Last Saturday offered Granite High the chance to bid farewell to the prep swimming scene.
Granite High will become a nontraditional school after this year, and its athletic programs will be eliminated.
Because of that, swim coach Chad Harwood wanted Granite to be able to host the region championships. Region 8 coaches obliged, and the meet Saturday marked the end of Granite's swimming program.
"We went out with a bang," said Harwood.
Granite began the swimming season with 15 swimmers but ended with only two — Mary Simental and Racely Card. Neither managed to qualify for state, but Simental posted her best times at region.
Harwood was understandably pleased with both swimmers.
"We are very proud of these guys," he said, "for finishing out the season."
Meanwhile, Juan Diego captured its first-ever region swimming title. Juan Diego's girls team racked up 366 points and cruised to the Region 8 championship, finishing nearly 200 points ahead of second-placed Delta (170).
"It's a great accomplishment," said senior captain Rachel Williams. " . . . We're very excited."
Juan Diego's boys team finished third with 167 points. Richfield won the Region 8 title with 280 points, which was followed in second by Delta (199).
Juan Diego coach John Moran praised the efforts of both his teams.
"I can't think of anybody who didn't drop times," he said. "It poises us to do well at state."
Williams won both her individual events (100-yard breaststroke and 100 free) and helped the Soaring Eagle collect wins in the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay.
Entering the Class 3A meet, which will be held February 3-4 at BYU, she's ranked second in the 100 breast (1 minute 11.12 seconds). The senior captain swam the 200 IM for most of the season, but she sacrificed that event to swim in the 100 free because Moran and the team felt she could earn more points at state.
Besides her, Deena McCarrie (200 free), Hannah Kammerer (200 IM), Yiwen Yang (50 free) and Natalie Colpitts (500 free) all picked up individual wins for the Soaring Eagle. Additionally, swimmers like Mary Rosenbury and Rachael Williams had very good meets.
On the boys side, freshman Noah Ford (100 breast) and Skylar Walker did particularly well. The Soaring Eagle only has 10 boys on the team, and they're hoping to build for next season.
"We're looking for them to improve individually (at the state meet)," said Moran.
On the other hand, Granite's coaches will prepare to move on to other things.
Harwood, who coached the team for seven seasons, isn't sure yet what he'll be doing next. He joked his next priority will be to take a vacation.
His assistant, Bryan Good, will be moving on to Taylorsville. Good was the head coach of the Farmers' football team and will be taking a job with Taylorsville as an offensive coordinator.
REGION 8 SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday, Jan. 21
At Granite High School
GIRLS
Team scores: 1, Juan Diego 366 points; 2, Delta 170; 3, Richfield 153; 4, Carbon 106.
200-yard medley relay: 1, Juan Diego (Rosenbury, Williams, Heinz, Yang) 2 minutes :03.75 seconds; 2, Delta 2:09.78; 3, Richfield 2:30.24; 4, Carbon 2:34.93.
200 freestyle: Deena McCarrie, Juan Diego, 2:22.66; 2, Natalie Colpitts, Juan Diego, 2:23.10; 3, Andrea Cavanaugh, Juan Diego, 2:23.95; 4, Ashley Sobrio, Richfield, 2:36.64.
200 individual medley: 1, Hannah Kammerer, Juan Diego, 2:40.76; 2, Hannah Wischmann, Juan Diego, 2:44.49; 3, McKel Allen, Richfield, 2:57.67; 4, Katherine Schwei, Juan Diego, 3:00.34.
50 freestyle: 1, Yiwen Yang, Juan Diego, :26.97; 2, Mary Rosenbury, Juan Diego, :28.50; 3, Josie Bahr, Delta, :29.77; 4, Sammi Marshall, Delta, :30.40.
100 butterfly: 1, Alyssa Woodliff, Delta, 1:05.76; 2, Rachael Murphy, Juan Diego, 1:11.66; 3, Andrea Cavanaugh, Juan Diego, 1:19.87; 4, Burcu Peker, Delta, 1:27.77.
100 freestyle: 1, Rachel Williams, Juan Diego, :57.48; 2, Yiwen Yang, Juan Diego, :59.53; 3, Addy Heinz, Juan Diego, 1:00.88; 4, Sammi Marshall, Delta, 1:07.55.
