Spartans to represent Northwest at Olympic swimming trials
June 26, 2012
Andie Taylor
For a school that opened a mere 15 years ago, the fact that Skyline High School has produced two potential Olympic athletes is nothing short of phenomenal. In fact, Katie Kinnear and Andie Taylor’s former coach was at a loss words.
“It’s just kind of unbelievable,” Skyline girls swimming coach Susan Simpkins said. “The Olympics are the pinnacle of swimming. When you swim, you want to swim at the Olympics.”
Taylor graduated from Skyline in 2010 and just finished her sophomore year at Stanford University. At Skyline, she was a seven-time individual state champion and led Skyline to the state title her senior year. The success continued at Stanford, where she earned All-American honors in both of her first two years.
Kinnear also was a seven-time individual state champion and she took Skyline to its second and third consecutive state championships. Kinnear just graduated and is planning to attend UCLA in the fall. Read more
Issaquah father-son duo post victories at swimming championships
June 5, 2012
Father and son duo Willy and Gentry Gevers recently competed in the Pacific Northwest Association Masters Regional Swimming Championships at the King County Aquatic Center and each came home with first place finishes.
The younger Gevers, Gentry, won gold medals in the 100-yard back (55.69), the 100-yard butterfly (55.31), and the 50-yard back (25.73). Gentry was a four-year star at Issaquah High School, going to state in four events in his senior year. He will attend Concordia College in California on a swimming scholarship.
Willy Gevers came home with age-group gold medals in the 50 and 100 breast stroke and has recorded the fourth-fastest age-group times in those events in Pacific Northwest Association history. They were also the only father-son duo at the meet and the high point scorers in the family division.
“It was a real treat to race with my son, and a family memory I’ll never forget,” Willy Gevers said.
The Gevers family are longtime Issaquah residents, with their four children all competing in swimming and track at Issaquah High School.
Issaquah Eagle is chosen to swim for Olympic pipeline team
April 17, 2012
Sierra Hoffman, an Issaquah High School junior, puts her arms up to block a shot during practice with the Rain City Water Polo team April 12 at the Mercer Island Country Club. By Greg Farrar
It’s a known fact that when water polo players from the Pacific Northwest travel to California for training and camps, they tend to stand out.
For their hard work and ethic, yes, but also because their skin can take time getting used to the summer sun.
Former gymnast leads Spartan swimmers to win over Mustangs
January 25, 2011
Skyline High School sophomore Max Levy quit club gymnastics and picked up diving just five months ago. By mid-season, he had qualified for the state diving meet and has thus far broken the school record three times, according to coaches and teammates.
“He’s going to do real well,” said Skyline head coach Susan Simpkins.
David Jett takes a breath in the 100-yard freestyle event Jan. 18 at the Julius Boehm Pool. By Christopher Huber
Levy scored six points for the Spartans swim and dive team when he beat Redmond’s Phillip Klassen 205.4 to 204.2. Skyline ultimately won 115.5 to 69.5, improving to 5-4 in dual meets on the season. Although it was a low-key meet, numerous Spartan swimmers shaved time off of their previous bests and a couple set KingCo- and district-qualifying times in their respective races.
