If the Lady Riverhawks had any nerves in their quest to defend their 4A state title, it certainly didn’t show.
Instead, Ridgeline’s girls swimming team put together a performance for the ages at the 4A State Championships, which concluded Saturday evening at BYU’s Richards Building Pool. The Riverhawks amassed more than twice as many points as any other team en route to their second straight 4A crown, plus head coach Taryn McEuen was selected as the 4A Girls Coach of the Year.
Ridgeline won all three relays and had at least one athlete finish in the top five in all eight individual events. That kind of depth and star power allowed the Riverhawks to accumulate 449 points, which was 231 more than runner-up Cedar City. Sky View was fifth in the girls competition with 191 points, immediately followed by Mountain Crest (167 points), Logan (157) and Green Canyon (140).
“This year has been particularly special,” McEuen said. “Our team was super supportive of each other and were genuinely excited to see each other succeed. We trained very diligently this season and tried to perfect as many details as possible. Our girls team has incredible depth this year. It’s been amazing to see them learn, improve and ultimately win together.”
Not only did the Riverhawks reign supreme in all three relays, they won them all in convincing fashion, plus shaved time in all three from Friday’s qualifying rounds — a noteworthy accomplishment, considering how taxing these two-day meets are. MacKenzie Hansen, Isabelle Christensen, Ava Roberts and Brooklyn Bischoff made sure Ridgeline got off to a strong start in the first event of the evening, the 200-yard medley relay, with their time of 1 minute, 54.89 seconds.
Hansen joined forces with Navie Powell, Laura Rigby and Sarah Cook to emerge victorious in the 200 freestyle relay and post a school record time of 1:41.75, while Powell teamed up with Rigby, Cook and Ava Caliendo to beat all comers in the 400 free relay (3:43.03). Ridgeline won those two events by nearly six seconds and more than seven seconds, respectably.
“Yes, our relays were amazing,” Hansen said. “This year has been amazing to have so many of the fastest girls in the state be able to come together in the relays and dominate our competition. Our team this year has worked hard to perfect the details and we strive to do our best each practice to prepare us for this meet, and it feels amazing to know that all our hard work paid off in the end.”
Powell led the charge individually for the Riverhawks, who swept the top three spots on the podium in the 200 free. Powell was first with a time of 2:00.39, followed by Rigby (2:01.78) and Cook (2:02.27). Powell shattered the school record in Friday’s qualifying rounds as she clocked in at 1:59.00.
“Winning the 200 free was beyond amazing for me,” Powell said. “All year I have made it my goal to take state in my own event, not just the relays. I have written on my mirror, ‘I will be a individual state champion.’ I’ve practiced so hard for it and I was on cloud nine to reach my goal. It was also super special because at the end of the race I heard my dad yelling from the stands, ‘you did it, Nav.’ That kind of individual support from my family is something that has pushed me through my whole high school career.”
The senior was one of five Riverhawks who got to stand on the podium after all four of her events, joining Rigby, Hansen, Christensen and Cook. Powell was the bronze medalist in the 100 backstroke (1:02.50), to boot.
“I just want to say how thankful I am for everyone that has trained me,” Powell said. “My coach, Taryn, has made a huge difference is my life and in my races. No one can ask for a better coach, leader and friend.”
By the time the dust had settled, the Lady Riverhawks had accounted for four gold medals, four silvers and three bronze. In addition to helping Ridgeline win two relays, Hansen, Christensen and Cook all finished in the top six in both of their individual swims. Cook was the runner-up in the 100 butterfly and her time of 59.71 is a new school record, plus she was the bronze medalist in the aforementioned 200 free. Not only was Rigby second in the 200 free, she was fifth in the 500 free (5:33), while Hansen was the silver medalist in the 100 back (1:02.03) and fourth in the 200 IM (2:19.47), and Christensen was the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.28) and sixth in the 200 IM (2:24.12).
“It meant the world to me,” said Hansen, a senior, when asked about standing on the podium four times in her final high school meet. “When I reflect on my high school career, I see all the progress I have made and it feels amazing knowing all my hard work paid off in the end at the most important meet. Swim is such a hard sport and sometimes the outcomes don’t come out the way you want them to and it’s hard to accept that. So, when I was able to come out with the outcomes I wanted in my very last high school meet, it felt amazing.”
In addition to their dominance in the 200 free, the Riverhawks had three of the top seven performers in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 breast. Indeed, Ridgeline’s depth was unmatched.
Caliendo, Bischoff and Kendra Warren were three other Riverhawks who placed in the top seven in both of their individual swims. Caliendo captured a bronze medalist in the 100 free (56.85), plus finished seventh in the 200 free (2:07.40). Bischoff powered her way to fourth place in the 100 free (58.03) was also sixth in the 50 free (26.31), while Warren was fifth in the 50 free (26.23) and seventh in the 100 breast (1:15.18).
Also Ridgeline swimmers who fared well individually were Roberts, Adalyn Jones and Britteny Dye. Roberts placed fourth in the 100 breast (1:12.53), Jones finished sixth in the 100 free (58.19) and was the B final champion in the 50 free (26.59), and Dye captured a B final title in the 100 fly (1:05.30).
And while Ridgeline stole the show, there were several other girls athletes from Cache Valley that also sparkled. For starters, Sky View’s Sarah Olsen and Green Canyon’s Brynley Nielsen both earned the right to stand on the top spot of the podium, while competitors such as GC’s Rylie Corry, Mountain Crest’s Kyah Bindrup and Zoey Hunter, SV’s Allie Schwartz and Logan’s Malacha Leonard also scored a lot of points.
Olsen dispatched of the competition in last year’s 500 free and she accomplished the same feat in the 200 IM as a senior, thus showcasing her versatility.
“Proving that I’m such a strong, well-rounded swimmer means so much to me,” Olsen said. “I’ve always known I’m capable of it, so proving that I’m so well-rounded makes me ecstatic.”
Olsen’s winning time in the 200 IM was a personal record 2:16.25, plus she also won a bronze medal in the 500 free (5:31) and anchored SV’s 200 free relay team to second place. The senior was joined on that squad by Keira Mannewitz, Grace Neil and Schwartz.
“It felt amazing to improve my 200 IM,” Olsen said. “Dropping time fills me with so much joy and excitement because it’s so hard to drop time.”
Nielsen was triumphant in the 100 free and she eclipsed the 56-second barrier, to boot, with her 55.67. The sophomore also traveled back home with a bronze medal in the 50 free (25.98).
“It meant a ton because I have been trying to break a 58 all season and I finally did at region, so it was even sweeter to be able to drop even more time today and get the first-place title,” Nielsen said.
Corry came through with a bronze medal in the 100 fly (1:00.68), and she placed fifth in the 200 IM (2:20.11). Leonard finished fourth in the 100 fly (1:01.49) and 500 free (5:32), while Schwartz was fifth in the 100 breast (1:13.38) and seventh in the 200 IM (2:24.43). Meanwhile, Bindrup placed fourth in the 100 back (1:02.80) and fifth in the 200 free (2:05.52), while Hunter was seventh in the 100 back (1:04.46) and eighth in the 100 free (59.34).
Other local swimmers who competed in an A event final individually were Logan’s Kinzlee Taylor (eighth place, 100 fly, 1:05.23) and Molly Peterson (eighth, 100 back, 1:05.18), Sky View’s Mannewitz (fifth, 100 free, 58.15) and Amber Lawyer (eighth, 500 free, 5:48), and Mountain Crest’s Abbie Nielsen (sixth, 100 breast, 1:14.81). Additionally, SV’s Kylie Schwartz touched the wall first in the B final of the 100 breast (1:15.45).