Chandler ends stellar career with sensational swim

By Morris Malakoff

Herald Writer

FEDERAL WAY — For the first time in three years, Snohomish swimmer Erica Chandler went home from a state meet without an individual title.

Chandler won Class 4A state titles in each of her first three seasons, two in each of the last two years for a total of five. But the senior was denied this year despite a stellar effort in the 200-yard freestyle Saturday at the King County Aquatics Center.

Chandler’s defense of her three-time title in the 200 freestyle event was a personal masterpiece. She swam the distance in 1:50.23, the fourth best time in state history. Unfortunately, she swam it against Goodwill Games medalist Dana Kirk of Bremerton, who put together the second-fastest time in state history, 1:49.23.

A tired and obviously disappointed Chandler seemed to be over Kirk’s mild upset as she awaited the defense of her 100 freestyle title.

"Losing wasn’t important," said Chandler. "I swam my best time ever. I was nervous before the race, but now I want to have fun in the 100."

Chandler lost her title in that race as well, finishing third behind Auburn’s Emily Kukors and Roosevelt’s Jill Kripps.

Capital replaced three-time defending titleist Snohomish as the team champion. The Cougars earned 247 points. Kamiak was the highest-finishing Western Conference school, placing third with 174 points.

Other Wesco schools in the top 10 were Snohomish with 118 points in sixth place and Oak Harbor seventh with 109.

The departure of Chandler, opens the door for a potential new star. Oak Harbor freshman Missy McIntyre surprised even herself when she ran away with the title in the 100 breaststroke. Her 1:04.49 time was two seconds better than her previous best time and good enough to qualify the 14-year old for the US National meet next spring.

"I am shocked," said McIntyre after receiving her award. "I had to check the time a couple of times to be sure I had really done it."

The meet was a qualified success for Kamiak coach Chris Erickson. His Knights had a shot at second place had they finished second in the final event, the 400 freestyle relay. After a fast start, Kamiak faded to a fourth-place finish.

"We didn’t swim badly all night," said Erickson.

Looking ahead, Erickson sees his young team possibly duplicating Capital’s third-place to championship scenario.

"Next year we will be better," said a confident Erickson.

The Knights got solid performances from a number of swimmers, particularly Shala Van Gerpen. The junior was part of the third-place 200 medley relay team, finished sixth in the 100 butterfly and seventh in the 500 freestyle event. Freshman Rikka Brunner took third in the 100 backstroke and fifth in the 200 individual medley. Sophomore Ashley Best took eighth in the same event.

1, Capital, 247; 2, Rogers, 186; 3, Kamiak, 174; 4, Roosevelt, 147; 5, Central Kitsap, 145; 6, Snohomish, 118; 7, Oak Harbor, 109; 8, Thomas Jefferson, 78.50; 9, Kentridge, 78.50; 10 (tie), Garfield, Kentlake, 73; 12, Gig Harbor, 69; 13, Wilson 68; 14, Kentwood, 66; 15, Decatur, 63; 16, Juanita, 51; 17, Eisenhower, 48; 18, Tahoma, 46; 19, Woodinville, 44; 20, Bremerton, 40.

21, Auburn, 37; 22, Inglemoor, 34; 23 (tie), Shorewood, Foss, 33; 25, Jackson, 30; 26 (tie), Hudson’s Bay, Kent-Meridian, 29; 28, Port Angeles, 28; 29, Emerald Ridge, 24; 30, Edmonds-Woodway, 18; 31, Stadium, 16; 32, Cascade, 14; 33, Lake Washington, 13; 34, Bothell, 11; 35, Shelton, 7.5; 36, Mariner, 7; 37 (tie), Davis, Wenatchee, 5; 39 (tie), Eastlake, Moses Lake, Marysville-Pilchuck, North Kitsap, 4; 43 (tie), Puyallup, Evergreen, 3; 45, Redmond, 1.

200-yard individual medley — 1, Rogers, 1:47.99; 2, Capital, 1:28.84; 3, Kamiak, 1:52.67; 4, Kentlake, 1:53.79; 5, Kentridge, 1:54.78; 6, Wilson, 1:56.08; 7, Central Kitsap, 1:56.08; 8, Shorewood, 1:56.73.

9, Oak Harbor, 1:57.34; 10, Foss, 1:57.52; 11, Jackson, 1:58.30; 12, Port Angeles, 1:58.46; 13, Inglemoor, 1:59.69; 14, Snohomish, 1:59; 15, Gig Harbor, 1:59.89; Wenatchee, DQ.

