Swimmers see huge improvements at KingCo meet
February 9, 2009
By Christopher Huber
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Liberty freshman Logan Briggs finishes the 200-yard freestyle race at the Mary Wayte Pool on Mercer Island. By Christopher Huber
Skyline High School freshman Ashton Powell had a great swim Feb. 7.
Though he placed 16th overall in the 500-yard freestyle race at the KingCo Class 3A/4A league swim meet at Mary Wayte Pool, he shaved 14 seconds off of his previous best time. He swam it in 5 minutes, 35.86 seconds, qualifying for districts this week at Juanita.“He just rocked that event,” Skyline coach Susan Simpkins said. “He did great.”
So did much of the Spartans’ team.
Junior Alex Palumbo qualified for the 4A state meet with a strong performance in the 500-free, as well, cutting about four seconds from his season best. He finished the race in third place with a time of 4:58.72, behind Mercer Island’s Murray Longbotham (4:40.18) and Roosevelt’s Cameron Johnson (4:57.51).
Despite finishing the meet 10th out of 19 teams, Skyline will send a total of 15 swimmers to the district meet this week, Simpkins said, including junior John Gerlach, who placed second in the 200-free (2:03.54), and David Jett, who swam the 100 free in 51.12 seconds.
“Everybody swam really, really well,” Simpkins said. “It was so fun to watch.”
Skyline’s relay teams performed well, too. The Spartans’ 200-yard medley relay team finished ninth overall, with a time just three seconds shy of qualifying for state — 1:48.87.
Skyline placed seventh in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:35.75. The state-qualifying mark is 1:33.90.
“It was a good day,” Simpkins said. “Peter (Wicklund) and I could not have been happier with them.”
Issaquah places 11th in KingCo
The Eagles fared all right at the league meet on Mercer Island.
Junior Jack Taylor fared the best, finishing in the top six in both the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley. He finished in 57.91 and 2:11.64, respectively, qualifying for districts in both.
Senior Kyle Stratiner placed sixth in diving with a score of 314.75 points.
In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Issaquah placed eighth with a time of 3:36.69. The team finished with 178 points for 11th place overall.
Liberty advances 10 to districts
Patriot freshman Logan Briggs is fast. In fact, according to coach Kris Daughters, he’s the fastest on the team.
“I really respect Logan because of what a team player he is,” she said. “He makes it fun for the other guys.”
Briggs placed second at the KingCo meet in the 200-yard freestyle race (1:48.41) and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle (50.23 seconds). Both times were good enough to qualify him for state.
“I knew that (Mercer Island’s) Alexander Hoff was going to go out fast, so I was hoping for second or third,” Briggs said after the 200-freestyle race. “I got a best time by a second, so that made me happy.”
Hoff finished the event in 1:42.62.
Briggs’ brother, junior Austin Briggs, set two lifetime-best times Feb. 7, Daughters said. Austin Briggs finished 13th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.36 seconds and finished the 100-yard butterfly in 57.23 seconds.
Liberty senior Alex Bell played a major role in the team’s relay success, Daughters said.
The team placed sixth in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:29.72 and Bell held down the third leg of that race.
“He really pulled together on Saturday for us,” Daughters said.
She said Liberty had already qualified for state in the 200-yard freestyle relay, so it will focus on starts and turns this week in other relays. The team finished with 143 points for 13th place overall.
“I think we did pretty well for KingCo,” Daughters said. “I would like to see one of our relays make top six — probably the 400 free relay.”
Reach Reporter Christopher Huber at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.
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