riverton 281, 2. Evanston 245, 3. Green River 210, 4. Kelly Walsh 179, 5. Rock Springs 156, 6. Natrona County 113, 7. Jackson Hole 97
Individual Results:
200 Yard Medley Relay: 1. Riverton 1:42.12
200 Yard Freestyle: 1. Jacob Olson, EVN 1:52.72, 2. Teter Hovander, RIV 1:52.99, 3. Jordan Mills, RIV 1:58.79, 8. Jared DeClercq, RIV 2:02.68, 9. Nicholas Hall, RIV 2:04.19
200 Yard Individual Medley: 1. Alex Jordan, RIV 2:03.86, 2. Brody Koch, RIV 2:11.31, 4. Porter Olson, RIV 2:17.88, 8. Calum Tate, RIV 2:22.30
50 Yard Freestyle: 1. Aspen Koen, RS, 21.95, 4. Teter Hovander, RIV 23.52, 5. Eliot Tate, RIV 23.78, 10. Caleb Bushkohl, RIV 25.06
One Meter Diving: 1. Brady Gibson, KW 408.65, 4. Micah Wodrich, RIV 360.15
100 Yard Butterfly: 1. Sam Dockter, GR 55.44, 12. Jasper Beutler, RIV 1:15.49
100 Yard Freestyle: 1. Asper Koen, RS 48.92, 5. Eliot Tate, RIV 53.91, 7. Porter Olson, RIV 54.86
500 Yard Freestyle: 1. Jacob Olson, EVN 5:15.02, 3. Jordan Mills, RIV 5:21.48, 7. Jared DeClercq, RIV 5:36.47, 9. Nicholas Hall, RIV 5:41.06
200 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Riverton 1:31.77
100 Yard Backstroke: 1. Alex Jordan, RIV 54.75
100 Yard Breaststroke: 1. Raidyn Young, NC 1:02.79, 2. Brody Koch, RIV 1:03.08, 6. Jasper Beutler, RIV 1:11.97
400 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Rock Springs 3:26.92, 3. Riverton 3:39.21