Tigersharks, Dolfins finish strong at zone meet

MINDEN - A long, hot weekend of swimming could have taken its toll Sunday on the swimmers at the Pacific Swimming Zone 4 Championships.

But judging by the efforts of the Carson Tigersharks and the Douglas Dolfins, the long, hot weekend didn't look to have any effect on the local swimmers' performance as the meet came to the close at the Carson Valley Swim Center.

Among the top swimmers at the meet were the Tigersharks' Abby and Rebekah Niehoff and the Dolfins' Scott Cronk, Brian Shepard and Andrea Lindsey, who led a long list of standout performances for the two clubs.

"It was an excellent weekend," Tigersharks assistant coach Jackie Boudreau said.

"It was a long weekend and they were still able to swim well and swim their best times," Boudreau also said about Sunday's performances. "So we're really proud of the swimmers."

For many of the swimmers, it was their last meet of the summer. "They finished on a very high note," Boudreau said.

For many others, the summer continues and will include the Far Western Championships in two weeks in Concord, Calif. As a reward for their performance this weekend, Boudreau told her swimmers they could sleep in today - sort of.

"You guys don't have to come in until 8 a.m. tomorrow," Boudreau told a group of her swimmers.

Abby Niehoff won the 9-10 girls age group 100-yard freestyle (one minute, 5.23 seconds) while the Dolfins' Whitney Lindsey placed second (1:11.01). Niehoff also placed second in the 100 I.M. (1:15.3) and the 100 back (1:14.9).

Rebekah Niehoff won the 11-12 200 free (2:15.55), while the Tigersharks' Barbara Perkins placed third (2:25.24). In the 11-12 100 I.M., the Dolfins' Katie O'Neill placed second (1:14.44) and Niehoff took third (1:15.45).

Carson's 11-12 girls 100 free relay of Perkins, Samantha Ashmore, Niehoff and Sarah Metcalf won in 56.29.

For the Dolfins, Andrea Lindsey won the 13-14 girls 100 breaststroke (1:15.72) and placed second in the 200 I.M. (2:24.88). Shepard won the boys 13-14 200 I.M. (2:16.92), while the Dolfins' David Shih placed second (2:22.67). Shepard also won the 200 butterfly (2:17.85) and Shih won the 100 breaststroke (1:13.36). Cronk won the 15-and-over 100 breaststroke (1:09.02).

In the 100 free relay, the Dolfin 15-and-over girls team of Konnie Seamons, Janet Lilegard, Sarah Lilegard and Whitney Higgins won in 53.26; the Dolfin 7-8 boys of Jeremiah Simpson, Waker Higgins, Shawn Stubner and Steven Shih won in 1:20.95; and the Dolfin 9-10 girls of Alyssa Hamilton, Megan Bavaro, Veronica Avitia and Whitney Lindsey won in 1:03.34.

The Tigershark 11-12 100 free relay of Matthew Robinson, Garrett Clayton, Kevin Dyer and Sean McKenna placed second (1:02.39). Also for the Dolfins, Dane Bunch won the 11-12 50 back in 37.65.

"It was just a good meet overall," Dolfin coach Sarah Govan said. "All of our kids came in with a good attitude and improved their times."

Among the other highlights for the Dolfins were the performances of Veronica Avitia and Justeen Mills, who was the high-point performer for the 11-12 girls B division.

"She just killed all of her times," Govan said about Mills. "Veronica Avitia had an incredible meet and so did Justeen Mills."

On Saturday, the Tigersharks' Jeff Stroup won the boys 15 and over 500 free in 5:43.8. Other top performers in the 8-and-under girls for the Tigersharks were Elizabeth Bennett, who won the 25 B free, Monique Hautekeet, who placed second in the 25 B free, Alexandra Schlager and Morgan McEwan. Among others who Boudreau singled out was Adrian Zeh.

Among those who Govan singled out were Kaitlin Young, Sarah Lilegard, Paul Vaughn and Jesse Vaughn. Other top performances in the meet on Sunday were: 9-10 B girls 100 I.M. - Veronica Avitia, first, 1:36.58; Caroline Suh, Tigersharks, third, 1:37.18. 8 and under girls 100 I.M. - Marisela Avitia, Dolfins, third, 1:36.27. 11-12 B girls 50 butterfly - Mills, first, 35.35; Rebecca Chappell, Dolfins, third, 39.70.

Also, 9-10 B girls 25 fly - Veronica Avitia, first, 17.92; Suh, third, 20.06. 7-8 B girls 50 fly - Marissa Straker, Dolfins, third, 55.40. 11-12 B girls 100 breaststroke - Mills, first, 1:29.42; Kimberly Burke, Tigersharks, third, 1:39.96. 9-10 girls 50 breaststroke - Whitney Lindsey, second, 41.52. 11-12 B boys 100 I.M. - McKenna, first, 1:21.63; Kevin Dyer, Tigersharks, third, 1:32.27. 9-10 B boys 100 I.M. - Paul Chang, Tigersharks, first, 1:45.05; Jeremy Tigh, Dolfins, second. Josh Tigh, Dolfins, third. 9-10 B boys 25 fly - Chang, first, 22:16. 9-10 B boys 50 breaststroke - Chang, first, 52.60; Jeremy Tigh, second, 59.36. 11-12 B boys 100 breaststroke - McKenna, second, 1:34.48. 7-8 girls 100 free relay - Adrianna Avitia, Marisela Avitia, Sierra Smith Bertolone, Marissa Straker, Dolfins, second, 1:20.91. 13-14 girls relay - Young, Stephanie Denson, Jesse Bunch, Andrea Lindsey, third, 55.69. 11-12 B boys 200 free - McKenna, first, 2:38.76. 13-14 boys 200 back - Todd Stroup, Tigersharks, second, 2:42.2.