Lake Stevens junior Camden Blevins-Mohr celebrates his state title in the 50 yard freestyle during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
FEDERAL WAY — The Lake Stevens High School boys swim and dive team put in the work to have another opportunity to show what it could do in a state environment.
The work paid off handsomely, as the Vikings collected a trio of state titles and finished fifth in team scoring on Saturday at the Class 4A boys swim and dive championships at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.
“After last season, the goal for these guys was to get back to this point,” Lake Stevens head coach Brady Dykgraaf said. “And usually after that, the goal is to swim fast at this meet and then the next goal is to go take home hardware. They just flat-out skipped that second step.”
Headlined by a pair of titles in the 100-yard butterfly and 50 freestyle from junior speedster Camden Blevins-Mohr and a first-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay, the Vikings unleashed their cavalry in Federal Way.
Blevins-Mohr finished the 100 fly in 49.07 seconds and ripped through the 50 free in 20.89 seconds. He out-touched second-place finisher Aaron Bell (Issaquah) in the 50 free by 0.07 seconds and beat out Tanner Wilson (Sumner) in the 100 fly by 0.09 seconds.
“If you know Cam, that’s not razor-thin for him,” Dykgraaf said. “If Cam is in it on the last 25 yards, it’s over. We talk about that killer Viking instinct. And … holy cow.”
The Vikings’ 200 freestyle relay squad featuring Blevins-Mohr, junior Coren Coe, sophomore Samuel Lamb and freshman Sebastian Erickson finished the race in 1 minute, 26.52 seconds, which clocked in 1.07 seconds faster than second-place Newport.
“We’ve all been putting our nose to the grindstone since November,” Blevins-Mohr said, who finished 16th at state in the 100 fly last season. “And we’ve all wanted it so bad, working so hard for an end goal that we don’t know if we’re going to see. … (And) some people never see it.”
Lake Stevens had more contributions from all around. Senior Connor Weldon joined Blevins-Mohr, Coe and Lamb in the 200 medley relay for a sixth-place medal with a time of 1:37.52. Lamb added an eighth-place finish in the 50 free (21.94 seconds), and junior Hunter Latham, who came into the preliminaries as a wild-card choice in the 200 freestyle, finished seventh with a time of 1:47.18.
Lake Stevens sophomore Samuel Lamb swims neck-and-neck with the competition in the 100 yard freestyle consolation during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
“Not only did everybody do their part, their maturity showed,” Dykgraaf said of his relay teams. “To have 16-year-olds up on those blocks and all they want to do in the world is go fast. … They were bottled lightning this weekend.”
With just one graduating senior among the Vikings’ state participants, Lake Stevens looks to run things back next winter.
“I’m going to be happy to see these guys back (next year) as swimmers,” Dykgraaf said. “But to have them back as people, that’s the other thing. … It’s not unfinished business, it’s the gang getting back together.”
Shorecrest rides junior depth to fifth-place finish in 3A
Shorecrest junior Kason Kirkpatrick swims in the 100 yard butterfly final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Fresh off its fourth straight district championship, Shorecrest leaned on its depth at the 3A boys swim and dive Championships.
The Scots garnered their second consecutive fifth-place team finish at state, and they did it by penning top placements in a variety of swims. Shorecrest etched top-seven finishes in the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke and the 200 medley relay.
“One of the amazing things about this group is that next year we’re going to bring back everyone who swam today except one person,” Scots head coach Scott Kelley said. “The 200 medley relay really was the standout relay for us, I was really proud of their performance.”
Senior Jack Wheatley and juniors Kason Kirkpatrick, Danny Stephenson and Ian Reece finished the 200 medley relay in 1:37.93, earning a sixth-place medal.
Junior Colton Stoecker claimed a third-place medal in the 500 freestyle at 4:41.06 and took fourth place in the 200 freestyle at 1:44.31. Kirkpatrick took fourth in the 100 fly (51.83 seconds) and Reece finished seventh in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 59.15 seconds.
“Honestly, I would have to shout out everyone,” Stoecker said. “Everyone swam great and we placed great. A lot better than we thought going into this meet, and we proved each other wrong and it was awesome to see that. All the hard work we did throughout the season paid off.”
Junior trio anchors Snohomish to 10th-place 3A finish
Snohomish swimmer Torsten Hokanson anchors his team in the 400 yard freestyle relay consolation race during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Panthers juniors Owen Collins and Torsten Hokanson each earned a pair of top-five finishes in the 3A state championships, and Connor Colloton added a top-five placement to the mix as Snohomish finished 10th in the team standings.
Hokanson, who broke a 37-year-old district meet record in the 100 freestyle last weekend, took second in the state swim with a time of 46.47 seconds. He also added a third-place medal in the 200 freestyle (1:43.57).
“I don’t even know where to start,” Snohomish head coach Ron Belleza said. “These three boys came into together as sophomores and now they’re breaking school records as juniors, so that’s been super exciting to see.”
