BOISE — Sandpoint High and state swim titles are starting to become synonymous, if that wasn't the case already.

The Bulldogs broke four school records in total, including a new state record by seniors McCoy Jensen, Kale Wright, Kai Leavitt and sophomore Lou Foust in the 200 free relay, and both the boys and girls from Idaho's northernmost swim team recaptured 5A State Championship titles Saturday at the Idaho Central Aquatic Center.

Jensen, Wright, Leavitt and Foust swam to a time of 1 minute, 29.74 seconds to break the school and state record in Friday's preliminary round, and then followed that up with a time of 1 minute, 30.35 seconds to grab gold in the finals by nearly eight seconds.

The quad-squad also broke the school record in the preliminary round of the 400 free relay, finishing in 3 minutes, 20.50 seconds, and captured another first-place finish in the event's finals with a time of 3 minutes, 20.64 seconds, nearly nine seconds ahead of the runner-ups. If that wasn't impressive enough, the foursome also placed in several individual events.

Wright, a consistent performer for the Bulldogs for many years, tied the school record in the 100 free, placing second in 48.42 seconds. Wright, who also finished with a bronze in the 50 free finals (21.93), traded school records with Leavitt in the prelims, until Leavitt ultimately beat out the record again in the finals as he swam to a time of 21.84 seconds and a silver medal. Leavitt added a third-place finish in the 100 fly (54.08) to add to Sandpoint's medal count on the day.

Additionally, freshman Andrew Ford came away with a new school record and a gold medal in the 100 breast, finishing in a remarkable time of 1 minute, 1.18 seconds. The standout contributed a third-place finish in the 200 IM (2:07.10) as well. Foust swam to silvers in the 100 back (57.92) and 500 free (5:07.06), Jensen placed third in the 100 breast (1:05.79), sophomore Bodi Demmons was third in the 100 back (58.68), and Demmons, Ford, sophomore Max Brown and freshman Bo Zeller put together a second-place finish in the 200 medley relay with a mark of 1 minute, 46.59 seconds for Sandpoint's boys, which scored 247 points — 82 more than runner-up Idaho Falls — on their way to a resounding victory and their second straight state title.

For the girls, freshmen Alivia Storms and Claire Ballard, and seniors Rachel Aylward and Reina Montecchi, combined to capture gold in the 200 free relay with a time of 1 minute, 46.81 seconds, in which Montecchi split a time of 25.62 seconds on the anchor leg to help the Lady Bulldogs pull away.

Montecchi, Ballard, Storms and senior Mia Driggs put together a second-place finish in the 400 free relay (3:54.03) as did Driggs, Aylward and juniors Halle Wyman and Summer Loutzenhiser in the 200 medley relay (1:58.65).

"As always, good support from our other senior captains," Sandpoint High head coach Greg Jackson said of his Lady Bulldogs, which beat out runner-up Idaho Falls by 19 points to bring home their third straight state title. "Reina providing that dependable speed for the relays, and Bria (Rocke) making her own sacrifice to forgo relays, instead, making room for a faster Halle Wyman in the medley relay backstroke leg."

Montecchi added a third-place finish in the 100 free (57.39) while Driggs, an Arizona Christian University commit, led the way individually by swimming to a silver medal in the 50 free with a time of 25.70 seconds.

"Great poise and sacrifice from Mia Driggs," coach Jackson noted. "She had the sense to split the relays the way we did. Instead of stacking two relays almost guaranteed for gold, as a senior, she found a better alternative that settles for silver, but ensured our victory."

Coach Jackson said the program's continued success and reign of dominance is a culmination of a school and community that cares deeply for all involved. Also a factor in that success was a culture shift that started three years ago that places specific attention on team success rather than on the success of individuals. This focus, Jackson says, has enhanced individual development and success across the board.

"Our success is deeply rooted in our school, our district, and our community," coach Jackson said. "From Dr. Meyer, to Jacki Crossingham, TJ Clary, Christy Williams, Mikayla Schoening, Bri Staglund, and countless others; it is the values that I see in them, they exhibit to me and the athletes, that we believe in, and this team has held and performed according to. This has taught our athletes to be winners, beyond state swimming titles."

BOYS 

TEAM SCORES — 1, Sandpoint 247. 2, Idaho Falls 165. 3, Pocatello 150. 4, Skyline 122. 5, Columbia 115. 6, Century 107. 7, Lakeland 56. 8, Hillcrest 53. 9, Middleton 52. 10, Moscow 50. 11, Lewiston 39. 12, Twin Falls 38. 13, Kimberly 36. 14, Mountain Home 18. 15, Burley 10. 16, Declo 4.5. 17, Minico 3. 

(Winner, locals in top 8)

200-yard medley relay — 1, Idaho Falls (Hiro Quan, Deacon Labrum, Nick Ravsten, Rangi Grimes), 1:45.28. 2, Sandpoint (Bodi Demmons, Andrew Ford, Maximus Brown, Bo Zeller), 1:46.59.  

200 freestyle — 1, Zeke Burgi, Columbia, 1:45.16.  

