Bountiful • Park City’s Helena Djunic is the perfect example of how the Miners have defended their state titles.
She earned her second individual state title at the Class 4A state swimming meet Saturday when she won the 100-yard freestyle Saturday. That’s after her dominant performance in Friday’s 200 freestyle, when she won by about three body lengths.
And Djunic is only a freshman.
So the question was asked of Miners senior standout Katie Hale, is Park City’s ability to replace ace swimmers with a brand new crop of seemingly equal prowess a never-ending cycle?
“Yes,” Hale said.
Sorry, rest of the state.
Park City won the girls’ team competition for a fifth year in a row at the Class 4A state swimming meet. The previous four were in Class 3A. This time, the Miners won with 355 points while second-place Sky View accumulated 257.
“There’s so much talent and our coach, Mike Werner, is just amazing,” said Hale, just after accepting the first-place award for winning the 100 butterfly.
“He coaches club as well, so I’ve been swimming with him for, like, 12 years.”
That was state title No. 11 for Hale in her career with the Miners. She’ll graduate soon, so rivals won’t have to worry about which events Hale will be in from now on. But Park City said goodbye last year to Rozie Selznick and Joelle Hess — who both ended their careers with double-digit state titles — and the dominance just continued.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Helena Djunic of Park City swims her way to a first place finish in the Women 200 Yard Free at the high school swimming 4A State Championships in Bountiful, Friday February 9, 2018.
Djunic finished with gold in both the 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle.
“I was a little nervous, but it was fun,” Djunic said about her first season swimming at the high school level. “I feel very welcomed on my team. They’re really nice. There’s quite a few of us [newcomers], maybe 10 to 15 or something.”
“In Park City, we have a really good club team,” said Elise Beller, a Miners junior who captured the 500 freestyle crown Saturday to go with her 200 individual medley win Friday. “There’s usually eighth-graders who will be freshmen next year. There’s usually always some good ones coming up.
“It should be good next year.”
Still, some cracks were materializing in the Park City swim machine. The Miners girls didn’t have a participant in the fast heat of the 100 backstroke, which Desert Hills freshman Caitlin Romprey won, and the point gap (98) was considerably less than the 191-point winning margin in 2017.
And to lift the spirits of others in the state, Park City’s four-year streak atop the boys’ standings ended when Desert Hills captured its first team title.
The Thunder won the boys competition with 273 points, while second-place Mountain Crest had 247. Park City finished third with 208 points.
“This is fantastic. We’ve been so close so many times,” said Desert Hills coach Dani Caldwell, just before taking a victory jump into the South Davis Aquatic Center pool.
CLASS 4A DAY 2 STATE CHAMPIONS <br>BOYS <br>Team scores • 1. Desert Hills 273; 2. Mountain Crest 247; 3. Park City 208; 4. Juan Diego 176; 5. Cedar City 165. <br>100 butterfly • Nic Tronson, Lehi, 51.77 <br>100 freestyle • Cade Black, Mountain Crest, 47.40 <br>500 freestyle • Darwin Anderson, Sky View, 4:44.81 <br>200 freestyle relay • Desert Hills 1:28.00 <br>100 backstroke • Jake Walters, Sky View, 50.67 <br>100 breaststroke • Garrett Dotson, Cedar City, 59.80 <br>400 freestyle relay • Desert Hills 3:14.59 <br>GIRLS <br>Team scores • 1. Park City 355; 2. Sky View 257; 3. Desert Hills 252.5; 4. Orem 160; 5. Lehi 143. <br>100 butterfly • Katie Kale, Park City, 58.43 <br>100 freestyle • Helena Djunic, Park City, 52.50 <br>500 freestyle • Elise Beller, Park City, 5:13.18 <br>200 freestyle relay • Desert Hills 1:42.21 <br>100 backstroke • Caitlin Romprey, Desert Hills, 58.13 <br>100 breaststroke • Addison Richards, Orem, 1:07.29 <br>400 freestyle relay • Park City 3:35.87