STATE SWIMMING: Upon further review ... Lake City girls win third straight state title

BOISE — As Lake City freshman Malyn “Tillie” Sobek described, it was a carnival ride.

And that was just the finish of Saturday’s state 5A swim meet.

“It was probably the biggest rollercoaster you’ve ever been on,” said Sobek, who claimed state 5A titles in the 200-yard freestyle, 500 freestyle and on a winning leg of the 200 freestyle relay. “You feel the world crashing down and start thinking you’d lost.”

Until, Lake City didn’t.

When it was discovered Timberline, which had apparently won, had used two swimmers in too many events, the team scores were recalculated, giving the state 5A team title to the Timberwolves for a third straight year.

“We really didn’t know what was going to happen,” Tillie Sobek said. “Half of us were excited, some of us were crying. Whatever it was, we were in it as a team.”

Lake City's boys were second. Coeur d'Alene's boys and girls were third.

In 4A, Sandpoint’s girls claimed their first title since 2019, finishing with 185 points. The Bulldog 200-yard medley relay team of senior Sara Hogue, sophomore Mia Driggs, junior Ryleigh Bamer and freshman Reina Montecchi won in 1 minute, 55.61 seconds. 

Lakeland junior Makena Mamola won the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle, as did her brother, freshman Michael Mamola — who led the Hawk boys to a runner-up finish.

Sandpoint’s boys were fifth.

5A: Lake City’s girls also won the 200 medley relay, finishing with 260 points.

Timberline finished with 237.

“We definitely needed the whole team to pull together through the end,” seventh-year Lake City coach Shelly Sobek said. “It was just great to see.”

Lake City freshman Eli Shaw won the 100 butterfly in 52.81 seconds.

“The last 25 yards was really the hardest part of the race for me,” Shaw said. “But it felt great to look up and see that I’d won. There were a lot of nerves because it was the first time representing my school at a high level.”

Junior Elijah Brown won the 200 individual medley in a state record 1:55.32 for Lake City, which finished runner-up for the second straight year.

“I’d been training for this race all year,” Brown said. “It’s exhilarating to reach that goal.”

Coeur d’Alene junior Isaac Thorpe won the 50 freestyle in 22.30.

Boise claimed its sixth straight boys title since 2018, the first year the Idaho High School Activities Association sponsored the meet.

4A: After setting classification records in both the 200-yard freestyle and 500 freestyle in Friday’s preliminary round, Lakeland junior Makena Mamola wasn’t satisfied.

“I just wanted to go out and improve and do better than I did yesterday,” said Mamola, who set records again in winning both events. “My teammates were so supportive and really made it easier for me to do it fast.”

Mamola won the 500 freestyle in 5 minutes, 7.60 seconds.

“It really wasn’t until the last 45 yards where I knew I wasn’t going to drown,” Mamola said. “That entire race, it’s up in the air because it’s so long and takes a lot of energy. It definitely takes more of a mental approach to swim at your best.”

“She just stepped up when it came time to shine in those really big moments,” Lakeland assistant coach Adam Mayer said.

Mamola won the 200 free in 1:56.17.

Freshman Michael Mamola, Makena’s brother, also claimed titles in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle.

“My sister really helped me a lot,” Michael Mamola said. “I really had to push myself in the 500 freestyle because the guy next to me was right with me the entire way.”

Lakeland senior Ethan Abbott was second in the 100 backstroke, helping the Hawks finish runner-up with 172 points. 

“It was a really big, collective effort on the boys side,” Mayer said. “We had some really good swims on Friday that set us up for the finals. Today, for our boys to step up and get two championships, you couldn’t ask for a better meet.

Bishop Kelly of Boise won the 4A boys title with 226 points.

