Camas Boys Swim Team Wins Big at Districts; Union Places 2nd

KELSO, WA — These young men made it look easy, but after months of intense preparation and years of conditioning, the Camas Boys Swim team made its mark Saturday and handily won this year’s District swim meet.
Camas gathered at Kelso with fellow 4A (3A schools competed separately against each other at the same meet) competitors and went into the meet with confidence, knowing their hard work would pay off – and it certainly did. Camas won the District title with 414 points, followed by Union with 314 points. Skyview earned 156 points. Evergreen and Heritage High schools also competed in the 4A division.

The Camas High Boys Swim team celebrates their victory.

Left to right: Kasey Calwell, John Utas, Jeff Fadlovich and Lucas Ulmer won the 400 Free Relay at Districts helping propel their team to a victory.
Hanford High School won the 3A division, and Camas coach Mike Bemis was voted Coach of the Year.
Guided by Bemis, the boys came to the meet very PREPARED — both mentally and physically. You can see the unity that exists between swimmers. They cheer each other on and encourage one another to do better. They were prepared mentally. They paid their dues: 140 laps every morning at 5:15 in the cold, dark pool at Lacamas Swim and Sport; eating right (at least most of the time), and having to stay up late to catch up on homework. They had the physical stamina and conditioning that gave them the edge over the competition.
Junior Kasey Calwell, who attends King’s Way Christian, but competes with the Papermakers, in particular had a good meet.
“I swept all four events,” said Calwell. “I feel good. We got it done, and now we have 10 swimmers heading to State. Our goal is to make the Top Three at state.”
That goal had Junior Lucas Ulmer momentarily surprised. As he gathered his thoughts, and reflecting on his personal and team accomplishments, he added: “Yeah, I believe we can do that. We can show State what we got. We worked out butts off to get here today.”
 Camas went into Districts undefeated this year.
The Papermakers made a statement early in the meet with the 200 Yard Medley Relay. Bemis sent in Tom and John Utas, along with Ulmer and Calwell (in that order) and not only did they win the event, but broke a new meet and pool record with a time of 1:39.67.
Tom Utas is a freshman and his brother John, is a junior. Tom was beaming after the win, while keeping an eye of John, who gives each event everything.
Union’s Andrew Chang would win Event  2 – the 200 Yard Free. Chang, a Freshman, commanded the event coming in at 1:50.75, while Papermaker Luke Albert placed second at 1:56.57 (qualifying for State) and Jeff Fadlovich placed third at 1:57.12.
Calwell barely had time to rest until he competed in his second event of the day – the 200 Yard IM. He won the event (1:58.56) and was followed by Union freshman, James Nicorici (2:10.65), and Papermaker Colin Kuhta (2:15.28).
Nicorici qualified for State in this race, as well as the 100 Fly (more on that later) and he’s a bit nervous.
“I’m trying not to think about the negatives when I race at State,” said Nicorici. “The 100 Fly was a close one at Districts and I just have to keep getting better. The 200 IM will be a tough one to get to consolations, but anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

