Niehoff wins 1,500 free at zone meet

Abby Niehoff and Kevin Dyer were among the top swimmers for the Pacific Region all-star team for the Carson Tigersharks on the first day of the Western Zone Championships on Wednesday in Kearnes, Utah.

Niehoff won the 13-14 girls 1,500-meter freestyle in 17 minutes, 53.43 seconds while 15-year-old Dyer took fourth in the 15-16 boys 1,500 free in 17:33.43. The meet is being held at 4,675 feet, which likely has given Niehoff and Dyer an advantage since they are used to swimming at altitude.

Dyer and Niehoff were chosen for the meet based on their performance last month at the Pacific Region Championships, which featured swimmers from Northern California and much of Nevada. There are 900 swimmers at the Western Zone meet from all over the Western region of the U.S. The meet runs through Saturday.