5A

# — meet record

BOYS 

TEAM SCORES — 1, Boise 234. 2, Lake City 198. 3, Coeur d’Alene 101. 4, Timberline 97. 5, Mountain View 95. 6, Madison 93. 7, Middleton 90. 8, Eagle 67. 9, Rigby 62. 10, Owyhee 51. 11 (tie), Meridian, Rocky Mountain 37. 13, Centennial 21. 14, Post Falls 17. 15, Kuna 15. 16, Highland 12. 17, Thunder Ridge 1.

Winner, locals in finals

200-yard medley relay — 1, Boise (Tyler Young, Connor Pentzer, Jack Bureau, Christopher Beckley), 1:39.35. 2, Lake City (Ben Linford, Elijah Brown, Eli Shaw, Steven Griffith), 1:42.13. 7, Coeur d’Alene (Dawson Cushman, Jackson Oswald, Jace Voeller, Isaac Thorpe), 1:47.68. 

200 freestyle — 1, Jacob Schubert, Middleton, 1:43.29. 4, Owen Bennett, Lake City, 1:51.18. 7, Andrew Davis, Coeur d’Alene, 1:54.80. 

200 individual medley — 1, Elijah Brown, Lake City, 1:55.32#; (previous,  Ben Stucky, Boise, 2018, 1:55.68). 6, Zach Linford, Lake City, 2:10.07.  7, Dawson Cushman, Coeur d’Alene, 2:08.66. 

50 freestyle — 1, Isaac Thorpe, Coeur d’Alene, 22.30. 4, Eli Shaw, Lake City, 23.14. 

100 butterfly — 1, Eli Shaw, Lake City, 52.81. 6, Zach Linford, Lake City, 56.34. 8, George Lavy, Post Falls, 56.93. 

100 freestyle — 1, Jacob Schubert, Middleton, 46.98. 3, Isaac Thorpe, Coeur d’Alene, 49.30. 7, Ben Linford, Lake City, 51.79. 

500 freestyle — 1, Jaden Akpan, Mountain View, 4:53.23. 2, Owen Bennett, Lake City, 4:57.80. 3, Andrew Davis, Coeur d’Alene, 5:06.99. 4, Steven Griffith, Lake City, 5:08.61. 6, Chance Seeds, Post Falls, 5:19.32. 9, Jace Voeller, Coeur d’Alene, 5:21.85. 

200 freestyle relay — 1, Boise (Jasper Shue, Connor Pentzer, Jack Bureau, Evan Jordan), 1:30.28. 3, Lake City (Owen Bennett, Steven Griffith, Zach Linford, Elijah Brown), 1:34.00. 11, Coeur d’Alene (Jace Voeller, William Gallatin, Caleb Wright, Andrew Davis), 1:40.20. 

100 backstroke — 1, Tyler Young, Boise, 53.54. 3, Ben Linford, Lake City, 56.07. 6, Dawson Cushman, Coeur d’Alene, 58.89. 

100 breaststroke — 1, Josh Hart, Meridian, 56.69#; (previous, Max Wolf, Timberline, 2021, 57.31). 4, Elijah Brown, Lake City, 1:00.50. 11, Jackson Oswald, Coeur d’Alene, 1:07.04. 12, George Lavy, Post Falls, 1:07.97. 

400 freestyle relay — 1, Boise (Christopher Beckley, Evan Jordan, Tyler Young, Jasper Shue), 3:20.30. 4, Lake City (Eli Shaw, Zach Linford, Owen Bennett, Ben Linford), 3:29.10. 7, Coeur d’Alene (Andrew Davis, Andrei Olaru, Dawson Cushman, Isaac Thorpe), 3:20.30. 

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES — 1, Lake City 263. 2, Timberlake 237. 3, Coeur d’Alene 140. 4, Boise 125. 5, Mountain View 106. 6, Eagle 98. 7, Rocky Mountain 94. 8, Lewiston 50. 9, Rigby 46. 10, Madison 40. 11, Highland 28. 12, Owyhee 10. 13, Thunder Ridge 8. 14, Borah 2. 15, Centennial 1.

