The Amador Polar Bears 11-12 girls' relay team of, from left, Zoe Feist, Christine McConnell, Dani Schoen and Rebecca Valencia share a smile after their win in the 200-yard freestyle relay at last weekend's Mother Lode Conference Championships. photo courtesy of susan feist Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch

Swimmers from the Amador Polar Bears stayed cool under pressure and sweltering heat at the two-day championships for the Mother Lode Conference of the Northern California Swim League at the Schaal Aquatics center on the UC Davis campus last weekend.

With more than 800 competitors in attendance from five teams, the Polar Bears did better than held their own, taking firsts in numerous events and flirting with records along the way.

High point honors for the meet went to Zoe Feist, with 52 points in the 11-12 girls. Stephanie Schoen earned 50 points in the 15-18 girls, while Dominic Grillo came home with 47 points in 15-18 boys.

Grillo won three individual events: the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 50-yard butterfly. Controversy arose when a judge called an early take-off on Grillo's 15-18 boys 200-yard freestyle relay team, erasing what was timed as a conference record in the event.

The Polar Bears' league representative, Philip Howe, has filed a protest, but a ruling in time for this paper's deadline was highly unlikely.

The future appears bright for the Polar Bears, with many young swimmers honing their strokes in the competitive atmosphere.

In the 7-8 year-old races, Liliana Light won gold in the girls 25-yard breaststroke, while Jack Gignilliat took a bronze in the boys 25-yard breaststroke.

Among the 9-10 year-olds, Dylan Speer triumphed in the boys 50-yard freestyle, with teammate Jason Crocker never far behind. Speer and Crocker also teamed with Corey Hasson and Jonathon Howe to bring home the gold in the boys 100-yard medley relay. Mason Harlan took Howe's team spot for the 100-yard freestyle relay, helping to win silver in that event.

Teamwork paid off big-time for the 11-12 year-old swimmers, as Feist was joined in victory lane for the girls 200-yard freestyle relay by Dani Schoen, Christine McConnell and Rebecca Valencia. Boys relay teams finished second and third in the 200-yard medley relay. Second went to Samuel Khattar, Thomas Cahill, Travis Harlan and Caleb Howe, who narrowly beat their other Polar Bear team of Davis Buckley, Matthew Leatherman, Connor Hasson and Austin Seyboldt. Feist recorded individual wins in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races, though nipped by a quarter-second in the 50-yard backstroke by Mariah Motheral of the Sunrise Sharks. Connor Hasson, Rebecca Valencia and Thomas Cahill won silver in individual events.

Josh Coy grabbed a gold in 13-14 boys 50-yard backstroke.

Maturity apparently matters with the Polar Bears, evidenced by the extremely strong performances from the 15-18 age group that included Grillo, Stephanie Schoen and Sarah Knigge, who won the girls 100-yard breaststroke. Schoen garnered five silver medals in freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and individual medley. Both girls and boys relay teams joined the golden glitterati. Schoen and Knigge were teamed with Andrea Brobst and Christena Khattar for two wins - in both the 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relays. The boys relay team of Alan Korematsu, Christian Mullan, Daniel Tate and Grillo took gold in the 200-yard medley relay and the last word remains to be heard about their conference-record-setting race in the 200-yard freestyle relay.