The Homer Mariners traveled to Kodiak for a two-school, two-day dive-swim meet last week. Among Homer’s strong finishers, Lauren Kuhns scored a first in the 50 freestyle on Friday and Ian Hall scored a first-place in 1-meter diving on Friday and Saturday. 

In spite of the Mariners’ dive and swim efforts, the Kodiak boys and girls teams took first place on both days of the meet.

“Ian (Hall) did an outstanding job. It’s the highest he’s ever made in a six-dive meet,” said Homer Head Coach Harmon Hall of his son’s dive performance. Ian Hall received a score of 174.20 in Friday’s 1-meter dive and 194.80 on Saturday. 

Also receiving praise from Coach Hall was Annali Metz who placed second in the girls one-meter dive on Friday and Saturday, earning 132.00 and 140.95 points. 

“The 140.95 is her highest ever and this is only her third dive meet,” said Hall. “She’s going to turn into a pretty good diver.” 

Scott Smith, the head coach for the Mariner swim team, said, “We didn’t expect to go to Kodiak and knock the kings off the throne. They are a powerhouse team and probably will take state this year.” 

The Kodiak meet was an opportunity for the Mariners team to shift its focus from competing against other swimmers to learning to swim intelligent races based on their skill level, said Smith.

“We want them to learn how to apply good stroke technique, tempo and other technical properties to their races,” said Smith. “This is what Kodiak already does. Since we are developing this in our team, it is better for them to apply sound race practices rather than to focus on whether or not they can compete against other swimmers. Once they learn these applications, they will find that they are competing at a higher level anyway.”

Crystal Crane, a new member of the Mariner swim team, competed in the 50 free four times during the meet, dropping her time with each swim.

Numerous meets don’t give the team time to rest in between.

“So they are swimming tired and under fatigue and still producing best times,” said Smith. “I am excited for when they are properly rested. The team should be proud of their accomplishments.”

This week, the Mariner swim team competed in a pentathlon in Soldotna. 

“This is a unique meet where the entire region comes to swim events that are not part of the normal competition schedule,” said Smith. “Each swimmer swims the 100 IM, a length of each stroke, and a 50 of each stroke. Every swimmer must swim all of the events. The meet is scored by compiled time. The lowest overall time wins.”
The following week, the swim team heads to Anchorage for a meet at Bartlett while the dive team participates in the “biggest dive meet of the year” in Chugiak.

“We’ll see a lot of divers from Southeast, Fairbanks, all of Anchorage and Kodiak,” said Hall. “We’re getting geared up for it.”

Kodiak Swim-Dive meet

Friday-Saturday

Friday Team Results: 

Kodiak girls 171, Homer girls 46; Kodiak boys 189, Homer boys 80;

Saturday team results: 

Kodiak girls 177, Homer girls 62; Kodiak boys 193, Homer boys 93.

Friday individual Homer results (girls):

200 medley relay: 2. Homer, 2:21.17

200 individual medley: 2. Cheyanne Smith, 2:47.38

50 freestyle: 1. Lauren Kuhns, 27.75; 5. Angie Cardoza, 31.31; 6. Crystal Crane, 38.74

1 meter diving: 2. Annali Metz, 132.00

100 freestyle: 4. Crystal Crane, 1:22.56

100 backstroke: 2. Lauren Kuhns, 1:10.83

100 breaststroke: 4. Cheyanne Smith, 1:25.29; 5. Angie Cardoza, 1:26.28

Friday individual Homer results (boys): 

200 medley relay: 3. Homer, 1:54.72

200 freestyle: 54. Griffin Downey, 2:14.66; 5. Zane Wilkinson, 2:23.89

200 IM: 4. Thomas Vanek, 2:48.02; 5. Zach Nelson, 2:53.79

50 freestyle: 4. Remi Nagle, 24:33

1 meter diving: 1. Ian Hall, 174.20; 2. Ren Carroll, 159.05; 6. Spencer Warren, 104.45

100 butterfly: 4. Leo Castellani, 1:05.73; 5. Griffin Downey, 1:06.52; 6. Thomas Vanek, 1:20.51

100 freestyle: 4. Zane Boyer, 1:09.08; 5. Jarrett Richburg, 1:22.12

500 freestyle: 3. Leo Castellani, 5:55.21; 5. Zach Nelson, 6:46.03

200 freestyle relay: 3. Homer, 1:43.79

100 backstroke: 3. Remi Nagle, 1:07.32; 4. Zane Wilkinson, 1:08.23

400 freestyle relay: 4. Homer, 4:35.60

Saturday individual Homer results (girls):

200 medley relay: 2. Homer, 2:29.62

200 freestyle: 4. Cheyanne Smith, 2:31.47; 5. Angie Cardoza, 2:56.04

200 IM: 3. Lauren Kuhns, 2:35.04

50 freestyle: 4. Jenna Fabich, 32.57; 5. Crystal Crane, 36.82

1 meter diving: 2. Annali Metz, 140.95

100 butterfly: 2. Cheyanne Smith, 1:04.05

500 freestyle: 2. Lauren Kuhns, 6:06.28

100 backstroke: 3. Angie Cardoza, 1:35.82; 4. Crystal Crane, 1:52.14

100 breaststroke: 4. Jenna Fabich, 1:41.77

400 freestyle relay: 3. Homer, 4:54.92

Saturday individual Homer results (boys): 

200 medley relay: 4. Homer, 2:13.29

200 freestyle: 4. Leo Castellani, 2:11.19; 5. Zach Nelson, 2:28.86

200 IM: 4. Remi Nagle, 2:21.86; 5. Griffin Downey, 2:25.97

50 freestyle: 2. Zane Wilkinson, 24.97; 5. Zane Boyer, 30.48

1 meter diving: 1. Ian Hall, 194.80; 5. Ren Carrol, 121.85; 6. Warren Spencer, 1.04.55

100 butterfly: 1. Remi Nagle, 59.28; 5. Hale Wilkinson, 1:20.56

100 freestyle: 4. Zane Wilkinson, 59.36; 5. Zach Nelson, 1:04.62; 6. Jarrett Richburg, 1:21.24

500 freestyle: 4. Thomas Vanek, 6:36.15

200 freestyle relay: 3. Homer, 1:44.49; 5. Homer, 2:03.67 

100 backstroke: 3. Leo Castellani, 1:08.05; 5. Griffin Downey, 1:10.09; 6. Zane Boyer, 1:31.37

100 breaststroke: 4. Thomas Vanek, 1:26.73; 5. Hale Wilkinson, 1:29.21

400 freestyle relay: 3. Homer, 4:05.83