Article by James L. Butler

THUNDERBOLTS SWAMP COMPETITION IN OREGON SWIMMING STATE TITLE!!! The Thunderbolts swam to another impressive Oregon Swimming Championship at the Mt. Hood pool July 26-29. They doubled the team score of an excellent Lake Oswego Swim Club team 1303 to 666. The Thunderbolts had plenty of stars with 17 FIRST PLACE swims. One of them proved to be the most exciting finals in the 4 day extravaganza.

Caitlin McMahon (THSC) went head to head with Suzanne Foster (Bend) in the 12 year old girls 200 freestyle. Caitlin had edged our Suzanne in the prelims by tenths of a second and took an early lead in the finals. She held half a body length at the half way point and looked strong but Suzanne was not to be denied again. She turned it on the third 50 and was just a head behind as the girls flipped into the home 50. Suzanne pulled even with 25 meters to go then Caitlin refused to yield another inch as they fought each other stroke for stroke to the final touch. Everyone at the pool turned to the scoreboard to see who had won. They both won!! The scoreboard flashed a dead heat at 2:20.59 ! Lifetime bests and zone qualifying times for both girls.

There were lots of other exciting races for the Thunderbolts, but not just for first place. It takes depth to win a team state title and that is where the Thunderbolts excelled. They brought 76 athletes to the meet who had 175 scoring swims. There were 148 events in the four day marathon meet and THSC scored in 118 of them. There were 28 relays and THSC scored in 27 of them winning twice, had 2 relay teams scoring in 12 of them and 3 relay teams scoring in 2 of them.

All this and three of their top athletes including two Olympic trial qualifiers were excused from the meet to prepare for the Summer Nationals!

-First Place Finishers-
Sarah Cruzan (15) - 200Bk
Taylor Lakey (14) - 200Fly, 400IM
Quincy Lee (18) - 200Fr
Jessica Li (12) - 50/100Br
Kathleen McCarroll (12) - 100/200Fly
Megan McCarroll (14) - 200Br
Caitlin McMahon (12) - 200Fr, 200IM
Neil O'Halloran (13) - 400Fr, 100/200Fly
Jon Rooker (15) - 200Bk
Charlene Yuan (11) - 100Br, 200IM

-Top 3 Finishers-
Natalie Anderson (12) - 400Fr
Nikki Barney (13) - 1500Fr, 400IM
Tristan Briggs (17) - 100/200Br, 400IM
Carissa Burke (15) - 1500Fr
Sarah Cruzan (15) - 200/400IM
Whitney Dawson (16) - 1500Fr
Karen Huan (12) - 50Fr
Marcus Imponenti (12) - 100Br
Taylor Lakey (14) - 200/400Fr, 100Fly, 200IM
Quincy Lee (18) - 100Fr
Brendan Liu (15) - 200Bk
Connor McCarroll (16) - 400Fr
Kathleen McCarroll (12) - 100Bk, 200/400IM
Megan McCarroll (14) - 100Bk, 100/200Fly, 200IM
Hannah McCulley (17) - 200Fly
Caitlin McMahon (12) - 100/200Fr, 100Br
Michelle Needham (17) - 100Fr, 100Bk
Carlos Nunez (17) - 100Fr
Neil O'Halloran (13) - 800/1500Fr, 400IM
Daneil Rooker (17) - 200IM
Gabe Rooker (13) - 100/200Br
Jon Rooker (15) - 100Bk
Sheila Stocks (14) - 800Fr, 200Fly
Blaise Wittenauer-Lee (12) - 200Fly
Teresa Xu (14) - 1500Fr
Andrew Yoon (11) - 50Fr
Charlene Yuan (11) - 200Br
Jonathan Zoucha (11) - 100/200/400Fr

