George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com
After having the 2008 Havre Invitational cancelled due to foul weather last month, the Havre High boys and girls swim teams were ready to make the most out of the only chance the Blue Ponies had to swim at home. And on Saturday afternoon at the 2009 Class A Invitational at the Havre Community Pool, the Blue Ponies did just that. Havre's depth played a key role in a dominating performance in the pool against Class A rivals Hardin and Billings Central, especially on the girls side. The HHS girls captured seven individual events and two of three relay races in the meet, which was semi-preview of the state meet next month in Great Falls. Individually, the Pony girls were as dominant as ever. Kacie Johnson was strong, winning the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:16.92. Kaity McKnight finished second in that race, and Madi Rick was sixth, Jessica Howland seventh and Courtney Kinholt eighth. Johnson also captured the 100 freestyle with a time of 1:06.09 while Sabrina Rhines, Carona Sprinkle, Brooke Jappe, Melissa Rick and Abi Ita finished six through tenth, respectively. McKnight also won the 50 free with a time of 31.94, while teammates Logan Bunton and Jappe finished fourth and sixth, respectively. Tabby Myers was also seventh in that race, while Madi Rick was eighth and Kaylee Johnson and Abi Ita finished tied for ninth. Kenzie Johnson was also a big winner for HHS, finishing first in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:19.48. Kasondra Dawson was second at 1:28.76 and Megan Malasani finished seventh. Kenzie Johnson also finished second in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:49.80, while Obrecht was fourth and Sprinkle sixth. Obrecht came back to win the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:23.51 while teammates Rhines and Mandy Hedstrom finished sixth and 10th, respectively. And not to be outdone, HHS's Jamaica Kaercher finished first in the 200 free with a time of 2:45.02, while Bunton was fourth and Dawson fifth. Shelbee Friede also finished ninth in that race and Mersades Lodge was 11th. Kaercher also finished second in the grueling 400 free with a time of 5:49.54. Howland, Friede and Lodge finished fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. The HHS girls also finished first in both the 400 free relay and the 200 medley relay. The Pony boys also had plenty of individual success as they battled defending state champion Hardin all day long. Greg Rhines, Garrett Korb and Collin Anderson placed third, fourth and sixth, respectively in the 200 freestyle, with Rhines finishing with a time of 2:54.36 and Korb coming in in 3:08.37. Chad Minnick was solid in the 100 butterfly, finishing second with a time of 1:33.86, and the Pony boys were stellar in the lightning fast 50 free with Chris Kostelecky coming in third with a time of 29.99 and Matt Olson fifth with a time of 31.48. Rhines also finished seventh, Evan Flathers ninth and Courtlan Vukasin 10th. Kostelecky finished fourth in the 100 free coming in in 1:11.21 while Olson was sixth, John Perrodin eighth and Ethan Flathers ninth. David Jeffery also had a solid day for the Ponies. He finished second in the 200 I'm with a time of 3:51.18 while Perrodin was fourth, Keenan Dolezal sixth, Jeffery seventh and Vukasin finished 10th in the 100 breaststroke. Minnick and Korb were also outstanding in the lengthy 400 free. Minnick finished third with a time of 6:09.18 and Korb was fourth with a time of 6:36.77. Havre also dominated the 100 backstroke with Jake Lilletvedt coming in in third place with a time of 1:23.00, while Evan Flathers was fourth with a time of 1:45.39 and Jeremy Bull was fifth with a time of 2:11.56. The Ponies also captured the 200 medley relay in their own pool. The HHS swimmers will be back in the water on Saturday in Great Falls.
