Bulldog swimmers third at state
<p>Whitefish's Rhiley Livingston speeds across the pool at The Wave during the Cat/Dog Invitational on Saturday.</p>
The Whitefish swim team held its own at the tough All-Class State Swim Meet last weekend, showing vast improvement in just the second year of the program.
The boys placed third among Class A schools, while the girls just missed the podium to place fourth.
“The Whitefish boys worked hard and took third place,” said head swim coach Mike Nelson. “Having individuals and relays swimming Saturday and make it to the finals shows how far the program has come. We had zero disqualifications the whole meet — everything was perfect. That’s an achievement.”
The Columbia Falls boys won the State A crown, while the Wildkat girls took third. The Whitefish and Columbia Falls teams share the same coach and practice facility at The Wave.
Denver Dicks led the Bulldog boys with 11th place finishes in the 100 breast stroke (1:09.60) and 100 freestyle (53.34). Matthew Perez placed 11th in the 500 freestyle (5:36.79) and 12th in the 100 backstroke (1:03.61).
“Denver’s first year and he places in the top-12 in both of his events,” Nelson said. “Matthew worked hard to place in the top-12 in both his events. Both of them were major contributes to the relays.”
The boys 400 freestyle relay took 10th, clocking a 3:51.27 with Perez, Taylor Fortin, Jaydon Anderson and Dicks.
The Whitefish girls scored points individually as well as in the relays.
Freshman Annie Sullivan placed ninth in the 500 freestyle with a 5:39.82 in her finals race.
The girls 200 medley relay took 11th, clocking a 2:08.40 with Sonja Ring, Sullivan, Kaylee Hickman and Jessica Young.
The Lady Bulldog 200 freestyle relay team also took 11th, scoring a 1:52.32 with Ring, Alice Wilde, Sullivan and Young.
The girls 400 freestyle relay came in 16th (4:36.68) with swimmers Madison Davis, Wilde, Rhiley Livingston and Hickman.