The Pacer girls swim team closes its regular season with a 112-58 victory over LO.
There’s never a wrong time to bring your best, especially when it’s time for the annual Battle of the Lake.
So that’s just what the Lakeridge and Lake Oswego girls swim teams did on Thursday, Feb. 2, with the Pacers powering away to win 112-58 at Lake Oswego School District Pool.
“The team as a whole got into the zone and got up to race,” explained Lakeridge senior Amanda Osborn, who took fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke and also swam on two Pacer relays. “(LO is) really strong, (but) our swimmers showed their commitment to the team by cheering and racing to exhaustion.”
“I’m very pleased with the team’s effort because everyone’s always trying their best, no matter how tired, how sore,” said Pacer senior Sophie Robinson, who finished fourth in her two individual events and also swam on two third-place relays. “I almost feel like a proud parent.”
The win helped cap the Pacers’ successful 2022-23 regular season and set the table for what they hope is even more success at the Three Rivers League district meet. That event is set for 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, and 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at Tualatin High School.
The Lakers, meanwhile, remained hopeful about what remains ahead in their 2023 season despite falling short against Lakeridge.
“I was really proud of my team,” said Lake Oswego senior Dylan Gustaff, winner of the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, and a member of two second-place relay teams. “We all worked really hard and it was a hard-fought battle. Even though the result wasn’t exactly ideal, I still have so much respect for everyone on the team.”
“I think the team’s effort and spirits were high because of senior night, the atmosphere due to it being the Battle of the Lake, and the fact that it was the last dual meet of the year,” said LO sophomore AnneMarie Vlaic, who won the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, and swam on two runner-up relay teams. “I had a ton of fun and I hope … my teammates can say the same.”
The Pacers built their win on a combination of front-line strength (they won six of the day’s 11 races), depth (they finished second nine times and third another seven times) and their relays (they swept all three).
Lakeridge junior Rae Dodson led the way against LO, winning the 50 freestyle at 25.76 seconds and the 100 breaststroke at 1:07.87, as well as swimming on two winning relays. The Pacers’ other individual win came from sophomore Sydney Brandvold, who topped the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:39.89. She also took second in the 100 butterfly at 1:03.63.
The Pacers’ winning relays included: freshman Cassandra Koch, Dodson, sophomore Ava McDowell and sophomore Jessica Paulsen in the 200 medley at 1:54.85; junior Sephora Schoenheit, Koch, McDowell and Brandvold in the 200 freestyle at 1:46.97; and Paulsen, Brandvold, Schoenheit and Dodson in the 400 freestyle at 3:51.47.
Individual runner-up finishers for Lakeridge were: Schoenheit in the 200 free at 2:09.52; Koch in the IM at 2:25.33 and in the 100 breaststroke at 1:11.08; Paulsen in the 50 free at 26.03 and in the 100 free at 56.94; senior Riley McDowell in the 500 free at 5:59.99; and junior Munroe Blem in the 100 backstroke at 1:07.65.
Being able to help their team in the annual Battle of the Lake meant everything to the Pacers.
“Definitely feeling the support from the non-seniors and being able to hug my friends was the best part for me,” Robinson said. “I truly felt celebrated and that was only possible by the wonderful people around me.”
“The evening was a celebratory experience and a bonding moment, especially for the seniors,” Osborn said. “Everyone brought energy to the meet and we took lots of photos to capture the memories. My favorite part was running down the ‘human tunnel’ our teammates made for us as we got up to get acknowledged in front of our parents and our team.”
While Lake Oswego came up short on the team score, the Lakers recorded plenty of highlights worth celebrating.
Vlaic and Gustaff won two individual events each, with Gustaff taking the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:10.05 (to win by more than 15 seconds), then setting the pace in the 100 butterfly at 59.77.
“I was really happy with my performances,” Gustaff said. “(I was) very glad to end the regular season with some individual wins.”
Vlaic, meanwhile, set the pace in the 200 freestyle and 100 free, topping the 200 with a mark of 2:02.44 (to win by more than nine seconds), then taking the 100 at 55.83.
“I feel pretty good about my performances,” she said. “I dropped time from the last time I swam the 200 free and 100 free, and it was fun to win points for my team in the Battle of the Lake.”
LO’s other win came from junior Isabelle Yoon in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:02.90.
Second-place finishers for the Lakers included: the 200 medley relay team of Yoon, Gustaff, Vlaic and freshman Delaney Carroll at 1:55.48; and the 400 free relay team of Vlaic, Yoon, junior Addison Smith and Gustaff at 3:54.96.
Like their Pacer counterparts, the Lakers reveled in another chance to compete in the Battle of the Lake.
“I think the best part was being able to connect as a team and wish our seniors the best of luck,” Vlaic said. “The annual kickboard walk is always a fun highlight of senior night and writing notes for them was also a great way to wish them a good future.”
“(The) best part was being able to experience our senior night with not just the LOHS community, but also our peers and friends from Lakeridge,” Gustaff added.
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