BEAVERTON – Down to their last high school meet before heading off to elite college programs, Bend seniors Maddie Thornton and Emma Bronson made it count Saturday in the finals of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 5A championships at Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center.
Thornton set OSAA meet records in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 backstroke and Bronson broke her 5A meet record in 100 butterfly and won the 200 freestyle for the Lava Bears, who once again routed the field in winning their fourth consecutive state championship.
“It's an amazing feeling, and I couldn't ask for a better team to do it with,” the Georgia-bound Thornton said. “I'm so proud of everyone. It's just such a team effort. Everybody contributed.”
Bend scored 112 points to far outpace the field. Their Intermountain Conference rivals held down the next three spots in Summit (42), Ridgeview (26) and Redmond (26).
“I'm so happy to be a part of it,” said Bronson, an Alabama commit. “It's so sentimental, the last time doing it. It's finally setting in that this is our last time here.”
Sophomore Rowan Long added titles in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle and the Lava Bears swept all three relays for the fourth year in a row, giving them nine titles in 11 events Saturday.
Thornton entered the meet with personal bests that were faster than the OSAA meet records in her events. She swam 1:57.28 in the 200 IM to beat the mark of 1:58.95 (Keaton Blovad, Lakeridge, 2016). Later, she timed a PR of 53.10 in the 100 backstroke to shatter the record of 53.71 (Emily Cook, Jesuit, 2017).
“I definitely was putting pressure on myself,” Thornton said. “But it was just a matter of walking in and fine-tuning the details. I'm really happy I was able to do it my senior year. That makes it really special.”
Thornton finishes as a four-time champion in the backstroke and three-time champion in the 200 IM. She also was part of eight champion relay teams, giving her 15 gold medals for her career.
“I'm trying to soak it all in,” Thornton said. “It's an amazing team we have.”
Bronson won the 100 butterfly for the third year in a row by clocking 54.20, beating the 5A meet record of 54.95 that she established last year. She fell short of her personal best of 52.60, which would have beaten the OSAA meet record of 53.13 (Michelle Cefal, Westview, 2013).
“I'm a little disappointed. I've gotten that a couple times at club meets,” Bronson said. “But I did the best I could, and I'm still proud of myself.”
In winning the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle, Long prevailed in her personal duels with Summit senior Adeline Bennett, the reigning state champion in both events. In the 50 freestyle, Long (23.82) won a tight race with Ridgeview freshman Kaylee Lovrein (23.85) and Bennett (23.99). Long beat Bennett by .31 seconds in the 100 freestyle.
Long won both races against Bennett in the IMC district meet.
“I feel like we're pretty good at racing each other, pushing each other to go faster,” Long said.
Canby junior Quincy Taliaferro finished a three-peat in the 500 freestyle.
6A
Jesuit cruised to its fourth consecutive team title. The Crusaders (141.5 points) nearly lapped runner-up Lakeridge (71), with Oregon City (69) and Lincoln (61) next.
Combined with the boys title, Jesuit swept the 6A meet for the fourth year in a row. Crusaders coach Bryan Butcher credited the competitive Metro League for pushing his swimmers.
“We're such a competitive league, the kids just step up,” Butcher said. “There are state times in our dual meets. So they get up for that.”
Seniors Stela Sufuentes and Lisette Soto propelled Jesuit. Sufuentes won the 500 freestyle, took fifth in the 200 freestyle and swam on the winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Soto placed third in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle and also had a hand in both relay wins.
“Those seniors kind of led and showed the freshmen how it's done,” Butcher said.
West Linn senior Lauren Sexton completed a three-peat in the 200 IM, and for the first time, she won a second event, taking the 100 butterfly.
“That was one of my goals going into my senior year,” said Sexton, a Washington State commit. “This is the first year I've done the 100 fly in high school. I normally do the 100 breaststroke. So this was just a fun race to see what I can do and what time I can put up.”
Newberg senior Sydney McDonald won the 50 freestyle. She went for a repeat in the 100 freestyle but finished second to South Medford junior Eleanor Geraghty, the runner-up in the 50 freestyle.
“I was feeling tired today, but I'm happy with how it ended,” the Hawaii-bound McDonald said. “Yesterday my prelims were probably a little better. It would've been a better race yesterday, but I'm OK with it.”
Oregon City senior Rowan Schmidt successfully defended her title in the 100 backstroke.
4A/3A/2A/1A
Newport held on to win its second team title in three seasons, outscoring runner-up La Grande 42-35. Valley Catholic (32) and reigning champion Catlin Gabel (31) were next.
Sophomore Ilona Weisz led the way for Newport by taking the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle and swimming the anchor leg on the winning 200 medley relay. In the 200 freestyle, she edged the three-time reigning champion, Cove senior Becca Koza, by .39 seconds.