Winner, locals in finals

200-yard medley relay — 1, Lake City (Riley Taylor, Quinn Taylor, Demi Blaylock, Pema Anain), 1:49.12#; (previous, Skyview, 1:49.39, 2019). 3, Coeur d’Alene (Alena Gonzalez, Maren Hoover, Simone Gonzalez, Ainsley Kuhne), 1:56.27. 

200 freestyle — 1, Tillie Sobek, Lake City, 1:56.35. 4, Erin Griffith, Lake City, 2:00.94. 6, Delaney Snell, Coeur d’Alene, 2:04.96. 

200 individual medley — 1, Kathy Nie, Timberline, 2:07.49. 2, Riley Taylor, Lake City, 2:12.99. 4, Demi Blaylock, Lake City, 2:15.42. 6, Trista Slife, Lake City, 2:19.13. 8, Karsten Towery, Coeur d’Alene, 2:21.54. 11, Simone Gonzalez, Coeur d’Alene, 2:28.46. 

50 freestyle — 1, Brooke Collins, Eagle, 25.05. 5, Camden Cotant, Coeur d’Alene, 25.62. 8, Pema Anain, Lake City, 25.32. 8, Sylvia Strow, Lake City, 25.38. 

100 butterfly — 1, Kathy Nie, Timberline, 56.74. 10, Emmersyn Haley, Lake City, 1:05.99. 12, Taylor Young, Lake City, 1:06.94.

100 freestyle — 1, Francesca Hunt, Timberline, 51.96. 3, Quinn Taylor, Lake City, 54.76. 6, Pema Anain, Lake City, 55.54. 7, Sylvia Strow, Lake City, 55.90. 12, Camden Cotant, Coeur d’Alene, 59.34.

500 freestyle — 1, Tillie Sobek, Lake City, 5:17.23. 5, Delaney Snell, Coeur d’Alene, 5:43.65. 8, Karsten Towery, Coeur d’Alene, 5:44.36. 10, Clara Strow, Lake City, 5:50.91. 

200 freestyle relay — 1, Lake City (Sylvia Strow, Trista Slife, Tillie Sobek, Quinn Taylor), 1:41.26. 4, Coeur d’Alene (Camden Cotant, Delaney Snell, Maren Hoover, Alena Gonzalez), 1:45.84. 

100 backstroke — 1, Keegan Near, Rocky Mountain, 58.22. 2, Riley Taylor, Lake City, 58.74. 4, Alena Gonzalez, Coeur d’Alene, 1:01.20. 5, Erin Griffith, Lake City, 1:01.92. 11, Ainsley Kuhne, Coeur d’Alene, 1:06.35. 12, Taylor Young, Lake City, 1:07.36. 

100 breaststroke — 1, Francesca Hunt, Timberline, 1:03.87#; (previous, Jillian Moses, Timberline, 2021, 1:05.36). 2, Quinn Taylor, Lake City, 1:04.41. 3, Demi Blaylock, Lake City, 1:08.23. 5, Trista Slife, Lake City, 1:10.39. 9, Addison Wallace, Coeur d’Alene, 1:14.45. 10, Simone Gonzalez, Coeur d’Alene, 1:14.88. 

400 freestyle relay — 1, Timberline (Gabriela Midgett, Zoe Bytwerk, Cailin Bolt, Francesca Hunt), 3:37.45. 2, Lake City (Sylvia Strow, Tillie Sobek, Pema Anain, Riley Taylor), 3:39.98. 5, Coeur d’Alene (Camden Cotant, Delaney Snell, Alena Gonzalez, Ainsley Kuhne), 3:50.96. 

4A

# — meet record

BOYS 

TEAM SCORES — 1, Bishop Kelly 226. 2, Lakeland 172. 3, Twin Falls 159. 4, Skyline 153. 5, Sandpoint 118. 6, Idaho Falls 66. 7, Canyon Ridge 59. 8, Kimberly 43. 9 (tie), Burley, Hillcrest 35. 11, Jerome 34. 12, Pocatello 28. 13, Ridgevue 26. 14, Moscow 25. 15, Minico 25. 16, Riverstone 21. 17, Columbia 16. 18 (tie), Nampa Christian, Wood River 11. 20, Bonneville 4. 21, Gooding 1.

