Four Haines swimmers qualified, for the first time, to compete in the Alaska Junior Olympics this month in Anchorage.
Fifth grader Rio Ross-Hirsh and fourth graders Pacific Ricke, Emma Dohrn and Lucia Chapell will swim April 27-30 against young athletes from across the state. The Alaska Junior Olympics is the club team equivalent of a state championship for public schools.
“I’m excited because I’ve never gone before, but I’m nervous because I’ve never gone before,” Dohrn said.
Each girl will swim in about seven individual events – including the butterfly, freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and medley – as well as together in two relay races.
“We’re racing against the fastest people in the state,” Ross-Hirsh said.
Assistant coach K.C. O’Connor said the Haines Dolphins typically send only one or two swimmers to Anchorage each year and she’s thrilled the team can send four.
“They earned their spots at the Junior Olympics for sure,” O’Connor said. “They’ve worked hard, showed up to practice… It’s been a real pleasure working with them this season.”
Ross-Hirsh and Ricke set individual team records this season, and the four girls have taken home gold medals against swimmers from larger cities like Fairbanks and Anchorage.
The four athletes, along with about 30 others on the team, participated in the annual Swim-a-Thon fundraiser Saturday. The Dolphins raised about $15,000 for the team, O’Connor said.