Beky Beaton/Lehi Free Press
There are new kids in town, and they've put the rest of the Region 3 swim teams on notice that they're a force to be reckoned with. And no, it's not Corner Canyon, although the Chargers joined the group in all sports this season.
Wasatch High School competes in Class 5A, Region 7 in all other sports, but UHSAA rules allow a school to petition for participation in certain sports or activities. The Wasps requested to compete in swimming only in 6A. The petition was granted and Wasatch was added to the already loaded Region 3 collection.
The Wasps hosted the Pre-Region meeting in Heber on Thursday (November 20) and defeated their new league neighbors. The girls scored 488 points, surpassing Lone Peak's 448 points. Skyridge was third with 300 points, Corner Canyon was fourth with 225 points, Lehi was fifth with 208 points and American Fork was sixth with 78 points.
In the boys' competitions the lead was even greater. Wasatch scored 485.5 to 422 for the Knights, 399 for the Cavemen, 196 for the Falcons and the Pioneers lost to the Chargers 146 to 145.5.
Below are the Lehi swimmers who finished in the top eight and contributed double-digit points to the overall team standings in this meet.
In the girls' section:
- Alyssa Soderquist won silver medals in both the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke.
- Kalia Hasselbach earned a bronze medal in the 100-yard butterfly and placed fourth in the 100-yard backstroke.
- Ali Pendleton rounded out an impressive performance for the Pioneers in the 100-yard butterfly with fourth place. She also placed fourth in the 200-yard individual medley.
- Lehi's team took fourth place in the 200-yard medley relay with Hasselbach, Brooklyn Byrd, Pendleton and Soderquist.
- The Pioneers placed fourth in the 400-yard freestyle relay with Hasselbach, Claire Cox, Brinley Daniels and Soderquist.
- The team placed eighth in the 200-yard freestyle relay with Daniels, Cox, Leah Sweeting and Pendleton.
At the boys' events:
- Jeffrey Smith placed sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke and seventh in the 200-yard freestyle.
- Samuel Rivera finished eighth in the 500-yard freestyle.
- Liam Scott placed eighth in the 100-yard backstroke.
- The 200-yard medley relay team finished sixth with Scott, Jeffrey Smith, Rivera and Colt Smith.