200 freestyle — 1, Dana Kirk, Bremerton, 1:49.46; 2, Erica Chandler, Snohomish, 1:50.23; 3, Jamie Tannhauser, Juanita, 1:53.07; 4, Rachel Walker, Garfield, 1:54.32; 5, Sandy Hong, Decatur, 1:54.95; 6, Megan Woodworth, Kent-Meridian, 1:57.83; 7, Kim Kripps, Roosevelt, 1:58.39; 8, Bergren Beck, Roosevelt, 1:58.89.

9, Sarah Spillman, Edmonds-Woodway, 1:56.86; 10, Stephanie Aasland, Jackson, 1:57.58; 11, Sarah Baker, Central Kitsap, 1:57.99; 12, Sara White-Delehoy, Kentlake, 1:58.35; 13, Jerrah Holth, Port Angeles, 1:58.57; 14, Carolyn Bohm, Kentwood, 1:59.07; 15, Emilie Rennie, Capital, 1:59.88; 16, Jenna Neff, Wenatchee, 2:02.64.

200 individual medley — 1, Megan Rains, Rogers, 2:02.04; 2, Emily Kukors, Auburn, 2:02.24; 3, Rachel Owens, Capital, 2:08.42; 4, Anna Grant, Hudson’s Bay, 2:08.69; 5, Rikka Brunner, Kamiak, 2:08.88; 6, Emily Schmied, Woodinville, 2:10.03; 7, Kristin Okazaki, Thomas Jefferson, 2:11.05; 8, Ashley Best, Kamiak, 2:14.25.

9, Bailey Kuestermeyer, Emerald Ridge, 2:09.26; 10, Chelsea Helgason, Capital, 2:09.97; 11, Lisa Fry, Rogers, 2:10.54; 12, Missy McIntyre, Oak Harbor, 2:11.45; 13, Erin Matthew, Central Kitsap, 2:12.87; 14, Sarah Stockwell, Kentlake, 2:12.91; 15, Rachel MacNeill, Cascade, 2:13.30; 16, Stephanie Lasby, Foss, 2:15.80.

50 freestyle — 1, Jill Kripps, Roosevelt, 23.99; 2, Kyla Meuer, Oak Harbor, 24.26; 3, Caitlin Friedhoff, Thomas Jefferson, 24.43; 4, Mallory Schuyler, Capital, 24.46; 5, Kelly Corcoran, Kentwood, 24.48; 6, Katie Fitzgerald, Capital, 24.55; 7, Andria Giovanni, Central Kitsap, 24.87; 8, Brynn Bromley, Gig Harbor, 24.93.

9, Brittany Martinec, Wilson, 25.24; 10, Larissa Barth, Eisenhower, 25.27; 11 (tie), Cherlyn Brubaker, Shelton and Raechelle Scoccolo, Kentridge, 25.39; 13, Jacklene Salwei, North Kitsap, 25.42; 14, Megan Schuyler, Capital, 25.43; 15, Whitney Warman, Lake Washington, 25.67; 16, Courtney Spurgeon, Snohomish, 26.02.

100 butterfly — 1, Dana Kirk, Bremerton, 53.99; 2, Judit Farkas, Tahoma, 57.69; 3, Chelsea Freeman, Rogers, 58.12; 4, Kristin Okazaki, Thomas Jefferson, 58.43; 5, Anna Grant, Hudson’s Bay, 58.45; 6, Shala Van Gerpen, Kamiak, 58.92; 7, Corie Beth Freeman, Rogers, 58.94; 8, Kim Kripps, Roosevelt, 59.52.

9, Mallory Schuyler, Capital, 58.23; 10, Brittany Martinec, Wilson, 58.69; 11, Ashlynn Owen, Capital, 1:00.41; 12, Rachel Hotchko, Davis, 1:00.44; 13, Kayla Littlefield, Moses Lake, 1:00.80; 14, Carole Baumgartner, Inglemoor, 1:01.10; 15, Courtney Spurgeon, Snohomish, 1:01.34; 16, Kathleen Hall, Roosevelt, 1:02.35.

100 freestyle — 1, Emily Kukors, Auburn, 50.96; 2, Jill Kripps, Roosevelt, 51.64; 3, Erica Chandler, Snohomish, 52.16; 4, Kyla Meuer, Oak Harbor, 52.36; 5, Caitlin Friedhoff, Thomas Jefferson, 52.56; 6, Andria Giovanni, Central Kitsap, 53.93; 7, Kelly Corcoran, Kentwood, 53.95; 8, Carolyn Bohm, Kentwood, 54.78.

