Pony swimmers complete 'four-peat'

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Make it four in a row for the Havre High swim team. Both the Pony boys and girls team won their fourth consecutive Class A state championship Saturday in Hardin.

"The kids all swam so well," said head coach Chris Inman. "It feels great. Hardin swam their hearts out, but our kids really rose to the challenge."

The Pony boys placed all three relay teams in the top six and had four individuals place in the top 12 to score 91 team points to easily outdistance rival Hardin.

The Pony girls didn't quite have that luxury. With no individuals competing in the finals or consolation finals, the girls had to rely on the performance of their three relay teams and they came through. All three teams finished in the top 12, with the 200 freestyle relay team of Alicia Rundquist, Kasie Teske, Gwen Porter and Rachel Hansen solidifying the win with a fifth-place performance.

"It was quite a nailbiter," Inman said. "But that 200 relay team finishing fifth was just fantastic."

The same foursome also teamed up to finish 11th in the 400 freestyle, while Porter, Teske, Hansen and Danielle Barton picked up a seventh-place finish in the 200 medley relay.

Senior Scott Robinson was the top individual placer for Havre, finishing third in the 50 freestyle and sixth in the 100 freestyle while swimming anchor on both of the freestyle relays.

"Scott really swam outstanding all weekend," Inman said.

Havre also got points from Mario Pizzini, who finished eighth in the 100 breaststroke, and from Ryan Gilbreath and Joey Howland, who finished ninth and 10th in the 50 freestyle.

Pizzini, Gilbreath, Howland and Chris Chandler teamed to finish fourth in the 200 medley relay while the squad of Gilbreath, Howland, Chandler and Robinson finished sixth in the 200 freestyle relay and fifth in the 400 freestyle relay.

"All of our relays absolutely swam fantastic this weekend," Inman said. "All of the kids improved on their times."

The swim team will parade through town today, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Holiday Village Shopping Center. A reception will follow at the Havre High School auditorium.