Winner, locals in finals

200-yard medley relay — 1, Bishop Kelly (Shae Stratton, Jack Rubocki, Cameron Schauer, Ben Rubocki), 1:37:76#; (previous, Bishop Kelly, 2022, 1:42.02). 3, Lakeland (Ethan Abbott, Ethan Harrell, Michael Mamola, Micah Minix), 1:45.94 

200 freestyle — 1, Michael Mamola, Lakeland, 1:47.02. 7, Logan Harris, Lakeland, 1:57.67. 

200 individual medley — 1, Shae Stratton, Bishop Kelly, 1:54.63#, (previous, Nathan Moore, Middleton, 2019, 1:56.28.). 5, Ethan Abbott, Lakeland, 2:06.60. 6, McCoy Jensen, Sandpoint, 2:07.80.

50 freestyle — 1, Jack Rubocki, Bishop Kelly, 22.07. 6, Ikaika Leavitt, Sandpoint, 24.35. 8, Harrison Gedde, Sandpoint, 24.12. 12, Micah Minix, Lakeland, 25.02. 

100 butterfly — 1, Cameron Schauer, Bishop Kelly, 53.26. 4, McCoy Jensen, Sandpoint, 57.33. 7, Ethan Harrell, Lakeland, 1:00.10.

100 freestyle — 1, Alexander Schnitzeler, Twin Falls, 49.00. 3, Kale Wright, Sandpoint, 52.19. 5, Lon LeBlanc, Sandpoint, 52.49. 8, Elijah Minix, Lakeland, 54.12. 9, Micah Minix, Lakeland, 54.66. 

500 freestyle — 1, Michael Mamola, Lakeland, 4:47.40. 9, Logan Harris, Lakeland, 5:31.71. 10, Ikaika Leavitt, Sandpoint, 5:37.23.

200 freestyle relay — 1, Bishop Kelly (Jack Rubocki, Jack Kartel, Ben Rubocki, Adam Hanson), 1:31.08#; (previous, Century, 2021, 1:33.10). 3, Sandpoint (Lon LeBlanc, Ikaika Leavitt, Kale Wright, McCoy Jensen), 1:35.36. 4, Lakeland (Logan Harris, Ethan Harrell, Brody Walters, Micah Minix), 1:37.84. 

100 backstroke — 1, Shae Stratton, Bishop Kelly, 49.90#; (previous, Stratton, Bishop Kelly, 2022, 51.27). 2, Ethan Abbott, Lakeland, 55.23. 

100 breaststroke — 1, Carson Reis, Twin Falls, 1:01.54. 5, Ethan Harrell, Lakeland, 1:06.29. 9, Thayer Sabatke, Lakeland, 1:09.93. 

400 freestyle relay — 1, Bishop Kelly (Jack Rubocki, Cameron Schauer, Ben Rubocki, Shae Stratton), 3:13.74#; (previous, Bishop Kelly, 2019, 3:19.85). 3, Lakeland (Ethan Abbott, Brody Walters, Logan Harris, Michael Mamola), 3;27.28. 4, Sandpoint (Lon LeBlanc, Harrison Gedde, Luc LeBlanc, McCoy Jensen), 3:34.06.

4A 

GIRLS

TEAM SCORES — 1, Sandpoint 185. 2, Bishop Kelly 173. 3, Idaho Falls 120. 4, Minico 117. 5, Wood River 106. 6, Skyview 84. 7, Lakeland 76. 8, Twin Falls 62. 9, Pocatello 59. 10, Gooding 46. 11, Cole Valley Christian 41. 12, Skyline 36. 13, Moscow 33. 14, Mountain Home, Burley 19. 16 (tie), Hillcrest, Cascade 15. 18, Kimberly 13. 19, Declo 12. 20, Jerome 9. 21, Caldwell 7. 22, Century 6.5. 23, Parma 5.5. 24 (tie), Canyon Ridge, Columbia 3. 26, Oakley 1.

