MISSOULA INVITE RESULTS

Call it a youth movement, an uprising of adolescents, an underclassmen's undertaking.

Whatever your preference, it's bad news for swimming teams from around the state. The Hellgate Knights are loaded and appear to be for years to come.

The Knights, defending state champs on both the girls' and boys' sides, swept the Missoula Invitational swim meet Saturday on the times of some of their youngest competitors. Three races were won by Hellgate freshmen and four more by sophomores at the University of Montana's Grizzly Pool. 

The Hellgate girls racked up 491 points, Bozeman finishing in second with 469, while the Knights' boys had 480 to Bozeman's 371. The meet drew 13 teams and more than 300 high school athletes.

Some of the best of them were freshmen, a class that Hellgate sophomore Jadyn Stroh called "ridiculous."

"They're gonna carry on so many great legacies; our team is so strong this year," said Stroh, herself a champ in the 50-yard freestyle (25.08 seconds) and 100 butterfly (1:00.97) on Saturday.

"Last year we had (the now graduated) Hanni Leach, who ya know is going to the Olympic Trials, but I really think Katharine Berkoff is going to fill those footsteps. She already is."

Berkoff, the freshman daughter of Olympic gold medalist and Missoula Aquatic Club head coach Dave Berkoff, captured both the 200 individual medley in 2:11.83 as well as the 100 backstroke in 57.91.

The Hellgate girls also got a gold from freshman Gabby Smart in the marathon 500 freestyle. She led by one full length of the 25-yard pool before the end of her 18th lap, finishing in 5:18.38.

That's no personal record, Smart said, but it did eclipse her seed time by almost 5 1/2 seconds as she swam much of the race without a competitor in sight.

"It sounds really stupid, but I think of my horse," she said of maintaining her torrid pace without being pushed by fellow racers in the distance competition. "I tell myself that Maxwell never gets tired, so I never get tired."

Sophomore Darragh Mahns also won two races for the Hellgate boys, topping out in the 500 (5:07.89) and 100 free (49.32).

"It comes down to we have two great club programs in town," said Missoula coach Helen Houlihan, referencing MAC and Missoula YMCA, "so they just keep feeding us."

***

While the Knights' green crop impressed, local success wasn't limited to just the youngsters. Hellgate juniors Brendan Campbell and Cale Berkoff, older brother to Katharine, and Big Sky junior Adam Zimmer were all dynamic forces.

Berkoff's wins in the 200 free (1:46.30) and 100 back (53.49) paced the Knights' first-place effort.

Zimmer dominated the 100 breaststroke, the race that earned him All-America honors last year, in 59.72 and he also claimed the 200 IM, a race in which he has seen continued improvement.

"It's not my best race so I'm always relaxed going out there and swimming it," said Zimmer, who won in 1:58.33. "I think I'm getting more successful in it because there's not a ton of pressure."

Campbell added a win for the Knights in the freestyle sprint, going 50 yards in 22.41 seconds.

The Knights also went to town in the relay races, sweeping the boys' and girls' 200 medleys, as well as winning the 200 freestyle on the girls' side and 400 free for boys.

Runner-up Bozeman took first in the other two relays.

Outside of Zimmer's two wins and those by Glacier's AJ Popp (girls' 200 freestyle) and Butte's Jake Bentley (boys' 100 butterfly), all events were won by Hellgate and Bozeman.

The state swimming meet is in three weeks, Feb. 12-13, at Great Falls

Missoula Invitational

At Griz Pool

Saturday

Girls' team scores: Missoula Hellgate 491, Bozeman 469, Great Falls Russell 314.5, Missoula Sentinel 255.5, Kalispell Glacier 144, Missoula Big Sky-Loyola 137, Havre 119, Whitefish 55, Butte 54, Kalispell Flathead 49, Great Falls High 43, Columbia Falls 33.

Boys' team scores: Missoula Hellgate 480, Bozeman 371, Great Falls High 301, Great Falls Russell 236, Butte 187, Missoula Big Sky-Loyola 159, Whitefish 84, Missoula Sentinel 79.5, Kalispell Flathead 69, Kalispell Glacier 64, Columbia Falls 62, Havre 45.5.

Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay - 1, Missoula Hellgate 'A' 1:50.29. 2, Bozeman High School-MT 'A' 1:56.51. 3, Missoula Sentinel 'A' 2:01.71. 4, Glacier High School-MT 'A' 2:01.87. 5, Bozeman High School-MT 'B' 2:04.48. 6, Havre High School 'A' 2:05.87.

Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay - 1, Missoula Hellgate 'A' 1:39.31. 2, Bozeman High School-MT 'A' 1:49.16. 3, Missoula Big Sky/Loyola 'A' 1:50.27. 4, CM Russell High School 'A' 1:52.42. 5, Great Falls High School 'A' 1:56.37. 6, Missoula Hellgate 'B' 1:58.15.

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle - 1, Popp, AJ, Glacier-MT, 1:59.21. 2, Leiby, Brooklyn S, Sentinel, 2:03.85. 3, Rizzuto, Mari G, Hellgate, 2:06.12. 4, Ammons, Kelsey J, Hellgate, 2:07.00. 5, Sobek, Katie, Bozeman-MT, 2:07.51. 6, Klundt, Madison, Bozeman-MT, 2:07.68.

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle - 1, Berkoff, Cale O, Hellgate, 1:46.30. 2, Spoerl, Wade, Bozeman-MT, 1:55.44. 3, Hanlon, Brandon, Bison, 1:58.08. 4, Biddle, Jared, Bison, 1:58.33. 5, May, Tate, Bozeman-MT, 1:59.94. 6, Powell, Quinn, Bozeman-MT, 2:01.04.

Girls 200 Yard IM - 1, Berkoff, Katharine F, Hellgate, 2:11.83. 2, Rohlf, Kilee, Bozeman-MT, 2:19.03. 3, Dlakic, Amilla, Bozeman-MT, 2:21.00. 4, Becker, Ellee F, Hellgate, 2:22.21. 5, Heryla, Kate, Rustlers, 2:27.02. 6, Fero, Audrey M, Sentinel, 2:28.89.

Boys 200 Yard IM - 1, Zimmer, Adam R, Big Sky/Loyola, 1:58.33. 2, Bentley, Jake, BTE, 2:04.34. 3, Fritz, Matthew S, Hellgate, 2:05.84. 4, Clason, Anthony, Glacier-MT, 2:09.16. 5, Carlson, Cody L, Sentinel, 2:13.12. 6, Guter, Joseph, Bison, 2:16.94.

Girls 50 Yard Freestyle - 1, Stroh, Jadyn R, Hellgate, 25.08. 2, Hamlin, Hailey, Bozeman-MT, 25.15. 3, Gibson, Olivia M, Glacier-MT, 25.53. 4, Condit, Aidan G, Big Sky/Loyola, 26.63. 5, Gray, Ayana, Rustlers, 26.88. 6, Bauman, Olivia, Rustlers, 26.95.

Boys 50 Yard Freestyle - 1, Campbell, Brendon J, Hellgate, 22.41. 2, Faust, Dylan T, Hellgate, 23.25. 3, Hoffman, Matthew, Bozeman-MT, 23.26. 4, Westenfelder, Finnian E, Hellgate, 24.26. 5, Spragg, Andrew, Rustlers, 24.28. 6, Friar, Zayne, Cfalls High, 24.32.

Girls 100 Yard Butterfly - 1, Stroh, Jadyn R, Hellgate, 1:00.97. 2, Leiby, Brooklyn S, Sentinel, 1:02.07. 3, Bauman, Olivia, Rustlers, 1:04.19. 4, Hall, Mckinley, Bozeman-MT, 1:04.75. 5, Fee, Julian S, Hellgate, 1:06.05. 6, Nabity, Amber, Bozeman-MT, 1:07.23.

Boys 100 Yard Butterfly - 1, Bentley, Jake, BTE, 56.66. 2, Faust, Dylan T, Hellgate, 56.89. 3, Christian, Colter T, Hellgate, 57.63. 4, Ducuennois, Eli, Bozeman-MT, 58.66. 5, Fritz, Matthew S, Hellgate, 58.90. 6, Johnson, Zach, BTE, 1:00.02.

Girls 100 Yard Freestyle - 1, Hamlin, Hailey, Bozeman-MT, 54.28. 2, Popp, AJ, Glacier-MT, 55.21. 3, Ammons, Kelsey J, Hellgate, 58.07. 4, Archibald-Wilson, Sydney L, Hellgate, 58.25. 5, Klundt, Madison, Bozeman-MT, 58.31. 6, Seth, Darby, Bozeman-MT, 59.47.

