2023 OSAA 5A Swimming State Championships
- February 17-18, 2023
- Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center, Beaverton, Oregon
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results
- Team Scores
The Bend Senior High School girls and Summit boys claimed the 2023 Oregon Class 5A State Swimming Championship titles on Feb. 18 in Beaverton, with numerous records falling by the wayside.
The victory for Bend marked its fifth straight state title (they won the 6A title last year), while Summit won its first crown since 2015.
GIRLS’ RECAP
The Bend girls were led by Kamryn Meskill as they rolled to a 15-point margin of victory over Mountain View, as the sophomore factored into four of the team’s five event wins.
Meskill reset her personal best time twice en route to victory in the 50 free, touching in 23.11, and she also won the 100 fly in 55.53.
In the 200 free relay, Meskill (23.54), Jacqueline Horning (25.39), Maddie Thornton (23.34) and Grace Benson (23.79) combined for a time of 1:36.06 to lower the 5A record of 1:38.97 set by Summit in 2015.
At the conclusion of the meet, Bend punctuated the overall victory by setting another 5A record in the 400 free relay, as Horning (54.14), Meskill (51.03), Thornton (50.95) and Benson (52.17) combined for a time of 3:28.29 to take down the 5A record of 3:34.63, set by Crescent Valley in 2008.
(Bend initially broke both records in the prelims, clocking 1:36.42 in the 200 free relay and 3:29.70 in the 400 free relay.)
Thornton, a 14-year-old freshman, picked up a win of her own in the 100 back, clocking 55.80, which was a PB at the time, but she has since lowered it down to 55.69.
The top individual performer was Wilsonville senior Helena Jones, who obliterated the field en route to a pair of state records in the girls’ 100 and 200 free.
Early in the meet in the 200 free, Jones rocketed to a lifetime best of 1:47.15 to win the title by nearly four seconds, lowering the 10-year-old record of 1:47.96 set by another Wilsonville swimmer, Grace Carlson, in 2013.
A Georgia commit, Jones’ previous best time in the 200 free sat at 1:47.62, set in January at the VAST Washington Open.
Later on in the 100 free, Jones successfully defended her title in 49.26, improving on her previous best from Winter Juniors – West in December and the state record set by Centennial’s Jamie Stone in 2016, which both stood at 49.46. Jones also improved on the 5A record she set last year (49.83).
5A records went down in three other events, including Mountain View’s 200 medley relay which kicked off the meet.
The quartet of Sienna LeFeber (27.87), Kingley Wigle (28.78), Emma Bronson (25.60) and Lexi Williams (23.82) combined for a time of 1:46.07 in the final, breaking the meet record of 1:46.89 they set in the prelims. Their swim in the heats had lowered a 13-year-old record of 1:48.48 set by Crescent Valley in 2010.
Churchill senior Kelsey Wasikowski also broke the 5A record in both the prelims and finals of the 200 IM, first clocking 2:02.18 before getting all the way down to 2:00.45 for a big victory. Wasikowski’s heats swim lowered the previous record of 2:04.99 set by Corvallis’ Jessie James in 2011.
Wasikowski then saw one of her records erased in the 100 breast, as Crescent Valley senior Viola Teglassy won the event in 1:02.51, taking down Wasikowski’s 5A record of 1:02.73 set last year.
An Arizona commit, Wasikowski didn’t contest the 100 breast this year, instead taking on the 500 free (5:01.18), where she was the runner-up to Summit senior Ginger Kiefer (4:58.60).
Team Scores – Top 5
- Bend, 67
- Mountain View, 52
- Summit, 49
- Crescent Valley, 41
- Canby, 36
BOYS’ RECAP
The Summit boys roared to their first state title since 2015 despite only winning one event, but the team produced a total of 10 podium finishes to help them outscore runner-up Crescent Valley by 11 points (69-58).
Senior Liam Gilman was the lone event winner for Summit, as he claimed the 100 breaststroke in a time of 59.95. Last year, Gilman placed seventh in the event at the 6A meet in 59.81.
The top individual performer of the meet was Parkrose junior Thomas Olsen, who rocketed to a pair of 5A records and repeat state titles in the 200 free and 500 free.
Olsen, a USC commit, reset his 200 free best time in both prelims (1:39.38) and finals (1:39.14) to take hold of the 5A record of 1:39.98, set by Corvallis’ Logan Storie way back in 2007.
Olsen then won the 500 free in 4:26.52, downing Storie’s 16-year-old 5A record of 4:27.41. Olsen set a best time of 4:25.33 at Winter Juniors – West in December.
Caldera sophomore Campbell McKean and West Albany junior Conner Dickerson also earned two individual wins apiece, as McKean topped the 200 IM (1:52.44) and 100 back (51.01) and Dickerson claimed victory in the 50 free (21.53) and 100 free (47.24).
Both swims for Dickerson were new personal bests, and he also provided a quick 21.41 anchor leg to lead West Albany to the win in the 200 free relay, as team clocked in at 1:30.65.
Crescent Valley’s Andrew Hanson factored prominently into the other three events of the day, as the senior first reeled off a 22.68 fly split to lead the team to a narrow win in the 200 medley relay (1:39.84) over Summit (1:39.96). Crescent Valley also had sophomore Keller Evans split 21.68 on the anchor leg to out-touch Summit’s Landon Egeland (21.97), while West Albany’s Dickerson pulled up in 21.31 as they took third.
In the 100 fly, Parkrose senior Julian Hernandez edged out Hanson, 51.26 to 51.42. The two swimmers placed second and third last year, respectively.
In the 400 free relay, Hanson led off in 47.45 and Evans anchored in 48.86 to lead Crescent Valley to a big win in 3:17.13, with Summit placing second in 3:21.09.
Team Scores – Top 5
- Summit, 69
- Crescent Valley, 58
- West Albany, 51
- Parkrose, 26
- Wilsonville, 18