The top finishers of the 200 IM. Kasey Calwell placed first; James Nicorici, second; Colin Kuhta, third.
John Utas won the 50 Yard Free event (22.56) and it’s amazing to see him go at it.
“John gives each race everything,” said Calwell. “He’s an inspiration.”
Heritage freshman Maksim Dolbinin placed second in the 50 Free (23.29), which qualifies him for State.
Ulmer also won the 100 Fly (55.30) with Nicorici placing second (58.65) narrowly edging Papermaker Max Urbanek (58.66). It was very close.
One of the great highlights of the meet was the UTAS 100 FREE SWEEP. John Utas won the event (49.95) and was followed by younger brother, Tom (51.27). Dolbinin placed third.
Union’s Chang wasn’t done, as he also won the 500 Free (5:02.88). He was followed by Camas freshman Jeff Fadlovich (5:12.47), and both will compete at State this coming weekend. Papermaker Noah Macia placed third in the 500 Free.
Camas won the 200 Yard Free Relay with Xianguang Yan, Tom Utas, Colin Kuhta and Luke Albert, clocking in at 1:35.30. Union’s relay team placed second at 1:38.30.
The Camas 200 Medley Relay team. From left: Xiaguang Yan, Luke Albert,
Tom Utas, and Colin Kuhta.
Ulmer did it again in the 100 Yard Backstroke, handily winning that event with a time of 56.46 seconds. He was followed by fellow Papermaker Nicholas Burton (1:05.97).
In the 100 Yard Breaststroke, Calwell would earn his third medal of the meet, with a time of 1:02.46. Tom Utas placed second at 106.44.
“Tom Utas has done an amazing job and he’s doing it as a freshman,” said Bemis.
Former Papermaker parent, Doug Kabel, agreed. “It’s been fun to see reports on Tom Utas and the solid freshman we have.”
And, in the final event of the day, Camas sent in John Utas, Calwell, Fadlovich and Ulmer to finish business.
The four teens won the 400 Yard Free in style and their 3:21.52 time was a new meet record. The Union team placed second with a time of 3:30.99.
Individual event awards were handed out as the meet progressed. After events concluded the boys received their trophy and posed for multiple photos. State competition begins this Friday at Federal Way, WA. It’s a two-day event and the boys are determined to make a statement.
Tom Utas, left, placed second in the 100 Free, while Maxim Dolbinin, of Union,
placed second. John Utas placed first.

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Swim: Camas Heads to Districts

KELSO — The undefeated Camas Boys Swim team heads up to Kelso tonight to defend their District title this afternoon. The Papermakers will compete in preliminaries today in events that will gather 3A and 4A teams at the pool.

Finals are tomorrow at noon.

Swim

 

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Swimming: Papermakers Beat David Douglas

PORTLAND, OR — Swimming is their name, and their at the top of their game. The Camas Boys Swim team pulled off another win Thursday night against David Douglas, winning 93-77 in their second to last meet of the regular season.
They are undefeated this season.
“It was stellar,” said Junior John Utas. “I’m proud of my team for making it this far and my coach for putting up with us and making us stronger.”

Swimming Results

Here’s how the events went Thursday:
200 Medley Relay: Camas won (1:53.09) with Kasey Calwel, Tom Utas, John Utas and Lucas Ulmer.
200 Free: Sam Redwine-Hixon, of David Douglas, won (2:09) with Papermaker Jeff Fadlovich placing second (2:11).
200 Individual Medley: Raymon Pham, or David Douglas placed first (2:27) with Papermaker Max Urbanek placing second (2:32.3)
50 Free:Lucky Le of David Douglas won (25.2) with Papermaker John Utas placing second (25.5) and Kasey Calwell placing third (25.7).
100 Fly:Raymond Miller, of David Douglas, won this event (59.92) and Lucas Ulmer placed second (1:03.02).
100 Free: Lucky Le, of David Douglas, won with a time of 54.4, with Calwell placing second (55.0) and John Utas placing third (55.4).
400 Free:Raymond Miller, of David Douglas, won this event (4:34.5) and Jeff Fadlovich placed second (4:38.8).
200 Free Relay: David Douglas won (1:44.06) with Camas placing second (1:50.28).
100 Back:Lucas Ulmer won (1:04.28) and Same Redwine-Hixon placed second (1:08.1).
100 Breast: Tom Utas won this event (1:11.60) with Raymond Pham placing second (1:13.5).
400 Free Relay: Camas won the last event of the meet with a time of 3:48.2. The four-man team comprised Ulmer, Calwell, John Utas and Fadlovich.
The boys compete again at an invitational at Mark Morris in Longview, WA this Saturday.
The journey continues.

 

Lucas Ulmer prepares to start the 100 Back.
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B Team, New Swimmers Make Impact

12-0, and the B-Team is helping them all the way.
That’s the Camas High Boys Swim team’s record so far this season, and as they prepare for their final regular meet this year it’s a good time to reflect on the journey.
These swimmers are giving their all when they practice in the cold water at wee hours of the morning. They’re pushing their bodies to the limit at competitions, and demanding more of themselves each time they jump off the starting block.
And they’re winning and breaking records this season.
When a meet is scored, it’s based on individual and relay times.  We report on the winners of the events, but there’s more to it than that. When a team like Camas wins a meet, it’s based on the top five times for each individual event, and the top three times for each four-man relay event.
 