The Idaho-bound Koza, bidding to become the fourth girl in state history to win eight individual state titles, settled for seven titles by coming back later in the meet to win the 100 freestyle for the third year in a row. She won the 500 freestyle as a freshman.
St. Mary's freshman Bri Chamberland took home titles in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. Riverdale junior Sam Borus won the 100 butterfly for the second time in three seasons.
Boys
6A
Nelson senior Drew Eubanks became the first boy to win four big-school titles in the 100 breaststroke in 51 years by dominating the field in 53.05 seconds, just off the OSAA meet record of 52.98 that he set last year.
The last four-time breaststroke winner was Doug Ainslie of David Douglas (1971-75).
“I've been working towards this since I was a freshman,” Eubanks said. “My whole goal for my whole high school was pretty much just to four-peat. I take a lot of pride in that.”
Eubanks, who has signed with Tennessee, said he was set back by injuries this season but was proud of how he recovered and nearly matched his record.
“I can't think of a better high school career,” he said, adding, “It's a little sad to hang up the black-and-silver, but I'm excited to get into the white-and-orange.”
Sunset senior Victor Krautsov repeated as champion in the 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle. He had designs on breaking the OSAA meet record in the 200 freestyle (1:37.05), set earlier in the day by Summit senior Brecken Egeland in the 5A meet, but finished in 1:37.98.
“The 2-free was a little rough for me,” Krautsov said. “I felt pretty rough, as well, yesterday. My coach wanted us to go through this meet and prioritize the last meet for club swimming, so I came in untapered. But I'm really happy with the results today.”
Krautsov's senior teammate, Luca Ignatescu, won the 200 IM for the second year in a row but fell short in his bid to repeat in the 500 freestyle, finishing second to Jesuit senior David Barkley by .41 seconds.
Barkley, runner-up to Ignatescu in the Metro League district meet, came from behind late to win.
“The last 250 was where I just went into it,” Barkley said. “That's where I poured it on. The last 25 percent of the race is where I really excel. That's what I've been training at.”
Jesuit won its fourth consecutive team title and 10th in 11 seasons, putting up 113 points to outpace South Eugene (78.5), Sunset (71) and Lake Oswego (60).
Out of the Crusaders' meet-high 15 finals entries, 10 placed in the top four. They also got a win in the 400 freestyle relay.
“We knew that everyone just had to step up and move up a little bit,” Jesuit coach Bryan Butcher said.
5A
Summit senior Brecken Egeland came through with the biggest surprise of the meet by breaking the OSAA meet record in the 200 freestyle. He lowered his PR by .8 seconds to finish in 1:37.05, eclipsing the record of 1:37.27, set by Century's Luke Thornbrue in 2019.
Did he see it coming?
“Honestly, yeah, I did,” said Egeland, who won the 100 butterfly as a sophomore. “I've been putting in a lot of hard work. … and I've been having some fast times. So I thought I definitely could have hit that.
“I just felt good going into it. I went all out to see what time I could go. … I looked up and saw a state record, so I was really happy.”
Last year, Egeland finished runner-up in the event to his brother, Landon, who was named the Big West Conference freshman swimmer of the year this season at UC San Diego.
“It was so fun racing him last year. He really pushed me,” Egeland said. “I miss swimming with him.”
Egeland wasn't finished, though. He came through later to win the 500 freestyle by more than five seconds.
Thurston, which set 5A meet records in the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay in Friday prelims, captured its first team title by winning six events.
The Colts won both relays, breaking their own mark by going 1:27.72 in the 200 freestyle relay behind senior Quinn Devenport, sophomores Wayko Sanders and Griffin Hagemeyer and junior Brody Wyatt.
They also got titles from Devenport (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Wyatt (100 butterfly) and Sanders (100 backstroke) to rack up 67 points and top Crescent Valley (55), Bend (46) and Silverton (37).
“Last year they were shocked when they took third, so this year they were really locked in and focused and fighting for that title,” Thurston coach Sarah Keim said.
Devenport claimed four titles Saturday, redemption for last year, when he finished second in the 50 freestyle and was on two runner-up relay teams.
“I was really hoping my last year I could come back and get four golds,” Devenport said. “It's a great end to my high school career. Our relays have really been a powerhouse this year.”
4A/3A/2A/1A
Newport completed a 4A team title sweep with a narrow win in the boys meet. The Cubs won the last event, the 400 freestyle relay, to outscore Cascade Christian 40-37 and claim their fifth championship since 2018.
Junior Jahan Eibner won the 200 IM and closed out the victory in the 400 freestyle relay, following junior Clyde Bretz, freshman Hudson Cline and senior Sam Smith. Eibner also finished second in the 100 butterfly.
The meet's double winners were Cascade Christian junior Myles Anderson (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), St. Mary's junior Alexandru Titianu (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke) and Phoenix junior Quin Davis (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle.).
Klamath Union (35) took third place and Molalla (29) was fourth.
jerryu@osaa.org
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