Wolfpack's Gibbons wins championship at State Swim Meet
GREAT FALLS — Glacier senior Olivia Gibbons ended her prep career with a championship at the State Swim Meet that concluded Saturday.
Gibbons won the 100 freestyle title and was second in the 100 breaststroke for the Wolfpack, which had several girls get on the podium.
“That 100 free was a nail-biter,” Kalispell swim coach Karen Bouda said. “Liv touched up at 53.06 and Missoula Hellgate’s Emily Hendiek touched in 53.09. It was an amazing finish.”
Bouda added that Gibbons set a personal record and broke her own Glacier High School record by over a second in the 100 breaststroke.
Teammate Madeleine McGaughy, another senior, finished third in the 500 free and the 100 butterfly for the Pack.
“Madeliene is the most versatile swimmer I have ever coached,” Bouda said. “She has swum different events at state championships all four years and plans to swim at Utah Tech next fall.”
The Pack’s 200 medley relay of Gibbons, McGaughy, senior Hanna Vornbrock and freshman Ella Hummer finished third. Gibbons, McGaughy, Vornbrock and sophomore Kylie Blodgett teamed up to take second in the 200 freestyle relay.
“These two underclassmen really stepped up to make these relays pop,” Bouda said.
Other top 12 finishes from Glacier included Vornbrock in the 100 breaststroke, Ed McNeil in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke, Kieler Fieldhouse in the 100 backstroke and Andrew Short in the 100 backstroke.
Glacier's three boys relays all made the finals.
“We only have one senior, Fieldhouse, so all will be back next year,” Bouda said.
McNeil, Short, and Fieldhouse teamed up with Wyatt Sharp to place in the consolation finals in the two sprint relays, while Madhav Gautam joined the group for the 400 freestyle relay.
Flathead boys had two boys make finals in individual events: Miles Flake in the 100 backstroke and Nick Taylor in the 200 Individual Medley. Both Flake and Taylor teamed up with Cruz Pettymyers and Caleb O’Connell for relays that placed in the consolation finals. Full results and team points were not available at press time.