State Swim: Glacier, Columbia Falls reaching for titles

The Flathead Valley has a handful of swimmers looking for the podium as the MHSA state tournament dives into action today at Great Falls High School.

Glacier enters the pool with a handful of contenders, led on the boys side by junior Nate Burnham and freshman Anthony Clason.

Burnham, who finished in the top eight last year in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle, enters this weekend seeded in the top four in each, with a good chance of taking the podium in one or both races.

“Nate’s got a pretty good chance of winning the 500 free,” Flathead/Glacier swimming coach David Lillard said.

“Nate dropped four or five seconds in the 500 freestyle this year. He’s a junior, thinking about his progress the last few years is impressive. He started out at a (5 minute, 40 seconds) 500 freestyle, now he’s 4:56. Pretty impressive.”

Burnham will be gunning for the title in the long-distance race with Butte’s Jake Bentley and Missoula Hellgate’s Jacob Butler. All three are within 1.7 seconds in their best times this season.

“Those three guys are great racers and they’re all about the same speed. We’ll see what happens,” Lillard said.

Clason enters the meet as the second-ranked swimmer in the 100 breastroke and fifth in the 200 indivual medley.

“He’s holding steady in the breaststroke, he’ll do well,” Lillard said.

The Wolfpack girls are led by a pair of young swimmers in freshman AJ Popp and sophomore Olivia Gibson.

Gibson, who finished seventh in the 100 butterfly last year and fifth in the 500 freestyle, is switching the distance race for a sprint. She is the third-ranked swimmer in the 50 freestyle and fourth in the 100 fly, where she will look to splash Glacier onto the podium.

“She’s just a really versatile swimmer,” Lillard said. “She can swim just about anything. She was top six in a lot of events. We kind of had a hard time choosing, but I think we choose well.

“She’s third in the 50 free and she’s been consistently fast and I think she’s capable of dropping a whole second in that. That should be a great race to watch.

“Her 100 butterfly is really smooth. It’s about a second faster than she did early this year. I think she has some room to improve and drop there as well.”

Popp, a freshman sensation who holds nearly every record in the Wolfpack swimming books after one year, is seeded second in the 200 individual medley and third in the 500 freestyle. In each she has to make up time on Hellgate sophomore Mari Aoki, the defending champ in the 200 IM.

“I think she’s got a real shot. It’s going to be a tough race,” Lillard said.

“The Missoula girl who is ahead of her is a really good swimmer. But, AJ is tough and she does not like to lose a race. She’s got a good shot.”

Wolfpack senior Emma Hornby placed 12th in the 100 freestyle last year and is in striking distance of placing again this season in both the 100 and 50 free races. Junior Bailey Smith is also a contender for points in the 50 free.

Flathead is led by senior Ethan Timm, the Braves only returning placer from state last year. Timm is ranked 11th this season in the 100 breaststroke after finishing 10th a season ago.

“Ethan is seeded well,” Lillard said.

“He’s improved a lot in his term. He started out as a brand new swimmer, didn’t know how to swim at all. It’s a testament to his hard work in four years.”

Bravettes freshman Shayenn Thompson will also look to point, competing in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke.

“She’s got a chance to sneak into scoring position,” Lillard said. “She’s been fighting an injury. Hopefully she’ll sneak in there.”

Flathead will travel 20 swimmers (13 girls, seven boys) and Glacier will bring 19 (13 girls, six boys) to the meet.

In Class A-B, Colton Babcock leads a wave of talent for the Columbia Falls boys.

The Wildcats junior is the top swimmer in all classes in the 100 freestyle, posting a time more than two seconds faster than any other competitor. He will also compete in the 50 freestyle, where he is ranked third, but within a touch of the leader. Babcock placed second in the 200 free and third in the 500 free as a sophomore.

“He’s improved in both the 50 free and the 100 free,” Columbia Falls/Whitefish swim coach Mike Nelson said. “He’s got a good chance for the top three.”

Zayne Friar, a junior, is ranked third in the 100 butterfly and ninth in the 200 freestyle with a chance to earn big points for the Wildcats in each. He finished fourth last season in the 100 fly and 12th in the 100 backstroke.

“He’s been doing good,” Nelson said. “He’s been pretty steady. Hopefully he’ll get in the top six.”

Jacob Hohman is the only other returning placer for the Columbia Falls boys, finishing 12th in the 100 freesytle last season. He enters this weekend’s race seeded 15th after splitting time between swimming and speech and debate. Bryce Callendar, the Wildcats’ only senior swimmer, will also look to end his career on a high note.

Karyssa Nelson has led the Columbia Falls girls this season, after a 10th place finish in the 100 backstroke last year. The senior returns to the 100 back this season as the seventh-ranked swimmer and is sixth in the 50 freestyle, where she will look to medal for the Wildkats.

“She has (improved) quite a bit,” Nelson said. “In the last few meets, she’s dropped a couple of seconds in all of her events.”

Wildkats senior Ashley Caffrey will also look to help on the relay, where Columbia Falls will look to add points for a potential top three finish. Columbia Falls will send 12 swimmers to the meet, with eight boys and four girls.

Whitefish is led by freshman Annie Sullivan, who is in the top 20 in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle. Juniors Jessica Young and Sonja Ring also have a chance to make a splash.

Leading for the boys is another first-year swimmer in junior Denver Dicks, who is seeded 12th in both the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. Bulldogs sophomore Matthew Perez enters as the 12th-seeded swimmer in the 100 backstroke and 500 freestyle. Whitefish will send nine girls and six boys to compete.

“(Denver) should be able to get in the top 12 on just his determination alone,” Nelson said.

Bigfork will send 11 girls to the meet, with nine juniors and two sophomores looking to point for the Valkyries.

Races will begin at 11 a.m. today and Saturday. The top 12 places in each race earn points for their teams.