Trefts leads Bulldog swimmers in Missoula

MISSOULA — Butte High senior Tatum Trefts picked up a victory in the 100-yard breaststroke to highlight a nice day for the Butte High swimming teams at the Missoula County Public Schools Invitational.

The Bulldog girls placed fourth in team standings. The Butte boys swam to seventh.

Gallatin won the girls’ team title with 342.5 points, besting a field of 16 teams. Missoula Hellgate was next at 218, followed by Billings Central at 212 and Butte High at 181.

Bozeman won the boys’ title with 382.5 points. Helena Capital was next at 272, and Billings Central placed third at 267.5. Butte High scored 132 points.

The meet was the second in as many days for the Bulldogs.

“Everyone swam extremely well with being very tired with hard workouts and two meets in two days,” Bulldog coach Lynn Shrader said. “I am extremely proud of everyone.

Butte High junior Alaina Grochowski placed third in the 100 breaststroke and fourth in the 100 butterfly for the Bulldog girls. Her sister, Adalie Grochowski, a freshman, placed fifth in the 100 freestyle and ninth in the 200 individual medley.

Senior Olivia Thurmond swam to seventh in the 200 freestyle and 100^th in the 100 free.

Freshman Bryher Fitzpatrich placed sixth in the 100 butterfly.

Bella Corrales, Alaina Grochowski, Adalie Grochowski and Thurmond swam to third place int eh 200 freestyle relay. Trefts, Thurmond and the Grochowski sisters placed fourth in the 200 medley relay.

Junior Gage Plum again led the Butte High boys. He placed eighth in the 500 freestyle while shaving a more than a second off his personal record to place 10^th in the 200 freestyle.

Freshman Alex Sonnemann placed ninth in the 100 backstroke and 10^th in the 200 individual medley. He beat his PR in the medley by more than 23 seconds.

Senior Nathan Stone took ninth in the 100 butterfly.

Gunnar Benson, Sonneman, Tucker Kissell and Stone took sixth in the 200 freestyle relay. Grayson Lynch, Sonnemann, Ayvahn Mann and Plum swam to seventh in the 400 freestyle A relay. Mason Pullman, Jorden Sonnemann, Nathan Knopp and Rody Johnson took 10t0 in the 409 free B relay.

Plum, Stone, Benson and Kissell took ninth in the 200 medley relay.

Butte High will have a cross-town meet with Butte Central on Monday. That will be the last action for both teams before the State meet, which is Feb. 12-14 in Great Falls.