The Baker girls swimming team finished third, and the boys fourth in the BHS January Invitational meet on Saturday, Jan. 22, at Sam-O Swim Center.

Baker coach Randy Stadler said it was gratifying for the Bulldogs to be able to host a meet.

Although Baker has only about half a dozen swimmers this year, and thus a smaller than usual pool of parent volunteers, several people helped with logistics for the meet, Stadler said.

Julie Huntington, a member of the Baker School Board, helped Buell Gonzales Jr., the Baker School District’s athletic director.

Stadler said officials from La Grande and Cove high schools, which also competed in the meet, were also instrumental in putting on the event.

Baker honored its three senior swimmers — Silas Carter, Caitlin Lien and Brianna Stadler — prior to the meet.

Stadler, a four-time state champion, won two events, the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly.

In the butterfly, Stadler finished in 59.14 seconds, four seconds ahead of runner-up Sarah Koza of Cove.

Stadler won the 100 backstroke in 1:00.64. Koza was again second, in 1:02.83.

Randy Stadler, who is Brianna’s father, said her time in the butterfly was less than one second slower than her 58.99-second time in winning the event at the 2020 state meet as a sophomore.

“She’s feeling really good,” Randy Stadler said of Brianna.

He said Kate Johnson of Baker City, who was a swimmer at Oregon State University, has been helping Brianna and Baker’s other swimmers as an assistant coach.

“She helps the kids a lot,” Randy Stadler said.

Carter, who Randy Stadler said is a newcomer to swimming, placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle and sixth in the 100 freestyle on Saturday, Jan. 22.

“He’s really taking off,” Randy Stadler said.

Lien placed fifth in the 50 freestyle in her final home meet.

Gabriel Bott placed second in the 100-yard butterfly, and sixth in the 50 freestyle, just behind Carter.

In team scores, Pendleton won the girls meet with 140 points. La Grande was second with 103, Baker third with 18, and Cove fourth with 10 points.

On the boys side, La Grande won with 104 points. Pendleton was second with 60 points, Cove third with 40, and Baker fourth with nine points.

Baker is scheduled to compete in a meet Saturday, Jan. 29, at Madras.

Randy Stadler said this year’s state meet, set for Feb. 18-19 in Beaverton, will be different from previous years, with only final races and no preliminaries.