By ANNIE FOWLER | The CUJ
BAKER CITY — The Pendleton boys and girls won team titles, and the Bucks won the combined title as well, at the Baker Invitational on Saturday at the Sam-O Swim Center.
“The team swam quite well in Baker, especially considering we had some very tough practices last week,” Pendleton coach Tony Nelson said. “Everyone is grinding through it and maintaining a really positive attitude.”
The Pendleton girls dominated the field with 113 points, with La Grande being a distant second with 59.
The boys’ team compiled 82 points, with Baker second with 52.
In the girls competition, Maddy Gunter (2:33.37), Marion Oliver (2:55.59) and Riley Adams (3:01.53) placed first, second and third in the 200 free.
Sophie Nelson (28.26) and Avery Pitner (29.49) were first and second in the 50 free, while Sophie Nelson also won the 100 butterfly (1:21.18).
Ava Jackson (1:22.50), Ella Holtz (1:31.07) and Phia Estrada (1:47.35) were second, third and fourth in the 100 butterfly.
The 400 free relay team of Pitner, Elizabeth Currin, Maryn Broker and Nelson won the event with a time of 4:25.26, 35 seconds ahead of Baker.
Broker also was second in the 200 IM (2:19.12) and third in the 100 backstroke (1:15.16). Pitner was third in the 100 free (1:05.39), and Oliver was third in the 500 free (7:48.62).
The 200 free relay team of Maddy Gunter, Jules Gunter, Holtz and Jackson was second behind Cove with a time of 2:07.73.
For the boys, Levi Bonzani won the 200 IM (2:40.80) and the 100 free (1:01.43), while Jared Pace won the 100 butterfly (1:03.58) and the 50 free (25.21), and Autry Robinson the 100 breaststroke (1:19.50).
Bonzani and Pace teamed with Farley Hill and Cameron Burt to win the 200 free relay (1:50.88) by 24 seconds over second-place Baker.
Burt also was second in the 200 free (2:19.12) and 100 free (1:02.78), while Hill was third in the 100 free (1:06.81) and 50 free (29.12).