-Top 8 Finishers-
Natalie Anderson (12) - 200/800/1500Fr, 100Br
Nikki Barney (13) - 200/400/800Fr, 100Fly
Tristan Briggs (17) - 200Fly, 200IM
Carissa Burke (15) - 200/400/800Fr
Michelle Cefal (11) - 400Fr, 50/100Fly
Eric Chang (12) - 50Fr
Sarah Cruzan (15) - 100Bk
Whitney Dawson (16) - 200IM
Andre De Negri (12) - 50/100Bk, 50/100Br
Connor Eden (14) - 1500Fr, 100/200Bk
Alex Farrar (16) - 100/200Bk, 200Fly
Adena Fenrich (13) - 100/200/400/1500Fr, 100/200Bk
Victoria Hartman (17) - 50/200/400/800Fr
Byron Held (12) - 100Bk
Demi Helenius-Culley (13) - 100/200Fly
Karen Huan (12) - 100/200/400Fr, 50Fly
Marcus Imponenti - 100/200/400Fr, 50Fly
Cory Johnson (12) - 100Bk, 50/100Fly, 200IM
Filip Kapelac (13) - 50/100/200Fr
Jessica Li (12) - 200Br, 200IM
Brendan Liu (15) - 400IM
Connor McCarroll (16) - 200Fr
Kathleen McCarroll (12) - 50Bk
Megan McCarroll (14) - 200Bk
Hannah McCulley (17) - 400Fr, 100Fly
Caitlin McMahon (12) - 50Br
Michelle Needham (17) - 50Fr, 200Bk, 100Fly
Carlos Nunez (17) - 400Fr
Gabe Rooker (13) - 200/1500Fr, 200/400IM
Jon Rooker (15) - 200/400IM
Prudence Rooker (11) - 100/400Fr, 100Bk, 50/100Br, 200IM
Sharon Rooker (14) - 100/200Bk
Marco Signorelli (13) - 200Bk, 100/200Br, 200IM
Sheila Stocks (14) - 200/400Fr, 100Fly
Steven Ung (15) - 50/100Fr
Blaise Wittenauer-Lee (12) - 100Br, 400IM
Teresa Xu (14) - 200/400/800Fr, 400IM
Andrew Yoon (11) - 100/400Fr, 50/100Br, 200IM
Charlene Yuan (11) - 200Fr, 50/100Fly
Jonathan Zoucha (11) - 50/100Bk

1. Tualatin Hills Thunderbolts 1303 2. Lake Oswego Swim Club 666 3. Bend Swim Club 625 4. Mt. Hood Swim Team 604.5 5. Multnomah Athletic Club 456.5 6. Corvallis Aquatic Team 454 7. David Douglas Swim Club 366 8. Columbia River Swim Team 362 9. Portland Aquatic Club 244 10. The Dolphins 237 11. Roseburg Swim Team 168.5 12. Bearcat Swim Club 160 13. Eugene YMCA Aquatic Club 158 14. McMinnville Swim Club 153 15. South Coast Aquatic Team 109 16. Eugene City Swim Club 106 17. Hillsboro Heat Swim Team 86 18. Vancouver Swim Club 79 19. Tigard Tualatin Swim Club 64 20. Canby Swim Club 60 21. Yawama Dragons Swim Club 50 22. Superior Stingray Swimming 47 23. La Grande Swim Club 46 24. Cottage Grove Aqua Lions 32 25. Lincoln City Swim Club 25 25. Hood River Valley Swim Team 25 27. Unattached 21.5 28. Kingswimming 19 29. Albany Aquatic Association 11 30. Newport Swim Team 9 31. Gold Coast Swim Team 8 32. Forest Grove Swim Club 5 32. Chehalem Swim Team 5 32. Un Attached Mt Hood 5 35. Tornadoes Swim Team 4 36. Parkrose Swim Club 3 36. Sweet Home Swim Club 3 38. River Road Swim Club 2 39. Oregon City Swim Team 1

-New Junior Nationals cut-
Carlos Nunez - 100Fr

-New Senior Sectionals Qualifier-
Kathleen McCarroll - 100Fly

-National Reportable Times-
Kathleen McCarroll - 11-12 Girls 100Fly
Neil O'Halloran - 13-14 Boys 100Fly
11-12 Girls 200 Medley Relay (Caitlin McMahon, Jessica Li, Kathleen McCarroll, Karen Huan)
11-12 Girls 400 Medley Relay (Caitlin McMahon, Jessica Li, Kathleen McCarroll, Karen Huan)
13-14 Girls 200 Medley Relay (Sharon Rooker, Megan McCarroll, Sheila Stocks, Taylor Lakey)
13-14 Girls 800 Free Relay (Megan McCarroll, Sheila Stocks, Teresa Xu, Taylor Lakey)
15-18 Boys 200 Medley Relay (Connor McCarroll, Tristan Briggs, Quincy Lee, Steven Ung)
15-18 Boys 200 Free Relay (Steven Ung, Daniel Rooker, Quincy Lee, Carlos Nunez)

-New Team Records-
Carlos Nunez - 17-18 100Fr 53.65