STATE CHAMPS IN THE POOL

There was a time when Havre High couldn’t be beat at the Montana State Swimming Championships. Then came Billings Central, and for nearly a decade, it’s the Rams who wouldn’t let go of the Class A state trophy.

But Saturday afternoon in Bozeman, the Havre High boys got their hands on that very trophy, inside the Bozeman Swim Center.

The Blue Ponies scored 63 points, which tied Billings Central for tops in the Class A boys race, and in the process Havre captured its first state championship in boys swimming since 2010.

“We knew going into this meet that the boys had a chance to win if they stayed focused and swam their best, and that is exactly what they did,” Havre High head coach Bill Kilgore said. ”I am so proud of these young men for their steadfast devotion to the team and their unwillingness to throw in the towel when all but the slightest glimmer of hope remained. They rallied around each other, supported each other through adversity, and earned the title of state champion.”

The Havre boys did indeed come into the meet knowing they had a chance to chase down the Rams, especially under the new format. For the first time in state meet history, Class A-B would have its own final races. For years, Class A-B schools swam with the Class AAs, and in many case, few A swimmers would reach the finals, or even at times, the consolation final. But, this year was a different story as Class A-B would have its own final, after swimming the prelims with the Class AAs Friday. The relays were still combined finals, with double the team points for teams that placed.

And that turned out to be huge for the Havre boys, which was the top team in the 200-yard medley relay. The Havre squad not only reached the final of the event but also placed fourth in that final ahead of many AA teams, and Class A-B squads. The team, composed of Christian Mathis, Sergio Tamayo, Jacob Miller and Ammon Lines, finished the race with a time of 1:52.65, which was easily tops among A-B teams, and gave the Ponies a huge boost in the team points race. Havre got another boost with its 400-yard freestyle team, which also reached the A final, and finished with an outstanding time of 3:43.25, which was also the best in Class A.

The Pony boys also raced for plenty of gold in the A-B finals, and a ton of HHS swimmers contributed to the team title.

Tamayo, a senior exchange student from Spain, placed second in the 100 free with a time of 50.91, and also second in the 50 free with a lightning-fast time of 23.20. Miller also gave Havre a second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:16.54 and another second in the 100 breaststroke with a finish of 1:09.04.

Lines, another standout senior for the Ponies, would place fifth in the 200 IM, as well as sixth in the 100 backstroke to give Havre even more points. Mathis came up big as well, as he swam to a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke in 1:04.23, as well his work in the relays. Paxtin McCann doubled up for the Ponies, as well, finishing fifth in the 100 butterfly and a solid fourth in the grueling 500 free at 5:56.52. Hiram Cammon added a fifth for Havre in the 200 free with a time of 2:15.23, while also competing for the Ponies was Logan Twombly and John Klein.

“We started out on track, but early on suffered a setback with an unfortunate disqualification that would seemingly take our boys out of contention for the championship,” Kilgore said. “Our entire team demonstrated their resiliency by rallying around each other, refusing to accept defeat, and swam their hearts out to bring home a championship.

“While every swim mattered, there were none more critical than Paxtin McCann’s 100-yard butterfly and Jacob Miller’s 100 yard-breaststroke. Both of those young men swam their personal best times, in two of the gutsiest swims I have ever seen. Those two events were critical for any chance we had at a championship, and both of those boys delivered big time. While those individual races would prove essential to gaining ground on a very strong Billings Central team, we can’t overlook the amazing times put up by Sergio (The Tomato) Tamayo in the 100-yard freestyle and Christian Mathis in the 100-yard backstroke, or the herculean efforts of Ammon Lines swimming two events out of his comfort zone and Hiram Cammon with one of the most selfless efforts of the season in the 200-yard freestyle, both scoring much needed points for our team. Of course, none of this is possible without our final state champion relay led off by our senior captain, John Klein.”

It was a banner day for the Blue Pony boys in Bozeman, and while the Havre High girls, a young team overall, couldn’t quite get in the trophy hunt, the Ponies still had plenty of exciting moments. Havre finished fourth in the Class A team hunt with 19 points, and the Ponies didn’t quite make any relay finals. But, they did get some strong individual performances.

Sophomore Kobi Burchard reached the podium in the 100 butterfly and the 100 breaststroke. Burchard finished third in the butterfly with a time of 1:16.59, and fourth in the breaststroke, coming in at 1:21.75. Havre did well in that event, too, with Angela Rhines placing fifth at 1:25.66 and Aria Pratt taking sixth at 1:29.26.

Pratt had a strong last meet for the Ponies, too, as she finished sixth in the 200 IM with a time of 2:58.10. Havre also got a third by Hannah Lunak in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:10.52, while Megan Miller placed fifth in the 100 free with a final’s time of 1:01.86. Blakelee Lines added a fifth place for the pony girls in the lengthy 500 free.

