SPOKANE — The Sandpoint Sharks brought 16 swimmers to the SWAT Summer Solstice swim meet, with some setting new personal records and others making their debut in long-course competitions. 

One of the stars of the meet was nine-year-old Kate Bracht, who was utterly dominant in the Girls 9-10 age group events. Bracht won the 100-meter backstroke (1:36.64), freestyle (1.23.28) and breaststroke (1.50.14), the 50-meter freestyle (36.61), backstroke (43.21) and breaststroke (51.47) and the 200-meter IM (3.27:51). She also finished second in the 50-meter butterfly (47.65). 

"It was exciting to see both our experienced swimmers and newcomers step up and race with confidence," Sandpoint Sharks' head coach Emily Renzini said. "Assistant Coach Kristine and I could not be more proud of how well everyone performed." 

The 13–14-year age group was home to another Sharks standout, Allyson Ballard. The 13-year-old started the day off with an impressive swim in the 100-meter backstroke, finishing fourth of 25 competitors with a 1:20.39 final time. Ballard found the podium in the 100-meter freestyle with a third-place swim and a final time of 1:07.31, which fell just 0.65 seconds short of second place, and in the 50-meter freestyle with a 30.23. 

In the 50-meter butterfly, Ballard finished fifth with a 34.39, which was 0.17 seconds off third place. 

Fellow 13-year-old McKinley Hull earned a shoutout from Renzini for her performance, both in and out of the pool, at the summer solstice meet. Hull earned several quality finishes, including an 18th out of 26 swimmers in the age group's 50-meter butterfly. 

Renzini said Hull was a model teammate, constantly cheering on and supporting her fellow Sharks. 

"She showed remarkable improvement in the water and delivered some excellent swims," Renzini said of Hull. "McKinley was constantly cheering on her fellow swimmers, celebrating their successes and making sure everyone felt supported. She exemplified what it means to be a good teammate." 

Athena de Leeuw, a 15-year-old Sandpoint High swimmer, starred in the 400-meter IM event in the 15-and-over age group. With a 6:21.22 finish, Leeuw earned a sixth-place finish out of 13 participants. She also finished ninth out of 23 participants in the 400-meter freestyle with a 5:42.79. 

"I am incredibly excited about the direction our summer season is heading," Renzini said. "The growth we are seeing across the team in both performance and team culture is inspiring." 

Zoey Travnicek, Thomas Travenicek, Addy Tyler, Connor Schobert, Nina Mann, Owen Richards, Emi Gordon, Nolan Jacobson, Akela Logan, Emmaline Martinssen and Addy Gordon also compete for the Sharks.

Renzini applauded the younger swimmers, who have had limited opportunities to work on starts from blocks, for their confidence at the meet. She said she is eager to see what the team can accomplish at the organization's championship meet. 

"The countless hours spent training, practicing, and challenging themselves in the water are making a difference," Renzini said. "This weekend's results are a testament to the commitment our swimmers have shown all season, and we can't wait to watch them continue to succeed at Championships."