The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Sisters High School athletes are back in the pool after the 2021 season was stymied by the pandemic. New coach Alex Bick reports that the team is building up its strength once again.

In the team’s most recent five-way meet at Stayton, sophomore Ella Bartlett, who is also on the Nordic ski team, had a busy day. Bartlett notched a runner-up finish in the 400-meter freestyle with a time of 5:40.14 and placed sixth in the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:36.80.

The team of Bartlett, Elizabeth Bates, Lizzie McCrystal, and Neya Kountchev placed sixth in the 200-meter freestyle relay in 2:31.00. The same group also took sixth in the 200-meter medley relay in 2:54.09.

Kountchev placed fifth in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 1:20.59. She also placed eighth in the 50-meter freestyle, with a time of 35.53.

Highlighting the boys’ results was the one-two finish in the 50-meter freestyle as Clayten Heuberger dominated the field in 26.90, while his teammate Joseph Souza placed second in 28.71. Heuberger was a double-winner with his performance in the 100-meter backstroke, finishing in 1:06.95, which was over 21 seconds ahead of second place.

“Our team is small, but it’s so good for the kids to be able to be back in the pool,” said Bick. “They are showing a lot of dedication to making this season happen.”