Boys 100 Yard Freestyle - 1, Mahns, Darragh D, Hellgate, 49.32. 2, Hoffman, Matthew, Bozeman-MT, 51.18. 3, Friar, Zayne, Cfalls High, 53.45. 4, Westenfelder, Finnian E, Hellgate, 53.75. 5, Spragg, Andrew, Rustlers, 54.61. 6, Brennan, Noah, Rustlers, 54.64.

Girls 500 Yard Freestyle - 1, Smart, Gabby S, Hellgate, 5:18.38. 2, Miller, Amelia, HAV, 5:35.90. 3, Gibson, Olivia M, Glacier-MT, 5:37.17. 4, Hall, Laina, Bozeman-MT, 5:39.98. 5, Fee, Julian S, Hellgate, 5:43.10. 6, Rohlf, Kilee, Bozeman-MT, 5:43.26.

Boys 500 Yard Freestyle - 1, Mahns, Darragh D, Hellgate, 5:07.89. 2, Butler, Jacob P, Hellgate, 5:10.81. 3, Spoerl, Wade, Bozeman-MT, 5:15.11. 4, Hanlon, Brandon, Bison, 5:19.22. 5, Powell, Quinn, Bozeman-MT, 5:23.74. 6, Baldry, Tanner L, Hellgate, 5:25.54.

Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay - 1, Missoula Hellgate 'A' 1:46.34. 2, Bozeman High School-MT 'A' 1:49.03. 3, Missoula Sentinel 'A' 1:51.25. 4, Missoula Big Sky/Loyola 'A' 1:51.30. 5, Bozeman High School-MT 'B' 1:52.50. 6, Havre High School 'A' 1:52.80.

Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay - 1, Bozeman High School-MT 'A' 1:39.21. 2, Missoula Big Sky/Loyola 'A' 1:39.48. 3, Butte High 'A' 1:40.99. 4, CM Russell High School 'A' 1:41.40. 5, Missoula Hellgate 'A' 1:41.66. 6, Great Falls High School 'A' 1:42.05.

Girls 100 Yard Backstroke - 1, Berkoff, Katharine F, Hellgate, 57.91. 2, Condit, Aidan G, Big Sky/Loyola, 1:04.28. 3, Hall, Mckinley, Bozeman-MT, 1:04.74. 4, Heryla, Kate, Rustlers, 1:05.42. 5, Seth, Darby, Bozeman-MT, 1:05.56. 6, Archibald-Wilson, Sydney L, Hellgate, 1:05.61.

Boys 100 Yard Backstroke - 1, Berkoff, Cale O, Hellgate, 53.49. 2, Christian, Colter T, Hellgate, 59.40. 3, Brennan, Noah, Rustlers, 1:00.07. 4, McMahon, Simon J, Hellgate, 1:00.08. 5, Ducuennois, Eli, Bozeman-MT, 1:00.19. 6, Grunzweig, Dawson, Rustlers, 1:02.00.

Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke - 1, Dlakic, Amilla, Bozeman-MT, 1:08.88. 2, Smart, Gabby S, Hellgate, 1:12.31. 3, Vernon, Avery L, Hellgate, 1:12.54. 4, McCann, Aubri, HAV, 1:15.97. 5, Shannon, Ingrid H, Hellgate, 1:18.43. 6, Smith, Madi D, Rustlers, 1:18.93.

Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke - 1, Zimmer, Adam R, Big Sky/Loyola, 59.72. 2, Clason, Anthony, Glacier-MT, 1:04.55. 3, Carlson, Cody L, Sentinel, 1:09.54. 4, Guter, Joseph, Bison, 1:09.88. 5, Broden, Colter, Bozeman-MT, 1:11.21. 6, Dicks, Denver, Whitefish High, 1:11.35.

Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay - 1, Bozeman High School-MT 'A' 3:46.77. 2, Missoula Hellgate 'A' 3:48.54. 3, CM Russell High School 'A' 4:02.39. 4, CM Russell High School 'B' 4:18.89. 5, Bozeman High School-MT 'B' 4:20.11. 6, Missoula Sentinel 'A' 4:26.74.

Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay - 1, Missoula Hellgate 'A' 3:20.02. 2, Bozeman High School-MT 'A' 3:32.55. 3, Missoula Hellgate 'B' 3:40.16. 4, Butte High 'A' 3:41.50. 5, Great Falls High School 'A' 3:47.64. 6, CM Russell High School 'A' 3:53.25