All-Region Boys Swimming: Hamlik Rises to the Top

JONAH RODEWALD, JR, HOCKINSON: Placed third at 2A state in 200 individual medley, fifth in 100 breaststroke.

LUCAS ULMER, JR., CAMAS: Placed fourth at state in 4A 100 butterfly, 13th in 100 backstroke.

CHRIS XUE, JR., MOUNTAIN VIEW: Placed 10th at 3A state in 100 freestyle, 12th at 50 freestyle.

Jaron Hamlik, for most of his high school career, was the boys swimming team for Prairie High School.

“When I thought I wanted to place higher I wasn’t disappointed at all,” he said. “I feel like I put in the work, and I got what I deserved out of it.”

Posting All-American consideration times in two events, which is a pool of the 150 top high school swimmers in the nation, was enough to earn Hamlik his second Columbian All-Region swimmer of the year honor.

Although he didn’t have many Prairie teammates over the years, Hamlik said being able to train and compete with swimmers from the Camas and Hockinson swim teams eased some of the feelings that he was a one-man show.

Hamlik, who has been taking classes in Clark College’s Running Start program, often woke up at 4:45 a.m. before making the trip to his swimming workouts in LaCamas Swim and Sport.

“He was able to rise to the occasion of the meet before him,” said Mike Bemis, coach of the Camas and North County programs. “He has the ability to swim with and above the competition level of the meet that he’s in.”

Bemis considered Hamlik to be a leader by example. Before the season, they set goals. Hamlik would focus his energy more than ever on the butterfly and the backstroke.

Over the weekend of March 15, Hamlik competed in the senior sectionals of his final club season in what will likely be his last competitive swim meet.

He plans to finish up his Associate and Arts degree at Clark before transferring to WSU Vancouver to get his Bachelor’s Degree.

“I definitely had an amazing time,” he said.