“The girls didn’t bring home a state championship, but they most definitely served notice that they are the leading edge of a Blue Pony team that is rebuilding for a future championship,” Kilgore said. “Kobi Burchard placed in the top five in both of her individual events, Megan Miller was a heartbeat away from a top three finish in the 100 Freestyle and will be a winning force for the Blue Ponies for the next two years. Blakelee Lines delivered her best time in the 500 yard Freestyle for a top five finish. Sophomores Tori Messineo, Nina Flores and Morgan Flammond just missed the cut off for the finals, so the future is bright for the Havre High swim team. While those young ladies set the stage for the next two years, Junior Angela Rhines leads the wave of the future with a top five finish in the 100 breaststroke.

“Those underclassmen didn’t just materialize in a vacuum, however, they were led by Aria Pratt who made finals and scored in both of her individual events, Hannah Lunak who placed third in her only individual event, and by the heart and soul of this team, senior captain Lacey Huseby,” he added.

Yes, it was a special weekend for the Havre High swim teams, and one the Ponies won’t soon forget. And, it’s also one in which Kilgore was able to put into an even bigger perspective.

“The results of this meet don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things,” Kilgore said. “A trophy in the school hallway is a fantastic reward for a season of hard work and dedication, but that dusty trophy won’t really mean anything 20 years from now. While the names of the state champions will be immortalized in the halls of Havre High, the real reward is found in the hearts of the swimmers. The lessons of supporting your team and teammate, whatever the situation, will absolutely matter in the lives touched by this meet. There were tears of sorrow, disappointment, joy, elation and success shed this weekend, but we rallied together as a team and pushed through any adversity by supporting each other. Hopefully, this meet was a moment in the lives of these young men and women that reinforces the idea that character matters. That supporting teammates and teamwork matter the very most in life, whether that team is in sports, work, family or whatever. That’s the real goal of high school sports in my opinion, to utilize the crucible of competition and the raw emotion that it creates to help guide and shape children into responsible, caring adults with a resilient mind-set to always give your best effort and recognize effort given by others no matter what.”

2019 MHSA State Swim Meet

Bozeman Swim Center Pool

FINAL RESULTS

TEAM SCORES

Girls Class A-B - 1. Whitefish 91; 2. Billings Central 88; 3. Hardin 49; 4. Havre 19; 5. Columbia Falls 7.

Boys Class A-B - 1. Billings Central 63;1. Havre 63; 3. Hardin 52; 4. Columbia Falls 38; 5. Whitefish 29.

Individual Finals for Class A-B

Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay Class A-B

(A - Final) 1, Billings Central Catholic HS 'A' 1:59.39. 3, Whitefish High School 'A' 2:06.46. 5, Hardin High School 'A' 2:10.80.

Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay Class A-B

(A - Final) 4, Havre High School 'A' 1:52.65.

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Kunz, Helena R, Whitefish High, 2:02.89. 2, Hanson, Nia A, Whitefish High, 2:11.66. 3, Three Irons, Andrea C, Hardin, 2:18.94. 4, Snell, Maria, Central, 2:27.02. 5, Flamm, Macie, Hardin, 2:27.51. 6, Moultray, Jayna, Cfalls High, 2:37.64.

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Leuthold, Jack M, Central, 1:53.84. 2, Horrell, Michael, Central, 2:00.96. 3, Yarlott, Jayden, Hardin, 2:14.01. 4, Honcoop, Jacob, Central, 2:14.28. 5, Cammon, Hiram, Havre, 2:15.23. 6, Role, James, Cfalls High, 2:18.27.

Girls 200 Yard IM Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Qunell, Ada J, Whitefish High, 2:15.92. 2, Bodine, Lauren M, Central, 2:31.47. 3, Anderson, Katelyn N, Central, 2:38.18. 4, Templin, Emerald, Cfalls High, 2:42.70. 5, Wood, Cora, Hardin, 2:57.42. 6, Pratt, Aria, Havre, 2:58.10.

Boys 200 Yard IM Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Apostol, Bennett B, Central, 2:14.26. 2, Miller, Jacob, Havre, 2:16.54. 3, Molloy, Jake G, Central, 2:28.72. 4, Cheff, Conner, Cfalls High, 2:32.74. 5, Lines, Ammon, Havre, 2:35.70. 6, Whiteman, Josh, Hardin, 2:39.84.

Girls 50 Yard Freestyle Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Peterson, Julia M, Central, 23.99. 2, Uffleman, Demi, Hardin, 27.03. 3, Meyer, Blayne, Central, 28.12. 4, Walks Over Ice, Mya, Hardin, 28.15. 5, Roan, Kailee, Hardin, 28.75. 6, Lind, Angeleena, Hardin, 28.91.

