Raiders in Soldotna for Region III Swimming and Diving Championship

Raider swim teams traveled to Soldotna, Alaska for Region III Swimming and Diving Championships at Soldotna High School on October 29th through November 1st. Teams from Colony, Cordova, Homer, Kenai Central, Kodiak, Palmer, Seward, Soldotna, Valdez, and Wasilla high schools competed for a chance to make it to the state swim and dive championships in Anchorage.

Raider teams competed in 10 out 24 events. Each swimmer competed in the maximum of two individual events and the Unalaska girls team competed in two relay events. Three out of the total six Unalaska swimmers made finals and improved their best times of the season. Senior and team captain, Lucio Howard, swam his best time of the season in the 100 Yard Breaststroke both days with a final time of 1:09.28. He finished 6th overall at regions but came up shy of making states.  Howard also had a 12th place finish in finals in the 200 Yard Individual Medley.

Sophomores, Amber Le and Delanney McConnell, also made finals. Le had her best time of the season with a 1:23.32 in the 100 Yard Breaststroke with a trilling finish of coming from behind to grab 10th place after being seeded 12th. Le also made the first alternate spot in the 200 Yard Individual Medley. McConnell had her best performance with the 100 Yard Butterfly. She had her best time both swim days with a final time of 1:16.11 and an overall 10th place region finish.

At the end of the championships, Kodiak proved once again to be the teams to beat. Both Kodiak boys and girls teams finished first overall and walked away with the Female and Male Athlete of the Year awards. The head coach from Colony walked away with the Coach of the Year award.

Regions ended the 2014 season for the Unalaska high school swim teams. The teams dedicated themselves six days a week for the last 12 weeks to 6:00 a.m. two-hour practices and eight home and away swim meets. Unalaska swimming still has a way to go but the core group of swimmers is committed to improving. Teams will lose two graduating seniors this year but are looking forward to the arrival of four or five 8th graders to join the teams next year.