Camas, for example, has an A relay team, as well as B and C teams that contribute to the overall score, and their team’s success.
Leaders like Kasey Calwell and Lucas Ulmer have had an amazing season, winning numerous races, along with breaking several records, but they acknowledge and appreciate the strength of the B teams and lesser-experienced swimmers.
“The Freshman and B teams have been amazing this year,” said Calwell, a junior at King’s Way Christian, who swims for Camas. “We couldn’t have been an undefeated team without them. They’re doing a great job.”
Camas had their smallest victory last week against Union, and Calwell wholeheartedly acknowledges the strength of the B teams for pulling them through.
It’s young guns like Jeff Fadlovich, Colin Kuhta, Luke Albert, Kevin Chen, Tom Utas, Noah Macia and Kevin Wang (who just returned to swimming), to name a few, who are excelling this season. Then you have Cade Greseth, who is new to swimming altogether, having a tremendous time.
“It’s been a fun first season for me,” said Greseth. “It’s been a good start. I haven’t met a swimmer I don’t like, at least on our team. I’m a runner, and it’s much more difficult than running. I will swim all four years of high school.”
Wang has made a fun return to the sport after a multi-year hiatus.
“I’m surprised how well I did this season,” Wang said. “I met a lot of new friends and the team is performing extremely well overall. It was hard to get back into it at first, but you just have to pull through. The reward is definitely worth it when you put it all out there during meets. Overall, it’s been a fun season, but it feels like it went by too quickly. It’s a great experience everyone should try out if they like swimming.”
Fadlovich, a freshman who earned a spot on one of the A relay teams, has had an excellent start swimming for Camas.
“This is a great team,” he said. “We practice daily at 5:15 am, and these guys encourage me to do better. They keep me going. I’ve competed in the 500 Free, 200 Free, 100 Backstroke, and the 100 Fly. It’s been fun, and it’s a good challenge to race these events.”
Practices are tough. The boys swim about 140 laps every morning. And freshman Kuhta says it’s not for sissies.
“It’s helped me to be more disciplined,” Kuhta added. “It’s been difficult, but it’s also been pretty fun. I do the 200 IM and 100 Fly. I’ve been on the A 200 Relay. I’ve learned that it’s just hard to compete with the seniors.”
For his part, Kuhta has won several events this season, and is encouraged to keep pushing himself, despite the pain associated with super early and very vigorous practices.
Wang said he’s seen the swimmers improve dramatically as the season has progressed. They work hard during practices in the morning and it shows during swim meets.
Sophomore Noah Macia, agrees.
“We’re getting better, “said Macia. “We are training really hard in practices. We are stepping up the intensity at practices and that’s making the difference in the relays. Right now I’m shooting for a state time.”

Coach Mike Bemis said the B teams are making a huge impact this year to the team’s success.

“It’s a strong bunch, period,” said Bemis. “They take it seriously, and it shows at the competitions. Their times keep improving and I think we’ll do well at our last meet and at Districts. We may even see several of them at State. It’s a great season.”

Noah Macia, right, cheers on Jeff Fadlovich. Lucas Ulmer is seen at left on the starting block.

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Boys Swimming: 12 Wins For a Reason

With just one regular season meet left, the Camas Boys Swimming (12-0) is riding a wave of success.

But it hasn’t come easy.
Late last summer, the team learned practice times would move to 5:15 am at the Lacamas Swim and Sport Club. Immediately, the swimmers thought the early hour would affect morale, energy, grades, performance, etc.
But it didn’t.
They rose to the occasion, and like champions they pushed these obstacles out of the way. After a string of 12 victories, the boys, guided by Coach Mike Bemis, and assistant Leslie, continue their daily regimen of swimming 140 laps (3,000-3,500 meters) apiece.
It’s great conditioning, but like Freshman Kevin Chen says, “it’s hard to jump into that cold water at 5:15 every day.”
Swimming

 

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Team Work: Camas Swimming Defeats Union, MV

CAMAS — Unofficial results show that Camas beat Union 101-69 and Mountain View 120-50 at Lacamas Swim and Sport Club on Wednesday night.