200 IM — 1, Deacon Major, Century, 1:57.60. 3, Andrew Ford, Sandpoint, 2:07.10. 4, McCoy Jensen, Sandpoint, 2:07.13.  

50 freestyle — 1, Rangi Grimes, Idaho Falls, 21:44 (state record). 2, Ikaika Leavitt, Sandpoint, 21.84. 3, Kale Wright, Sandpoint, 21.93. 

100 butterfly — 1, Noah Crossler, Moscow, 52.22. 3, Ikaika Leavitt, Sandpoint, 54.08. 8, Maximus Brown, Sandpoint, 59.27. 

100 freestyle — 1, Rangi Grimes, Idaho Falls, 47.14 (state record). 2, Kale Wright, Sandpoint, 48.42.  

500 freestyle — 1, Zander Eslinger, Pocatello, 4:56.03. 2, Lou Foust, Sandpoint, 5:07.06. 5, Brock Raebel, Lakeland, 5:24.33. 

200 freestyle relay — 1, Sandpoint (McCoy Jensen, Lou Foust, Ikaika Leavitt, Kale Wright), 1:30.35. 3, Lakeland (Silas Ragan, Brock Raebel, Sam Harrell, Garrett Snyder), 1:38.24.

100 backstroke — 1, Deacon Major, Century, 52.77. 2, Lou Foust, Sandpoint, 57.92. 3, Bodi Demmons, Sandpoint, 58.68.  

100 breaststroke — 1, Andrew Ford, Sandpoint, 1:01.18. 3, McCoy Jensen, Sandpoint, 1:05.79. 5, Maximus Brown, Sandpoint, 1:08.46.  

400 freestyle relay — 1, Sandpoint (McCoy Jensen, Lou Foust, Ikaika Leavitt, Kale Wright), 3:20.64. 7, Lakeland (Silas Ragan, Brock Raebel, Sam Harrell, Garrett Snyder), 3:39.59. 

GIRLS 

TEAM SCORES — 1, Sandpoint 172.5. 2, Idaho Falls 153.5. 3, Skyline 141. 4, Lewiston 111. 5, Moscow 110. 6, Century 83. 7, Minico 79. 8, Wood River 67. 9, Cole Valley Christian 66. 10, Jerome 44. 11, Pocatello 37. 12, Burley 36. 13, Middleton 35. 14, Parma 32. 15, Hillcrest 23. 16, Vallivue 21. 17, Oakley 20. 18, Columbia 17. 19, Nampa 10. 20, Nampa Christian 6. 21, Gooding 2. 

(Winner, locals in top 8)

200-yard medley relay — 1, Idaho Falls (Mahealani Grimes, Ann Hunsicker, Abigail Baslmeier, Stella Briggs), 1:54.48. 2, Sandpoint (Halle Wyman, Summer Loutzenhiser, Mia Driggs, Rachel Aylward), 1:58.65. 

200 freestyle — 1, Josie Fernald, Cole Valley Christian, 2:00.64.  

200 IM — 1, Abigail Balsmeier, Idaho Falls, 2:18.21. 7, Alivia Storms, Sandpoint, 2:25.23.  

50 freestyle — 1, Rylan Holcomb, Parma, 25.15. 2, Mia Driggs, Sandpoint, 25.70. 4, Reina Montecchi, Sandpoint, 26.38. 8, Rachel Aylward, Sandpoint, 27.07.  

100 butterfly — 1, Mahealani Grimes, Idaho Falls, 59.70. 4, Mia Driggs, Sandpoint, 1:05.18.  

100 freestyle — 1, Rylan Holcomb, Parma, 55.31. 3, Reina Montecchi, Sandpoint, 57.39.  

500 freestyle — 1, Ryann Schraufnagel, Lewiston, 5:28.50. 8, Bria Rocke, Sandpoint, 6:01. 

200 freestyle relay — 1, Sandpoint (Alivia Storms, Claire Ballard, Rachel Aylward, Reina Montecchi), 1:46.81.  

100 backstroke — 1, Mahealani Grimes, Idaho Falls, 59.28. 7, Bria Rocke, Sandpoint, 1:07.67. 

100 breaststroke — 1, Isabella Tognoni, Wood River, 1:06.91. 7, Alivia Storms, Sandpoint, 1:13.79.  

400 freestyle relay — 1, Idaho Falls (Stella Briggs, Maggie Johnson, Mahealani Grimes, Abigail Balsmeier), 3:52.55. 2, Sandpoint (Reina Montecchi, Claire Ballard, Alivia Storms, Mia Driggs), 3:54.03.  

    The Sandpoint High girls swim team won its third straight 5A State Championship title this past Saturday at the Idaho Central Aquatic Center in Boise. Swimmers, from left, are Fiona Smith, Claire Ballard, Halle Wyman, Lila Gedde, Rachel Aylward, Reina Montecchi, Alivia Storms, Mia Driggs, Brylee Garvin, Bria Rocke, Summer Loutzenhiser, Athena de Leeuw, Livia Driggs and Annabelle Bunge.

    Sandpoint High seniors Ikaika Leavitt, Kale Wright and McCoy Jensen show off the 5A State Championship trophy after their record-setting performances this past weekend.

    Sandpoint High head coach Greg Jackson takes a dip in the pool after his Bulldogs recaptured 5A State Championship titles.