Swimmers earn hardware at Conference

By Robert Galbreath, rgalbreath@pinedaleroundup.com
Posted 2/9/23

“It was very exciting to have Owen Nielson, Dillon Boespflug, Andy DeClue, Ryen Hacklin and Kaden Day make it into the finals in their individual events at Conference,” wrote Co-Head Coaches Kursty Day and Cheryl Grossman. “Dillon posted a personal-best time and a third-place finish in the 100-breaststroke. Owen took sixth in both the 200-freestyle and 100-freestyle. John Ruby and Ryen both added an event to their State list and we added Kaden to our State roster. Scotty Ring, Calleb Willson and Sage Mahaffey are very close to qualifying.”

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Swimmers earn hardware at Conference

Posted

LANDER – The Sublette County combined boys’ swim team confidently stepped up to the starting blocks at the 3A South Conference Meet in Lander on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3-4.

Saturday featured preliminaries in both individual events and relays. The top 12 placers in the preliminaries advanced to the finals on Saturday.

Senior Dillon Boespflug captured third place in the 100-breaststroke finals on Saturday, hitting the finish line in 1 minute, 5.52 seconds. In the 50-freestyle finals, Boespflug came in eighth place with a time of 24.48 seconds.

Senior Owen Nielson placed sixth in both the 200-freestyle finals, at 1:59.58, and the 100-freestyle finals, timing in under 1 minute at 53.89 seconds.

In the 200-freestyle finals, junior Andy DeClue snagged seventh place at 2:02.04. He took 11th place in the 100-freestyle finals at 56.06 seconds.

Hacklin, DeClue, Nielson and Boespflug earned bronze in the 400-freestyle relay finals, finishing the event in 3:38.58.

Sophomore Calleb Willson, Hacklin, DeClue and Nielson snapped up seventh place in the 200-freestyle relay finals at 1:43.17.

Several swimmers posted new State-qualifying times or joined the State roster over the weekend.

Freshman Kaden Day punched his ticket to State by qualifying in the 500-freestyle. He came in 12th place in the finals for the event on Saturday, posting a time of 6:04.80 seconds.

Junior Ryen Hacklin qualified in his fourth State event, the 200-individual medley. Placing ninth in the finals on Saturday, Hacklin clocked the event in at 2:25.18.

Junior John Ruby posted a State-qualifying time in the 100-freestyle preliminaries on Friday, placing 17th with a time of 57.47. Ruby has now qualified in two events.

“It was very exciting to have Owen Nielson, Dillon Boespflug, Andy DeClue, Ryen Hacklin and Kaden Day make it into the finals in their individual events at Conference,” wrote Co-Head Coaches Kursty Day and Cheryl Grossman. “Dillon posted a personal-best time and a third-place finish in the 100-breaststroke. Owen took sixth in both the 200-freestyle and 100-freestyle. John Ruby and Ryen both added an event to their State list and we added Kaden to our State roster. Scotty Ring, Calleb Willson and Sage Mahaffey are very close to qualifying.”

Additional results – preliminaries

  • 200-medley relay: Mahaffey, Reuben Allen, Ruby and Willson in seventh place at 2:10.15.
  • 200-individual medley: Day in 17th place at 2:34.96.
  • 50-freestyle: Mahaffey in 16th place at 26.21 seconds, Willson in 22nd at 27.22 and Allen in 36th at 36.01.
  • 100-freestyle: Willson in 23rd place at 1:00.41 and Ring in 26th place at 1:04.73.
  • 100-backstroke: Hacklin in 14th place at 1:10.32, Mahaffey in 17th at 1:13.36, Ruby in 18th at 1:13.74 and Ring in 19th at 1:14.64.
  • 100-breaststroke: Allen in 23rd place at 1:38.30.

Sublette County hosted the “Last Chance” qualifying meet at the Pinedale Aquatic Center on Thursday, Feb. 9. Results were not available at press time.