Prep girls swimming: Marysville-Pilchuck deals Cascade its first dual-meet loss

Published 4:45 pm Wednesday, October 6, 2010

MARYSVILLE — Marysville-Pilchuck got off to a great start and used its depth to defeat Cascade 105-80 in a Wesco North girls swim meet Tuesday at the M-P pool.

The win broke a tie between M-P and the previously unbeaten Bruins for first place in the division standings.

The 200-yard medley team of Melody Travis, Hannah Taylor, Karoline Schaufler and Jewel LeValley won the opening event with a state qualifying time of 1 minute, 54.89 seconds. M-P also had teams finish in fourth and fifth places, to chalk up valuable points.

“When you finish like that from the beginning you’re feeling pretty confident,” M-P swim coach Jaci LeGore-Hodgins said. “That was a great opener.”

After that it was the Hannah Taylor show. The Tomahawk sophomore swam in all three relays for M-P, two of which the Tomahawks won. Taylor also posted a state qualifying, school record and personal best time of 1:54.94 in the 200 freestyle. This was the second time this year Taylor swam the 200 freestyle and the second time that she set a school record in it.

“She holds every record on our board except for the 500 freestyle and 100 breaststroke,” LeGore-Hodgins said.

M-P also had strong showings from a pair of freshmen swimmers.

“We had our two freshmen really shine today, Rachel Hartmeyer and Melody Coleman,” LeGore-Hodgins said.

Hartmeyer won the 500 freestyle (5:37.74) and swam on the winning 200 freestyle relay team (1:43.85) while Coleman took first in the 200 individual medley (2:19.84) and notched a personal best swimming the 100 breast stroke in 1:11.61, less than one second away from a state qualifying time.

With the victory, M-P (3-0 league, 6-1 overall) took sole possession of first place in the Wesco North, and put itself in prime position as the season winds down.

“Cascade was undefeated, we’re undefeated in league, we had to figure out who was going to come out looking like they were going to take the North,” LeGore-Hodgins said.

The Tomahawks benefited greatly from placing first, second and fourth in the 200 individual medley and first, fourth and fifth in the 200 freestyle.

“That’s a nice way to get points,” LeGore-Hodgins said.

Cascade (2-1, 10-1) was led by its own super sophomore Kalena Laurent. Laurent won the 100 backstroke and was the anchor of Cascade’s victorious 400 freestyle relay team which also featured Darcie Booth, Carissa Hopper and Nichole Carlson. Laurent, who finished second in the 200 freestyle behind Taylor, also posted a state qualifying time in the event with a time of 1:56.16.

“Kalena swam an anchor in the 200 free relay that was epic,” LeGore-Hodgins said of Laurent’s 24.75 leg in the race, 59-hundreths of a second behind Taylor’s anchor time in the event.

At Marysville-Pilchuck Pool

200 medley relay—Marysville-Pilchuck (Melody Travis, Hannah Taylor, Karoline Schaufler, Jewel LeValley) 1:54.89*; 200 freestyle—Hannah Taylor (M-P) 1:54.94*; 200 individual medley—Melody Coleman (M-P) 2:19.84; 50 freestyle—Nichole Carlson (C) 26.38; Diving—Marysa Eastman (M-P) 200.45; 100 butterfly—Jewel LeValley (M-P) 1:03.31; 100 freestyle—Darcie Booth (C) 56.75; 500 freestyle—Rachel Hartmeyer (M-P) 5:37.73; 200 freestyle relay—Marysville-Pilchuck (Jewel LeValley, Karoline Schaufler, Rachel Hartmeyer, Hannah Taylor) 1:43.85; 100 backstroke—Kalena Laurent (C) 1:04.43; 100 breaststroke—Melody Coleman (M-P) 1:11.61; 400 freestyle relay—Cascade (Darcie Booth, Carissa Hopper, Nichole Carlson, Kalena Laurent) 3:56.18. Records—Cascade 2-1 league, 10-1 overall. Marysville-Pilchuck 3-0, 6-1.

*Class 4A state meet qualifying time.