Boys 50 Yard Freestyle Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Ring, Preston A, Whitefish High, 21.96. 2, Tamayo, Sergio, Havre, 23.20. 3, Albin, Russell, Cfalls High, 24.26. 4, Hilton, Brett, Central, 26.28. 5, Lopez, Miguel, Hardin, 26.65. --, Klein, John, Havre, DQ.

Girls 100 Yard Butterfly Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Qunell, Ada J, Whitefish High, 1:01.99. 2, Mulholland, Grace G, Central, 1:15.55. 3, Burchard, Kobi, Havre, 1:16.59. 4, Ralston, Mia R, Hardin, 1:16.84. 5, Wood, Cora, Hardin, 1:18.91. 6, Osborn, Ashlee, Hardin, 1:20.74.

Boys 100 Yard Butterfly Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Stevens, Dominic L, Hardin, 56.25. 2, Botner, Logan L, Whitefish High, 57.20. 3, Albin, Russell, Cfalls High, 59.62. 4, Molloy, Jake G, Central, 1:03.92. 5, McCann, Paxtin, Havre, 1:11.28. 6, Richert, Ethan M, Central, 1:13.68.

Girls 100 Yard Freestyle Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Peterson, Julia M, Central, 52.85. 2, Kunz, Helena R, Whitefish High, 56.14. 3, Uffleman, Demi, Hardin, 1:00.89. 4, York, Lauren, Whitefish High, 1:01.51. 5, Miller, Megan, Havre, 1:01.86. 6, Meyer, Blayne, Central, 1:02.44.

Boys 100 Yard Freestyle Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Ring, Preston A, Whitefish High, 48.65. 2, Tamayo, Sergio, Havre, 50.91. 3, Pierce, Sam, Cfalls High, 54.72. 4, Herrera, Caven, Hardin, 55.26. 5, Malmberg, Peyton M, Cfalls High, 55.78. 6, Mathis, Christian, Havre, 58.38.

Girls 500 Yard Freestyle Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Sullivan, Annie M, Whitefish High, 5:41.01. 2, Hanson, Nia A, Whitefish High, 6:03.48. 3, Kunz, Riley S, Central, 6:10.38. 4, Templin, Emerald, Cfalls High, 6:29.74. 5, Lines, Blakelee, Havre, 7:03.02. 6, Schulz, Laura, Central, 7:18.05.

Boys 500 Yard Freestyle Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Leuthold, Jack M, Central, 5:05.08. 2, Botner, Logan L, Whitefish High, 5:10.86. 3, Horrell, Michael, Central, 5:44.33. 4, McCann, Paxtin, Havre, 5:56.52. 5, Whiteman, Josh, Hardin, 6:11.20. 6, Yarlott, Jayden, Hardin, 6:11.22.

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay Class A-B

(A - Final) 3, Billings Central Catholic HS 'A' 1:49.45. 5, Whitefish High School 'A' 1:51.32. 6, Hardin High School 'A' 1:51.46.

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay Class A-B

(A - Final) 4, Billings Central Catholic HS 'A' 1:38.87. 6, Hardin High School 'A' 1:42.39.

Girls 100 Yard Backstroke Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Kunz, Riley S, Central, 1:07.70. 2, Anderson, Katelyn N, Central, 1:08.56. 3, Lunak, Hannah, Havre, 1:10.52. 4, Three Irons, Andrea C, Hardin, 1:10.90. 5, Mulholland, Grace G, Central, 1:12.24. 6, Osborn, Ashlee, Hardin, 1:18.77.

Girls 100 Yars Breaststroke

(C - Final) 1, Herrera, Caven, Hardin, 1:00.82. 2, Apostol, Bennett B, Central, 1:02.00. 3, Mathis, Christian, Havre, 1:04.23. 4, Pierce, Sam, Cfalls High, 1:07.42. 5, Dicks, Aaron, Whitefish High, 1:08.61. 6, Lines, Ammon, Havre, 1:13.70.

Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Sullivan, Annie M, Whitefish High, 1:14.48. 2, Bodine, Lauren M, Central, 1:14.94. 3, York, Lauren, Whitefish High, 1:19.55. 4, Burchard, Kobi, Havre, 1:21.75. 5, Rhines, Angela, Havre, 1:25.66. 6, Pratt, Aria, Havre, 1:29.26.

Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke Class A-B

(C - Final) 1, Stevens, Dominic L, Hardin, 1:06.75. 2, Miller, Jacob, Havre, 1:09.04. 3, Malmberg, Peyton M, Cfalls High, 1:10.08. 4, Cheff, Conner, Cfalls High, 1:12.37. 5, Dicks, Kelvin, Whitefish High, 1:15.57. 6, Black, Bain, Whitefish High, 1:17.17.

Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay Class A-B

5, Whitefish High School 'A' 3:54.11.

Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay Class A-B

(A - Final) 3, Havre High School 'A' 3:43.25. 4, Columbia Falls High 'A' 3:46.92. 5, Hardin High School 'A' 3:47.79.