Klamath Union swimming and wrestling was well represented in two popular swimming and wrestling competitions in the Klamath Basin this past weekend.
The first significant snow fall this year coincidentally fell in time for the Henley Freeze swimming event this past Saturday at the Ella Redkey Pool.
The freeze has a long history in the basin, and is the only outdoor swimming meet in Oregon for high school swimmers.
Klamath Union senior Brooke Nelson stood out amongst female swimmers as she won the girls 100 backstroke event.
"It is a really fun and unique meet. It is cold. We are definitely a little slower during this meet because your muscles are cold," Nelson said. "We are hoping it will be another great year for our girls team. I am hoping to get a school record in the 100 back this year."
Nelson and fellow swimmer Isabela Coffman, who won the girls 200 freestyle at Henley Freeze, are eager to help the KU girls swim team remain a top team after a historic and remarkable season last year, which was the first year the girls swim team at KU won the Skyline Conference.
"I think it is very high energy this year. The girls are excited, everyone is excited to be here. We did pretty well in our relays today, I would say. You want to beat your teammates but you hope everything goes well for them," Coffman said.
Coffman and Nelson, along with Hazel Squibb and Elsie Baumann, won the girls 200 and 400 freestyle relays for the Pelicans.
Senior KU boys swimmer Dominic Armijo finished in first place in the boys 100 butterfly as he clocked an impressive 59.95-second effort.
Armijo, who also won the boys 200 individual medley, said he is obsessed with breaking Klamath Union's school record in the 100 butterfly this year.
"We have a great team this year and did not lose too many guys," Armijo said. "I am really hoping to break the butterfly record. I was like a second off last year at state, and I have just been trying to work at that so far."
Senior Augustus Hendricks has the ambition to break the school's record in the boys 500 freestyle.
"It is something I really hope I can do this year, and I hope to get top two or three at state as well in that event," Hendricks said.
Fellow senior Carter Harmon was at ease swimming where KU practices weekly, at Ella Redkey Pool, as the Henley Freeze unfortunately was its one and only home event.
"We are all in the same lane this year as a team and it has been a great start to the year," Harmon
said. "I have been trying to get a personal record in the breast stroke and get faster, nothing too crazy but just faster and get better as an individual."
Armijo, Harmon, Hendricks, along with Max Hendricks, won the boys 200 medley relay.
At the top of the podium
At the High Desert Classic, Klamath Union came away with three wrestlers who won their respected weight classes.
In the 106-113 weight class, Chris Stromberg took home first-place honors for the Pelicans. Teammate Levi Hicks, took home the top honor in the 150-pound weight class.
In the girls division, KU’s Mahlea Butler won the 121-137 title.
"I want to get back to the state competition again after having it not end how I hoped last year," Hicks said. "We have a lot of wrestlers who can make it to the state competition. We have a great team here at KU and I am glad we represented our team well today. All of us who got on the podium and those who wrestled did great today."
Find complete galleries from each event here: https://www.facebook.com/Klama...
High Desert Classic
