Swimming sisters: Taylor and Gentry Hagedorn lead the way for Central
Swimming runs in the Hagedorn family.
Taylor and Gentry Hagedorn led the Central girls swim team to a fifth-place finish at state last year, and they are hoping for another strong finish in their final run as high school teammates.
Taylor is a senior for the Panthers, and younger sister Gentry is a sophomore.
Their brother, Cash, also swims for Central, and he too competed at the OSAA Class 5A state championships last season as a freshman, finishing 11th in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:07.15.
While Cash also plays soccer for the Panthers, Taylor and Gentry are devoted year-round to swimming.
Both compete in club swimming with the Blue Dolphin Swim Team in Dallas.
“I’ve been on a summer swim team since I was 6, and I’ve been swimming competitively since I was 9,” Taylor said. “I’ve been in swimming lessons since I was about 18 months old, and since then I’ve always been in the pool.”
Last season at the state championships, Taylor finished second in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:13.43, and fifth in the 500-yard freestyle at 5:20.65.
Taylor also took part in Central’s 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relay teams along with Gentry. The Panthers were eighth in the 200 relay (1:48.48) and fifth in the 400 relay (3:59.18).
Their record careers started with family swimming lessons
Gentry also placed second in the 100 freestyle at 53.88 and third in the 200 freestyle at 1:57.40.
“When we were little, my mom has us all in swim lessons, and as soon as I saw my sister move up to bigger competitions, I knew that’s what I wanted to do too,” Gentry said. “I love swimming with Taylor. I think it’s great competition and it really pushes me in practice.”
This season at districts and possibly state, Taylor said she plans to compete in the same events.
Gentry, however, said she’s considering competing in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, as well as the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
Gentry holds the Central school records in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. Taylor holds the school record in the 200 individual medley, 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke.
This will be the last run the Hagedorn sisters will have as high school teammates, and Taylor hasn’t decided yet on her future, but she knows that swimming will be a part of it.
“I’ve talked to a lot of swim coaches in the area for college, and I haven’t made a decision yet,” Taylor said. “Right now I’m coaching the novice group of my competitive team. My goal is to stay involved with the sport, whether that’s swimming for a team as an athlete, or becoming a coach.”
As Central’s first-year swimming head coach, David Morelli said it has been a pleasure to coach Taylor and Gentry.
“Their reputation preceded them, they are well respected across the state,” Morelli said. “It has been great to have their experience on this team, especially for the new kids.”
Taylor Hagedorn
School: Central
Year: Senior
Sport: Swimming
2022 at state: 200 individual medley (second — 2:13.43), 500 freestyle (fifth — 5:20.65), 200 freestyle relay (eighth — 1:48.48), 400 freestyle relay (fifth — 3:59.18)
Gentry Hagedorn
School: Central
Year: Sophomore
Sport: Swimming
2022 at state: 200 freestyle (third — 1:57.40), 100 freestyle (second — 53.88), 200 freestyle relay (eighth — 1:48.48), 400 freestyle relay (fifth — 3:59.18)
Swimming district meets
6A-Central Valley Conference: Friday-Saturday at the Kroc Center, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. Saturday.
5A-Mid-Willamette Conference: Friday-Saturday at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis.
4A/3A/2A/1A-Special District 4: Friday-Saturday at South Albany Pool.
OSAA swimming state championships
DAY 1 — PRELIMINARIES, FEB. 17 AT TUALATIN HILLS AQUATIC CENTER
Class 4A/3A/2A/1A: Races start at 9 a.m.
Class 5A: Races start at 1:45 p.m.
Class 6A: Races start at 6:30 p.m.
DAY 2 — FINALS, FEB. 18 AT TUALATIN HILLS AQUATIC CENTER
Class 4A/3A/2A/1A: Races start at 8:15 a.m.
Class 5A: Races start at 1:15 p.m.
Class 6A: Races start at 6:30 p.m.
Statesman Journal reporter Pete Martini covers college and high school sports. He can be reached at pmartini@StatesmanJournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Swimming sisters: Taylor and Gentry Hagedorn lead the way for Central
