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Title Thursday - Oakdale Swimmers To Decide VOL Championships
4-20 OAK Swim1
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Some pool water is sent skyward when Kelsey Knollmueller of Oakdale works toward the wall during a 200 individual medley win. - photo by IKE DODSON/THE LEADER

The swimming pool at Oakdale High’s Aquatic Center may not draw the same crowd as its football counterpart (The Corral), but Thursday’s Valley Oak League showdown between Oakdale and Sonora couldn’t be any bigger.

Undefeated varsity girls teams from each program will decide the league championship in a highly anticipated showdown in their respective events. The Sonora boys have one loss (Ripon) but are expected to be a serious challenge to Oakdale’s run to an undefeated VOL season.

“The kids are very excited, and they know about the (win/loss) records Sonora has coming in,” Oakdale coach Russ Van Cleave said. “It’s our biggest meet of the year and I think our swimmers are ready for Sonora.”

Van Cleave said he won’t attempt to juggle the line up too much, but simply put his swimmers in their best respective events.

Oakdale’s boys are fresh off a 111-36 win over Lathrop and 110-43 victory over Weston Ranch in three-way meet at the Oakdale Aquatic Center on Friday.

The Lady Mustangs won by 137-28 (Lathrop) and 125-32 (Weston Ranch) scores.

 

Boys

The 200 yard medley relay team of Braden Lee, Brandon Terwilliger, Hank Walter and Casey Whitley landed first place honor. The same foursome took first in the 200 freestyle relay, while Whitley, Robert Winders, Adrian Rojas and Will Cavanaugh won the 400 free relay.

Rojas also won the 50 free and 100 backstroke while Terwilliger (100 butterfly), Whitley (200 free), Winders (200 individual medley), Lee (100 free), Walter (500 free) and Cavanaugh (100 breast stroke) won individual events.

 

Girls

The Oakdale girls were paced by Stevie Cordoza, Ali Poff, Katie Vanderburg and Kelsey Knollmueller, taking both the 200 and 400 free relays. Cordoza, Poff, Vanderburg and Alissa Burford also won the 200 medley relay.

Poff (50 free), Vanderburg (100 free), Knollmueller (200 I.M.) and Cordoza (100 breast) also won individual events. Whitney Pope won the 200 and 500 free while Bianca Varela (100 fly) and Makenzie Ohe (100 back) took wins.