9, Brynn Bromley, Gig Harbor, 54.16; 10, Stephanie Hulse, Kentridge, 54.66; 11, Stephanie Aasland, Jackson, 54.76; 12, Whitney Warman, Lake Washington, 55.12; 13, Jenna Neff, Wenatchee, 55.20; 14, April Swaine, Central Kitsap, 55.97; 15, Cherlyn Brubaker, Shelton, 56.05; 16, Larissa Barth, Eisenhower, 56.38.

500 freestyle — 1, Jamie Tannhauser, Juanita, 4:55.10; 2, Sandy Hong, Decatur, 5:01.23; 3, Rachel Walker, Garfield, 5:03.18; 4, Bailey Kuestermeyer, Emerald Ridge, 5:08.56; 5, Megan Woodworth, Kent-Meridian, 5:09.63; 6, Bergen Beck, Roosevelt, 5:11.08; 7, Shala Van Gerpen, Kamiak, 5:13.84; 8, Stephanie Lasby, Foss, 5:20.42.

9, Sarah Spillman, Edmonds-Woodway, 5:09.67; 10, Emilie Rennie, Capital, 5:15.62; 11, Jerrah Holth, Port Angeles, 5:19.06; 12, Lauren Molnar, Kentridge, 5:19.34; 13, Sarah Baker, Central Kitsap, 5:19.65; 14, Becky Matz, Puyallup, 5:19.71; 15, Tracie Tripple, Bothell, 5:21.91; 16, Chrissie Spence, Wilson, 5:27.40.

200 freestyle relay — 1, Capital, 1:39.80; 2, Oak Harbor, 1:41.13; 3, Roosevelt, 1:41.45; 4, Snohomish, 1:42.53; 5, Snohomish, 1:42.53; 6, Central Kitsap, 1:4.65; 7, Eisenhower, 1:43.25; 8, Kentwood, 1:43.72.

9, Gig Harbor, 1:43.27; 10, Kentridge, 1:43.47; 11, Thomas Jefferson, 1:43.50; 12, Kamiak, 1:43.80; 13, Port Angeles, 1:43.92; 14, Decatur, 1:43.95; 15, Eastlake, 1:44.84; 16, Kent-Meridian, 1:45.68.

100 backstroke — 1, Megan Rains, Rogers, 56.73; 2, Judit Farkas, Tahoma, 58.44; 3, Rikka Brunner, Kamiak, 58.50; 4, Ashlynn Owen, Capital, 59.48; 5, Emily Schmied, Woodinville, 1:00.22; 6, Corie Beth Freeman, Rogers, 1:00.55; 7, Chelsea Freeman, Rogers, 1:01.06; 8, Sara White-Delehoy, Kentlake, 1:01.51.

9, Anya Lewis, Bothell, 1:00.83; 10, Diana Rowe, Foss, 1:01.79; 11, Patricia Laverty, Kamiak, 1:01.83; 12, Ashley Heaslip, Central Kitsap, 1:02.64; 13, Jessie Rima, Marysville-Pilchuck, 1:03.23; 14, Alicia Kors, Wilson, 1:03.34; 15, Kate Clarke, Gig Harbor, 1:03.50.

100 breaststroke — 1, Missy McIntyre, Oak Harbor, 1:04.49; 2, Katie Fitzgerald, Capital, 1:06.30; 3, Sarah Stockwell, Kentlake, 1:06.42; 4, Erin Matthew, Central Kitsap, 1:06.65; 5, Rachel Owen, Capital, 1:06.78; 6, Lisa Fry, Rogers, 1:06.99; 7, Ashley Best, Kamiak, 1:08.50; 8, Jackie Benson, Shorewood, 1:08.80.

9, Chelsea Helgason, Capital, 1:08.30; 10, Rachel MacNeill, Cascade, 1:09.21; 11, Jill Spencer, Kamiak, 1:09.35; 12, Emily Rogers, Jackson, 1:10.74; 13, Erin Richmond, Snohomish, 1:10.97; 14, Patricia Thrasher, Snohomish, 1:10.98; 15, Kathleen Hall, Roosevelt, 1:11.21; 16, Dana DiPasquale, Kentridge, 1:12.28.

400 freestyle relay — 1, Capital, 3:35.32; 2, Rogers, 3:36.40; 3, Central Kitsap, 3:37.94; 4, Kamiak, 3:38.93; 5, Roosevelt, 3:39.62; 6, Snohomish, 3:43.21; 7, Wilson, 3:44.86; 8, Gig Harbor, 3:45.07.

9, Kentridge, 3:45.02; 10, Garfield, 3:45.13; 11, Thomas Jefferson, 3:45.87; 12, Inglemoor, 3:46.49; 13, Kentlake, 3:46.63; 14, Decatur, 3:47.25; 15, Kentwood, 3:48.76; 16, Eisenhower, 3:49.93.