500 freestyle: 1, Natalie Colpitts, Juan Diego, 6:19.65; 2, Deena McCarrie, Juan Diego, 6:31.52; 3, McKel Allen, Richfield, 6:52.73; 4, Shayleena Coleman, Richfield, 7:20.14.
200 freestyle relay: 1, Juan Diego (Yang, Heinz, Rosenbury, Williams) 1:48.83; 2, Delta 1:56.71; 3, Richfield 2:09.63; 4, Carbon 2:24.24.
100 backstroke: 1, Alyssa Woodliff, Delta, 1:07.37; 2, Mary Rosenbury, Juan Diego, 1:15.35; 3, Hannah Kammerer, Juan Diego, 1:16.90; 4, Ashley Sobrio, Richfield, 1:19.21.
100 breaststroke: 1, Rachel Williams, Juan Diego, 1:11.12; 2, Rachael Murphy, Juan Diego, 1:16.47; 3, Josie Bahr, Delta, 1:20.24; 4, Hannah Wischmann, Juan Diego, 1:27.18.
400 freestyle relay: 1, Juan Diego (Heinz, McCarrie, Cavanaugh, Murphy) 4:12.90; 2, Carbon 5:12.26; 3, Richfield 5:41.19; 4, Delta 5:57.13.
BOYS
Team scores: 1, Richfield 280; 2, Delta 199; 3, Juan Diego 167; 4, Carbon 148; 5, Granite 1.
200 medley relay: 1, Delta (Pittman, Warner, Tanner, Gillmore) 1:53.81; 2, Juan Diego 2:02.09; 3, Richfield 2:02.67; 4, Carbon 2:05.95.
200 freestyle: 1, Nathan Christensen, Richfield, 2:04.62; 2, Tyler Thurgood, Richfield, 2:08.14; 3, Max Horehled, Juan Diego, 2:08.72; 4, Stephen Gillmore, Delta, 2:18.63.
200 individual medley: 1, Bryce Warner, Delta, 2:26.62; 2, Trevor Thurgood, Richfield, 2:28.53; 3, Thomas Peterson, Carbon, 2:35.45; 4, Houston Holt, Richfield, 2:41.19.
50 freestyle: 1, Mike Pittman, Delta, :23.54; 2, Leo Yu, Carbon, :24.32; 3, Dale Howard, Delta, :25.31; 4, Sho Umezu, Juan Diego, :25.45.
100 butterfly: 1, Brad Perry, Richfield, :58.20; 2, Will Tanner, Delta, 1:03.71; 3, Thomas Peterson, Carbon, 1:04.23; 4, Gatlin Simmons, Richfield, 1:05.46.
100 freestyle: 1, Nathan Christensen, Richfield, :55.67; 2, Chris Sullivan, Juan Diego, :58.55; 3, Jeffrey Brown, Richfield, 1:03.52; 4, Tradd Gralak, Juan Diego, 1:04.65.
500 freestyle: 1, Brad Perry, Richfield, 5:32.58; 2, Tyler Thurgood, Richfield, 5:51.24; 3, Max Horehled, Juan Diego, 5:51.35; 4, Jimmy Dilley, Carbon, 6:42.98.
200 freestyle relay: Richfield (Trevor Thurgood, Christensen, Tyler Thurgood, Perry) 1:39.22; 2, Delta 1:41.19; 3, Juan Diego 1:45.07; 4, Carbon 2:20.76.
100 backstroke: 1, Leo Yu, Carbon, 1:05.53; 2, Gatlin Simmons, Richfield, 1:07.33; 3, Joseph Jensen, Richfield, 1:15.11; 4, Dale Howard, Delta, 1:15.93.
100 breaststroke: 1, Mike Pittman, Delta, 1:05.99; 2, Bryce Warner, Delta, 1:11.37; 3, Noah Ford, Juan Diego, 1:12.80; 4, Trevor Thurgood, Richfield, 1:13.68.
400 freestyle relay: 1, Richfield (Perry, Tyler Thurgood, Trevor Thurgood, Nathan Christensen) 2:47.97; 2, Juan Diego 3:56.44; 3, Carbon 4:09.94; 4, Delta 4:16.56.
E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com