Blue Jays dominate Shanley, Wahpeton

It’s been said many times, but more often than not it rings true.

There’s simply no place like home.

The Jamestown girls swimming and diving team dominated the competition at the JHS pool during a double dual against Fargo Shanley and Wahpeton on Thursday.

The Jays not only swept all three relay events, they went on to win 10 of the 12 total events to beat Wahpeton 146-32 and Fargo Shanley 130-56.

“The girls did really well. It’s always nice to be back home,” JHS coach Ben Smith said. “Our last home meet was a month and a half ago, so it was good to be back home and have a good audience to compete for.”

Jamestown didn’t lack for highlights on Thursday, but the team qualified its eighth member for the state meet when junior Ashlee Shafer touched the wall in a state-qualifying time of 6:01.41 in the 500-yard freestyle. Shafer finished second in the race to Shanley’s Andrea Lee (5:58.21).

“Ashley has been a state-qualifier since the seventh or eighth grade,” Smith said. “She’s always been a hard worker.”

Shafer also finished second in the 200 freestyle, which was a race dominated by the Jays. Jamestown finished 1-2-3 with LaMae Turk (2:14.82) touching first and Shafer (2:15.03) and Madisen Prasek (2:20.99) finishing close behind.

Shafer and Prasek also swam the first two legs, respectively, for the Jays in the 400 freestyle relay, which placed first in a time of 4:21.41. The rest of the team was comprised of Paige Peterson and Brianna Johnson, who swam the anchor leg.

Jamestown’s team of Johnson, Kamie Wagar, Peterson and Camille Kawasaki won the 200 medley relay (2:07.76), while Wager, Alex Lind, Jenny Allmer and Shafer captured the 200 freestyle relay for Jamestown (1:56.32).

Lind, once again, finished well ahead of the field in the diving competition. The senior defending state diving champ put up a score of 253.75, as she’s been creeping closer to her team record of 267 which she set last season. Lind posted a 262 in Mandan last week.

The Jays also dominated the 100 freestyle, finishing 1-2-3-4. Annie Hart got the win with a time of 59.36, and she was followed consecutively by Kawasaki (1:03.48), Karlie Marler (1:03.99) and Karissa Hubbard (1:06.19).

Hart, a sophomore, was a double winner for the Jays, as she also picked up the win in the 100 backstroke in a time of 1:01.92.

“(Hart) is two seconds off her two best 100 times,” Smith said. “She really focused on her turns today and really tried to attack them.

“We’re practicing really hard right now. The girls are tired, and they should be.”

Wagar, a senior, also notched a pair of victories for Jamestown in the 100 butterfly (1:04.14) and the 100 breaststroke (1:17.44).

“She’s had a really good season,” Smith said of Wagar. “Her butterfly looks really good right now and her breaststroke has really improved.”

Finishing right behind Wagar in the 100 butterfly were Prasek (1:11.83) and Paige Peterson (1:11.95). Peterson, a junior, just edged out Wahpeton’s Heather Glines to win the 50 freestyle. Peterson touched in 26.85, while Glines touched in 26.90.

The Jays will be back in the pool this Saturday at the Fargo Davies Invite.

“We’re betting a lot of east teams will be there, and we haven’t seen a lot of them this year so we’ll see some different competition,” Smith said. “We’re just looking to improve our times. We’re not letting up.”

Jamestown 146, Wahpeton 32

Jamestown 130, Fargo Shanley 56

200 medley relay: 1, JHS (Brianna Johnson, Kamie Wagar, Paige Peterson, Camille Kawasaki), 2:07.76; 2, JHS (Annie Hart, Chesney Middaugh, Madisen Prasek, Jenny Allmer), 2:10.52; 3, FS, 2:10.75; 4, W, 2:13.96.

200 freestyle: 1, LaMae Turk, JHS, 2:14.82; 2, Ashlee Shafer, JHS, 2:15.03; 3, Prasek, JHS, 2:20.99; 4, Makyl Ziegler, W, 2:30.80; 5, Shannon Thompson, W, 2:33.57.

200 IM: 1, Emily Tsen, FS, 2:36.72; 2, B. Johnson, JHS, 2:38.70; 3, Kawasaki, JHS, 2:39.18; 4, Morgan Braun, W, 2:39.18; 5, Andrea Lee, FS, 2:40.06.

50 freestyle: 1, P. Peterson, JHS, 26.85 SQ; 2, Heater Glines, W, 26.90 SQ; 3, Karlie Marler, JHS, 28.28; 4, Isabell Dabbert, FS, 29.60; 5, J. Allmer, JHS, 30.90.

Diving: 1, Alex Lind, JHS, 253.75; 2, Anna Reinholz, FS, 239.45; 3, Abby Wanzek, JHS, 223.80; 4, Brittany Dixon, FS, 196.40; 5, Amy Anfinrud, FS, 195.30; 6, Paris Ekman, FS, 193.70; 7, Abbie Conlons, JHS, 173.80.

100 butterfly: 1, K. Wagar, JHS, 1:04.14 SQ; 2, M. Prasek, JHS, 1:11.83; 3, P. Peterson, JHS, 1:11.95; 4, Heather Glines, W, 1:16.39; 5, Kara Walton, FS, 1:49.68.

100 freestyle: 1, Annie Hart, JHS, 59.36 SQ; 2, Kawasaki, JHS, 1:03.48; 3, Marler, JHS, 1:03.99; 4, Karissa Hubbard, JHS, 1:06.19; 5, Karin O’Leary, FS, 1:13.59.

500 freestyle: 1, Andrea Lee, FS, 5:58.21 SQ; 2, Shafer, JHS, 6:01.41 SQ; 3, Turk, JHS, 6:03.51; 4, Grace Simonson, FS, 6:40.97; 5, Isabell Dabbert, FS, 6:42.55.

200 freestyle relay: 1, JHS (Wagar, Lind, Allmer, Shafer), 1:56.32; 2, JHS (Kawasaki, Hubbard, Marler, Turk), 1:56.65; 3, FS, 2:09.40; 4, FS, 2:15.42; 3, FS, 2:22.72.

100 backstroke: 1, Hart, JHS, 1:01.92 SQ; 2, Emily Tsen, FS, 1:08.23 SQ; 3, B. Johnson, JHS, 1:11.19; 4, Hubbard, JHS, 1:19.12; 5, Katherine Gladitsch, FS, 1:27.57.

100 breaststroke: 1, Wagar, JHS, 1:17.44 SQ; 2, Krista Dewald, FS, 1:19.58 SQ; 3, Middaugh, JHS, 1:22.35; 4, Morgan Braun, W, 1:23.72; 5, Uvic Adah, FS, 1:36.26.

400 freestyle Relay: 1, JHS (Shafer, Prasek, Peterson, Johnson), 4:21.41; 2, W, 4:24.50; 3, FS, 4:25.82; 4, JHS (Hart, Marler, Hubbard, Middaugh), 4:35.02; 5, JHS (Julia Shirley, Grace Roy, Hannah Middaugh, Brittany Frank), 5:40.22.

Sun sports writer Michael Savaloja can be reached at (701) 952-8461 or by email at msavaloja@jamestownsun.com

Tags: sports, jays, swimming