Collins placed third in the 100 breaststroke, clocking in at 56.63 seconds, after setting a new school record in the preliminaries Friday. He tacked on a fifth-place finish in the 200 individual medley (1:55.53).
Colloton finished fifth in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:46.73 and also broke the school record at prelims. He added a ninth-place finish in the 100 backstroke (53.24 seconds).
“I think we have a really good trio, these are my best friends,” Collins said. “This is my best season yet. I just kept on dropping times, and going on trips like this with the team (is) probably one of the best things about swimming.”
After placing third at state in the 100 breaststroke last winter, Archbishop Murphy junior Evan Wold broke through and cashed in a 1A/2A state title on Saturday. He swam the 100 breaststroke in 58.29 seconds. He also pocketed a second-place medal in the 100 butterfly with a time of 52.16 seconds.
Archbishop Murphy senior Trevor Abramson placed second in Thursday’s diving event with 245 points.
Otherlocal placers
Jackson senior Ethan Georgiev took fourth in the 100 freestyle and placed sixth in the 200 freestyle for 4A. He raced the 100 free in 48.02 seconds and the 200 free in 1:46.55. Junior Vyron Domingo placed seventh in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:57.80. The Timberwolves’ 200 medley (Georgiev, Domingo, Ethan Chen-Parks, Prestyn Ruijters) and 200 freestyle (Georgiev, Domingo, Chen-Parks, Nolan Thai) relay teams each finished seventh.
Cascade senior Yurii Onofriichuk finished fifth in 3A in the 100 backstroke with a time of 52.17 seconds.
Kamiak junior Cade Farmer placed seventh in Thursday’s 4A diving finals with 295.30 points.
Lake Stevens junior Camden Blevins-Mohr swims his way to a state title in the 100 yard butterfly during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Jackson senior Ethan Georgiev ties for 4th in state in the 100 yard freestyle final during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens sophomore Samuel Lamb swims neck-and-neck with the competition in the 100 yard freestyle consolation during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Jackson’s Ethan Chen-Parks swims the breaststroke in the 200 yard medley relay during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
A Lake Stevens swimmer dives in during the team’s first place finish in the 4×50 freestyle relay during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Jackson freshman Nolan Thai swims in the 500 yard freestyle consolation during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Glacier Peak senior Kaiu Taylor finishes the 50 yard freestyle consolation during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens junior Hunter Latham takes 7th in state in the 200 yard freestyle during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens swimmer Camden Blevins-Mohr receives one of his two first place medals from Lake Stevens head coach Brady Dykgraaf during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Jackson senior Ethan Chen-Parks makes the final turn in the 100 yard breaststroke consolation race during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Jackson’s Ethan Georgiev swims in the 200 yard freestyle final during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Kamiak’s Bryan Zi Wong heads to the finish line in the 500 yard freestyle consolation during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Jackson junior Byron Domingo swims the butterfly in the 200 yard individual medley during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens competes in the 200 yard medley relay final during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Jackson’s Prestyn Ruijters swims the butterfly for his team in the 200 yard medley relay during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lake Stevens junior Camden Blevins-Mohr dons his bucket hat after receiving one of his two state champion medals during the WIAA 4A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Stanwood’s Levi Steirs takes off in the 50 yard backstroke adaptive swim during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorecrest junior Kason Kirkpatrick swims in the 100 yard butterfly final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorewood senior Larson Buchholz swims in the 100 yard butterfly consolation race during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish swimmer Torsten Hokanson anchors his team in the 400 yard freestyle relay consolation race during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorecrest junior Ian Reece swims the breaststroke in the 200 yard individual medley final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorewood senior Ben Allen swims to the wall in the 100 yard backstroke final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish’s Connor Colloton congratulates a fellow swimmer after swimming in the 100 yard backstroke consolation race during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
A Shorewood swimmer takes his turn in the 4×50 freestyle relay final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorecrest junior Colton Stoecker approaches the wall while swimming in the 500 yard freestyle final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish junior Connor Colloton swims to a top-5 finish in the 500 yard freestyle final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorecrest junior Tristan Serrano swims in the 100 yard freestyle consolation during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorecrest’s Colton Stoecker swims for his team in the 400 yard freestyle relay final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Stanwood junior Lloyd Hau swims in the 100 yard breaststroke consolation during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorewood freshman Frederick Anderson swims anchor for his team in the 400 yard freestyle relay consolation race during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish junior Torsten Hokanson is the first to hit the water as swimmers dive in for the 100 yard freestyle final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish junior Owen Collins swims the backstroke in the 200 yard individual medley final during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Shorecrest sophomore Zander Muilenburg, top, swims in the 500 yard freestyle consolation during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish junior Owen Collins takes third place in state in the 100 yard breaststroke during the WIAA 3A Boys Swim and Dive Championships on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Sprinter/hurdler and Arlington alum Parker Duskin says Monday’s decision is ‘not the Cougar Way.’
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