Swimmers concluded their summer seasons Saturday under cloudy skies at the Blair Municipal Pool.
Weeks after swimming to escape the afternoon heat and humidity in Tekamah, the Arlington and Blair Swim Teams often covered up to warm up between races during the East Husker Conference Championships.
In the end, Hartington won the conference's “large team” trophy, while North Bend earned the “small team” title. Wayne and Arlington took second in their respective divisions.
Blair, meanwhile, secured a seventh-place finish in the overall standings. They outscored their Washington County neighbors to the west, Tekamah and Dodge.
Two of Washington County's top performers at the meet competed for the fourth-place Fremont Area Swim Team (FAST), too. Kerrigan Johannes of Arlington and Blair swimmer Hannah Huenink both topped their age groups for points scored.
Johannes, 12, scored 44.5 altogether, winning the 100-meter IM, the 50 butterfly, 50 breaststroke and the 50 freestyle.
Huenink, meanwhile, scored 44 points to top the girls age 13-14 standings. The Blair swimmer earned gold medals in the 100 IM, 200 medley relay, the 50 backstroke, the 50 free style and the 200 freestyle relay. She also claimed second in the 50 butterfly.
The Blair Swim Team's Maddie Prinds (fourth in the age 8 and younger group), Briella Kastrup (second in 9-10) and Hadley Leehy (third in 9-10) also earned top-five positions in the age group point standings.
Leehy won the 25-meter breaststroke in 24.95 seconds, while Kastrup was second in 25.31. Kastrup earned runner-up honors in the 100 IM, 25 backstroke and the 25 freestyle as well.
Prinds, notably, was second in the 100 IM in 2:13.28, too.
Arlington's Brileigh Elliott (fifth in girls 8 and younger), Dominic Morrison (second in boys 13-14) and Dathan Hansen (fourth in boys 15-18) also totaled enough points for top five finishes in their age groups.
Hansen won the 100 IM in 1:16.55, Morrison won his 50 backstroke race in 37.61 and Elliott claimed the 25 freestyle in 20.11 seconds.
Together, Arlington's Morrison, Abbie Schakat, Lucy Blake and Miranda Morrison notched a second-place 200-meter freestyle relay finish, too.
In addition to Johannes and Huenink, Arlington swimmer Allie Larsen of the FAST team earned fourth in the age 11-12 points standings. She was second in both the 50-meter backstroke and breaststroke races.
Blair swimmers Cooper Norine (100 IM), Bryn Kerkman (100 medley relay) and Reiland Mullally (100 medley relay), and Arlington's Alex Blake (25 freestyle), left the Blair Municipal Pool with third-place event medals as well.
The swim season started in June, went through a hot meet or two and ended with cloud cover — and medals — Saturday afternoon.