A scoring system issue delayed results, but calculations made by Lacamas Magazine show a clear victory for the Papermakers.

At one point during the meet, it appeared that Camas was losing to Union, but the Papermakers pulled ahead in the last four events of the night: 200 Free Relay, 100 Back, 100 Breast and 400 Free Relay.

“I was getting worried,” said Junior Lucas Ulmer. “Union was getting really competitive.”

Coach Mike Bemis said he was getting worried, as well, but “they pulled it off, and it was nice to get the win.”

 

Team
Members of the Camas 400 Relay C team at the starting block. From left to right: Kevin Chen, Kevin Wang, and Cade Greseth.

 

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“Pink” a Successful Fundraiser

Editor’s Note: Dan Trujillo, of the Camas Post-Record, wrote the majority of this article.

The Camas High School basketball teams dominated their “Hoops for Pink” games Friday, inside the Camas warehouse.

A 22-8 scoring barrage in the first quarter helped the Papermaker boys beat Heritage 55-28. It was their first league victory of the season after falling behind early in their previous league games and not being able to catch up.

The Camas boy shared the basketball. Jordan Anderson and Trevor Jasinsky each netted nine points, James Price added eight, and Jordan Lenard and Nick Lopes both had six points.

The Papermaker girls pummeled the Timberwolves 62-20. Camas outscored Heritage 12-7 in the first quarter, 20-7 in the second quarter, 16-4 in the third quarter and 14-2 in the fourth quarter.

“Pink” Team Effort

On the receiving end of passes from Brenna Khaw, Rachel Rice and Meghan Finley, Nikki Corbett delivered 16 of her team-leading 22 points in the first half. She scored 10 of those points in the second quarter.

Khaw netted 13 points. Brenna Vargo and Teague Schroeder sparked the Papermakers off the bench. Vargo earned eight points and Schroeder added six.

The annual event raises money for the Kay Yow Foundation, which earmarks funds toward fighting breast cancer research.
Money was raised by selling T-shirts and through buying raffles to purchase donated gift baskets.
“The event was a real success,” said Nadine Knight, one of the parent volunteers. “We’re so grateful for the support of our community. Cheers to all of the businesses and individuals who donated for our baskets. Could NOT have done any of this without them. Thank you Camas for coming through again.”

 

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Multiple Records Shattered at Kelso Swimming Invitational

KELSO, WA – When swimmers from several regional high schools descended upon Kelso on Friday night they were determined to make a statement – and they did as eight meet records were shattered.
In addition to breaking many of those event records, the Camas boys won the meet by a landslide, racking up 668 points overall. Mark Morris placed second at 470, with Skyview third at 380 and Hockinson placing fourth with 377 points. Kelso rounded out the top five.
The Papermakers made a splash early on in the 200 Medley Relay with Kasey Calwell, Tom Utas, Lucas Ulmer and John Utas coming in at 1:41.19, breaking their team’s old Kelso Invitational record of 1:45.80 that was made just 12 months ago.
Moments later, Calwell would do it again in the 200 Free by finishing the race at 1:48.73, shattering Eric Bugna’s 2012 record of 1:52.40.
And these boys were just getting warmed up.
Prairie’s Jaron Hamlik, who practices daily with the Camas team, not only broke a meet record in the 50 Free, but also set a pool record and made a State cut as he came in at 22.10, breaking Chris Xue’s 22.24 record set in December 2012.
“It was the best start I’ve ever had,” said Hamlik. “I feel good.”
His coach, Mike Bemis, was equally impressed.
“And this isn’t his best event, either,” Bemis said. “This is like his third best event, and he hasn’t swam the 50 Free in some time. We’re really proud of him.”