Winner, locals in finals

200-yard medley relay — 1, Sandpoint (Sara Hogue, Mia Driggs, Ryleigh Bamer, Reina Montecchi), 1:55.61. 

200 freestyle — 1, Makena Mamola, Lakeland, 1:56.17#; (previous, Gabriella Stanton, Bishop Kelly, 2022 1:57.59). 4, Ava de Leeuw, Sandpoint, 2:02.50. 

200 individual medley — 1, Sadie Schaffer, Skyview, 2:12.14. 10, Bria Rocke, Sandpoint, 2:35.50.

50 freestyle — 1, Lucy Penna, Bishop Kelly, 24.95. 3, Ryleigh Bamer, Sandpoint, 26.03 5, Reina Montecchi, Sandpoint, 26.45. 

100 butterfly — 1, Abigail Baismeier, Idaho Falls, 1:02.38. 3, Ryleigh Bamer, Sandpoint, 1:04.00. 

100 freestyle — 1, Sadie Schaffer, Skyview, 53.45#; (previous, Gabriella Stanton, Bishop Kelly, 2022, 54.18). 4, Mia Driggs, Sandpoint, 58.75. 6, Reina Montecchi, Sandpoint, 59.43. 

500 freestyle — 1, Makena Mamola, Lakeland, 5:07.60#; (previous, Mamola, Lakeland, 2023 prelims, 5:12.67). 4, Ava de Leeuw, Sandpoint, 5:30.59. 

200 freestyle relay — 1, Minico (Kate Hansen, Callista Stevenson, Darah Thomson, Asha Thomson), 1:46.33. 3, Sandpoint (Bria Rocke, Sara Hogue, Mia Driggs, Ava de Leeuw), 1:47.39. 4, Lakeland (Makena Mamola, Micah Bretveld, Sarah Smith, Addy Hobbs), 1:49.25. 

100 backstroke — 1, Katelyn Giffen, Bishop Kelly, 1:00.72. 3, Sara Hogue, Sandpoint, 1:05.79. 8, Bria Rocke, Sandpoint, 1:08.81. 

100 breaststroke — 1, Isabella Tognoni, Wood River, 1:05.41#; (previous, Tognoni, Wood River, 2022, 1:05.41). 7, Mia Driggs, Sandpoint, 1:15.80. 

400 freestyle — 1, Bishop Kelly (Lucy Penna, Anja Mueller, Ashlyn Christie, Katelyn Giffen), 3:50.61. 2, Sandpoint (Ryleigh Bamer, Sara Hogue, Reina Montecchi, Ava de Leeuw), 3:52.43. 4, Lakeland (Makena Mamola, Addy Hobbs, Micah Bretveld, Sarah Smith), 4:05.23.  

    Courtesy photo The Lakeland High boys swim team finished second at the state 4A meet on Saturday at the Boise Aquatic Center/West Valley YMCA. From left are Christian Peck, Brock Raebel, Brody Walters, Micah Minix, Thayer Sabatke, Cooper Friddle, Logan Harris, Ethan Harrell, coach Rob Urbaniak, Michael Mamola, Oliver Everett, Elijah Minix, Ethan Abbott and coach Adam Mayer.
  

    Courtesy photo The Sandpoint High girls swim team captured the state 4A championship at the Boise Aquatics Center/West Valley YMCA, the program's first team title since 2019. In the back row from left are Sadie Dignan-Omodt, Mia Driggs and Ava de Leeuw. In the front are Bria Rocke, Halle Wyman, Reina Montecchi, Ryleigh Bamer, Sara Hogue, Georgia Gedde, and Terra Converse.