Dedication and determination paid off for the Papermaker girls swimmers when they became district champions Saturday, at Kelso High School.
Camas racked up 376 points to defeat league champion Union by 39 points.
“We have definitely worked for it,” said sophomore Corinne Bintz. “There is no question that everybody did everything they could today and every morning at practice at 5:15 a.m.”
Bintz, Anna Panebianco, Juliann Reed and Sierra Colletto propelled the Papermakers to first place in the 200-meter medley relay. They broke the pool record with a time of 1 minute, 53.08 seconds.
“To be able to do that in the first race of the day just set the tone for all of the girls,” Reed said. “We will win, whatever it takes.”
Reed won four events during her last high school district meet. She slashed her meet record in the 50 freestyle from the day before when she swam to the end of the pool and back in 24.5 seconds.
“The whole time, I was just thinking ‘get first, get first, get first,’” Reed said. “That girl was right next to me. In the last 25, I just gunned it to the wall.”
Reed also finished first in the 100 freestyle (54.41). Bintz, Panebianco, Siobhan Choong and Reed won the 200 freestyle relay with a new meet record time of 1:42.58.
On top of her two victories in the relays, Panebianco clinched first place in the 200 freestyle (2:02.09) and the 100 backstroke (59.34). Breaking a minute in the backstroke helped her set a new meet record.
“It’s hard to describe the feeling,” Panebianco said. “You get up so early to go to practice every day. Just seeing it all pay off in your swims is so rewarding.”
Bintz grabbed second place in the 200 individual medley (2:22.16) and the 100 breaststroke (1:12.49). Colletto claimed third place in the 100 butterfly (1:08.50) and the 500 freestyle (5:54.80). Colletto, Sabrina McVicker, Choong and Nicole Lobkov notched second place in the 400 freestyle relay (4:01).
Alexandra Hall claimed third place in the 200 individual medley (2:38.48) and fifth place in the 500 freestyle (6:12.63). Choong finished fourth in the 100 freestyle (59.19) and 100 breaststroke (1:13.57). McVicker took fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:17.60) and sixth in the 500 freestyle (6:21.67). Alyssa Lobkov earned fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:45.75), Beth Abbay grabbed fifth in the 100 butterfly (1:20.22) and Nicole Lobkov notched fifth in the 100 backstroke (1:13).
Katie Keller, Jessica Rouske, Abbay, Alyssa Lobkov, Nicole Buckley, Rachel Fadlovich, Celine Guess, Emily Joy, Emily Hows, Isabel Lee, Martina McAuliff and Nicole Corbett gained points for Camas in the consolation races.
Head coach Mike Bemis said this is the meet the Papermakers train for all season. The duals and the invitationals are all about building the best team for districts.
“These girls have been extremely dedicated all season and it showed today,” he said.
Camas enters the state swimming meet Friday and Saturday, at the King County Aquatics Center, in Federal Way.
