Focus on state swim — Dogies prep for state meet
With the 3A state meet on deck, the Newcastle High School Dogies used one final opportunity in Gillette to sharpen a few key events before heading to Cheyenne.
Only three swimmers competed at the Last Chance meet, and head coach Doug Scribner said the approach was intentional.
“The Dogie swimmers just focused on those events that they were close in,” Scribner said. “The meet was very short and we knew we would not get very much rest between events, so we decided not to enter relays and would just focus on those swims where we wanted to improve.”
All three swimmers turned in at least one improved performance.
Nathan Smith trimmed nearly a second and a half off his 50-yard freestyle time, dipping under the 30-second mark to achieve a season goal.
“He was excited to have dropped time but was hoping for a little bit more, which would have qualified him for club state,” Scribner said.
After focusing on technique in practice, Archer Ohnstad dropped nearly two seconds in the 100 breaststroke.
Despite feeling under the weather, John Sandrini recorded a season-best time in the 100 free, moving closer to his goal of breaking one minute in the event.
The abbreviated meet accomplished exactly what the Dogies hoped as they shift their attention to the biggest stage of the season.
Newcastle enters the state meet with multiple swimmers ranked among the top contenders in Class 3A. Gabe Hoover owns the top 3A time in the 200 individual medley at 2:03.13. He also ranks second in the 100 free at 49.85 and third in the 50 free at 22.43, while sitting among
the leaders in the 100 backstroke and 500 free.
“This week the Dogies will travel to Cheyenne East to participate in the state meet,” Scribner said.
Preliminary races for the 3A state meet begin at 4 p.m. Friday, with finals scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday.
Hoover, Sandrini and Ohnstad are set to compete in individual events, and the coaching staff will look to Isaiah Anderson and Nathan Smith to help fill at least two relays as Newcastle looks to turn strong seed times into podium finishes.
Dogie State Qualifying Lineup
Gabe Hoover: 50 free, 22.43; 100 free, 49.85; 200 IM, 2:03.13; 100 back, 56.20; 500 free, 5:25.66; 100 breast, 1:09.78; 200 free, 1:54.92
John Sandrini: 100-free qualifier; season best 1:08.67
Archer Ohnstad: 100-breast qualifier; nearly two-second drop at Last Chance
Nathan Smith: 50-free relay contributor; sub-30.00 season best
Isaiah Anderson: Relay contributor