MOSCOW — Following the Inland Empire Swimming Jr. Championships in Pullman a couple of weeks ago, 12 members of the Sandpoint Sharks swim team competed and delivered strong performances at the IES Short Course Championships held Feb. 27 through March 1 at the University of Idaho Swim Center.

Across the board, the team recorded a plethora of personal bests, with many athletes dropping a significant number of seconds in multiple races as they finished the season on a high note.

"From the opening event, the energy on deck was undeniable," Sandpoint Sharks coach Emily Renzini said. "Swimmers competed with confidence and determination, racing hard while supporting one another every step of the way. Their improvement was a direct result of the hard work and commitment they’ve shown all year."

Charley-Rain Olpin (12) led the way in the girls' 12-and-under age division with four gold medals, one silver and one bronze. She beat out 15 other swimmers to win the 500 free (5:38.40), 36 other swimmers to win the 200 free (2:08.14), 44 other swimmers to win the 100 free (58.03), and one other competitor to win the 1650 free (19:36.99), also adding a second-place finish out of 54 in the 50 free (26.72) and a third-place finish out of 28 in the 50 fly (30.01) across the three-day meet.

Myelle Jensen (14) came away with two golds, one silver and one bronze in the girls' 13-14 age division. She broke the 50 back meet record (27.63) in the preliminaries before beating out 17 other swimmers in the finals (28.22), and then beat out 14 other swimmers to clinch first in the 100 back (1:00.7). Jensen also placed second out of 21 in the 200 IM (2:15.47) and was third out of 45 in the 200 free (2:01.62). 

Allyson Ballard (13), competing in the same age division, finished fourth out of 18 in the 50 back (30.36) and was fifth out of 56 in the 50 free (25.90). Alivia Storms (14) added a sixth-place finish out of 31 swimmers in the 50 breast (34.18) for the Sandpoint Sharks' girls side, which finished sixth out of 15 teams with 105 points.

On the boys side, Joshua Jackson (14) podiumed twice with two bronzes, placing third out of 15 in the 50 back (27.97) and third out of 21 in the 100 back (59.41) in the 13-14 age division. He was also fourth out of 16 in the 200 back (2:07.84), fourth out of 10 in the 1650 free (18:00.72) and fifth out of 35 in the 100 free (53.32).

Andrew Ford (15) swam to a tied for fifth finish in the 15-and-over age division of the 50 breast (28.86) and Lou Foust was 10th in both the 50 back (27.44) and the 200 back (2:04.55) for the boys, which finished 13th out of 15 teams with 37.5 points.

What stood out most to coach Renzini, however, was the team’s unity and sportsmanship. The Sharks, like plenty of times in years past, came away with the Team Spirit Award again. Teammates cheered loudly, celebrated each other’s successes, and showed resilience in every race, reflecting the positive culture they've built throughout the season.

Up next, Foust has qualified and will compete at USA Swimming's Speedo Sectionals Championship Series, set be held March 12 through 15 at the Idaho Central Aquatic Center in Boise. Olpin and Ballard have qualified and will compete at Northwest Age Group Regionals, set to be held March 19 through 22 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash.

"These achievements highlight the continued growth and success of the program as the season comes to a close," coach Renzini noted.