BILL POEHLER
Statesman Journal
| Kobbi R. Blair | Statesman Journal |
| Tori Simenec, a member of the Bearcats Swim Club, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials at last weekend's Speedo Senior Sectional Championship meet in Federal Way, Wash. Simenec is a freshman at Sprague High School. |
Sprague High School freshman Tori Simenec qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials at last weekend's Speedo Senior Sectional Championship Meet at Federal Way, Wash.
Simenec did not compete for Sprague this year but competed for the Salem-based Bearcat Swim Club in the meet.
Simenec, 15, is believed to be the first swimmer from Salem to qualify for the Olympic Trials.
"That's pretty amazing," Bearcat coach Kate Phifer said. "It's a relatively new program with younger kids in it.
"To have her make it is phenomenal and exciting for the city."
She swam a 1:02.10 in Saturday's 100 meter butterfly preliminaries to gain the Trials berth.
She also swam a 1:02.26 in the finals, which also would have made the Olympic trial cut.
"People go their whole career trying to get one cut and they always just miss it," Phifer said.
"She's at a really great age and she's so, so talented."
The Olympic trials are June 30 to July 7 in Omaha, Neb.
Simenec will try to qualify for the 50 and 100 meter freestyle races at a Grand Prix meet at Stanford in April.
Phifer said the Bearcat Swim Club's women's team placed a program-best seventh at the meet.
She said the team was led by its relays, which included McNary's Amber Boucher and Hannah Braun, Cascade's Crystal Kibby and Sprague's Sammi Mishkott and Simenec.
"The whole women's program, we were the top scoring Oregon swim team," Phifer said.