Papermaker Lucas Ulmer placed second in the 50 Free coming in at 23.25.
Hamlik decided he wasn’t done. So after the 25-minute diving session, he nailed the 100 Fly coming in at 53.24, also breaking a meet record.

Splash!
One of the Papermaker’s young guns, Jeff Fadlovich, keeps turning heads this season with his times. He won the 500 Free, coming in at 5:15.82 and also broke a meet record.
Incredible.
Columbia River’s Benjamin Grubb won the 100 Back event, coming in at 55.62, breaking the meet record set by Ulmer (56.16) in January 2012. Ulmer placed second in the event (56.05) on Friday night.

Calwell also won the 100 Breast with a time of 1:02.32, breaking another meet record, previously made by Camas graduate, Jake Yraceburu (1:05.06).

And to top off the night, the Camas 400 Free Relay A team brought strength and resolve, by setting a new meet record in that event with a time of 3:23.10. The A Relay consists of John Utas, Jeff Fadlovich, Ulmer and Calwell.

“It’s been another great meet,” said Bemis. “The B teams did very well, and our younger swimmers delivered tonight, too.”
There will be more on the younger swimmers in a follow-up article.
The journey continues.
The Camas 200 Medley Relay team won the event and broke a meet record (1:41.19).
Prairie’s Jaron Hamlik won two events — the 50 Free and 100 Fly.
Columbia River’s Benjamin Grubb (left) talks with Lucas Ulmer after winning the 100 Back event.
Kasey Calwell won the 100 Breast event (1:02.32) breaking a meet record.
Papermaker Jeff Fadlovich finishes his left of the 400 Free Relay. His four-member team won the event and set a new meet record (3:23.10).

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Prairie Senior Hamlik Breaks 2 Kelso Meet Records

KELSO, WA — It was a great night for Prairie senior Jaron Hamlik, who broke two meet records, a pool record and made State qualifying times at Friday’s Kelso Invitational.

Hamlik blasted his way through the 50 Free (22.10) breaking a 13-month old record, previously held by Chris Xue. Hamlik’s time not only broke a meet record, but also a pool record, and qualified him for State.

He also broke a meet record in the 100 Fly (53.24) and also made a State cut in that event, as well. The meet record was previously held by former Skyview swimmer, Eric Bugna. His time was 54.42.

“It felt really good,” Hamlik said. “It was the fastest start I’ve ever had.”

Prairie Senior Has Work Ethic

His coach, Mike Bemis, said Hamlik continues to be dedicated to excellent practices and behavior, just as he has for many seasons.

“He’s an incredibly hard worker,” Bemis said. “He has tremendous work ethic. And this was his day.”

And, Lucas Ulmer, a teammate from both the high school and club (Columbia River Swim Team, or CRST) teams, has nothing but high praise for his friend.

“Jaron is a competitor,” said Ulmer.

 

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Swim: Camas Boys To Compete at Kelso

The Camas Boys Swim Team face all competitors today at 3:30 at the Kelso Invitational.

In this photo, Papermaker John Utas finishes the 400 Free Relay events against Skyview/Fort Vancouver. Utas and his teammates (Lucas Ulmer, Kasey Calwell, and Jeff Fadlovich) are undefeated in the 400 Free Relay this season.

The boys have continued to dominate the season, led by Ulmer, Caldwell and Utas, who have already made State cut times (which means they have qualified to compete at State in several swimming events).

“The boys are here at 5:15 every morning,” said Coach Mike Bemis. “The lights are dim, and the water is cold, but they make it happen every meet, and at every practice. I’m really pleased with their performance.”

The A relay teams have been very, very strong, and continue to win all their meets. However, the B and C teams are also winning, and although they are slower, they are still winning their events, and adding to the overall team score.

“The B and C teams make all the difference,” said Ulmer. “We’re glad they’re so strong.”

Ulmer has been swimming competitively since he was 6.

Calwell, who attends a private school, has been swimming with the team since his Freshman year. He has his eyes set on winning a couple state championships before he graduates in 2015.

To learn more, visit www.camas.wednet.edu

Papermaker Swimming

 

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