Lady Indians win Cowapa League swim crown

Tribe wins first league title ever and does it by 55-point margin

By John Brewington

The South County Spotlight, Feb 9, 2010

John Brewington / The Spotlight

ONE-TWO FINISH—Scappoose’s Cassandra Miltich (front) and Anna Ford finished first and second in the 100-yard butterfly on Friday at the Cowapa League Championships at the Eisenschmidt Pool in St. Helens. The Scappoose girls won their first league swim championship.

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The Scappoose Lady Indians swim team finally earned a trophy to put in the school trophy case on Friday, winning the Cowapa League Championships by 55 points.

“Obviously this is huge and not something we expected at the start of the year, but over the course of the season saw it as a great and greater possibility,” Scappoose Coach David Richmond said.

The coach gave the team a little pep talk the day before the meet. “We talked one last time on Thursday night about the opportunity to go out and try to win a championship,” Richmond said. “We talked about the fact there were no championship trophies in the trophy case or championship banners hanging from the rafters and how we wanted to change that and make some school history Friday night. Our girls stepped up and ensured it happened.”

Scappoose got some crucial swims by a number of girls on the team, Richmond said.

“Audrey Overby stands out with her effort in the 200 IM; Rachel Rafferty pulled off another triple going back to back to back in the back, breast, and 400 relay; Rona Schmellenkamp dominated the 200 IM taking a second and a half off her 100 free time to place second; Cassandra Miltich won the 100 fly (a person record by four seconds) and (a PR) in the 100 back, Anna Ford (with a PR) in the 100 fly and 200 free; Allison Vance setting a season best and a new PR in the 500 free; Courtney Alvarez in the 500 free; Lacey Maloney’s PR in 100 breast; Elise Harley’s PRs in the 500 free and 100 breast; Marie Hannah (with) PRs in the 500 free and 100 fly; and Jillian Werderber (with a) PR in the 100 back. It was just overall excellent swimming up and down the lineup by everyone.”

Scappoose won the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay to earn many of their points. Ford was second in the 200 free and the 100 fly; Schmellenkamp won the 200 IM and was second in the 100 free; Miltich won the 100 fly, Courtney Alvarez was second in the 500 free, and Rafferty had a second in the 100 back and 100 breast. The girls on the medley and 400 free relay teams earned all league honors as did individuals that finished first or second.

“The next challenge will be trying to go head to head with Taft and Astoria for the District 1 title next Friday and Saturday (in Astoria),” Richmond noted. “It’s going to be a challenge our girls are looking forward to. It could potentially come down to the 400 relay before we know who the winner is. It could be that close.”

The Scappoose boys had a pretty good meet. They scored 57 more points than last season to take third. They want to finish in the top four at district which includes four more teams in addition to the Cowapa League.

Richmond said the boys wanted to beat Tillamook at district, because they view them as the competition with Newport for third or fourth.

“It will be difficult to accomplish this as several of our swimmers will have to drop even more time to make it into finals next week. It gets a little more watered down when you add four more teams. Regardless of what happens I think our boys look forward to the goal of getting into the upper half of the district. It hasn’t happened in many years, and just the fact that we’ve got a shot to accomplish it shows how far our boy’s program has come over the last five plus years.”

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