Matt King has already reached tremendous heights as a collegiate men’s swimmer. Now he’s joined the nation’s elite, regardless of age.
The Glacier Peak High School graduate, now a junior at the University of Virginia, was one of 53 men named to USA Swimming’s national team roster. The national team consists of the top-six athletes in each event based on times registered in a 50-meter pool between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31. This is King’s first time as a member of the national team.
King, an 11-time All-American, made the team in the 50-meter freestyle after he won the event at the 2022 Phillips 66 National Championships on July 30 in Irvine, California. His winning time of 21.83 seconds, which was 0.18 better than the rest of the field, ranked him fourth in the nation. He joins the likes of Caeleb Dressel, who was the gold medalist in the event at the 2020 Olympics, and Michael Andrew, who won a 2020 Olympic gold medal as a member of the U.S. 400 freestyle relay team, as part of the national team’s 50-meter roster.
King also tied for first in the 100 freestyle at the Phillips 66 National Championships. His time of 48.44 finished in a dead heat with Zach Apple, who was another member of the U.S. 400 freestyle relay team at the 2020 Olympics.
As a member of the national team King is eligible for benefits including monthly stipends for training expenses, reimbursement for travel expenses to major meets and access to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
AquaSox’s Packard earns Player of the Month honor
Everett AquaSox outfielder Spencer Packard was named the Northwest League’s Player of the Month for September.
Packard, a ninth-round pick in the 2021 draft by the Seattle Mariners, appeared in nine games in September, batting .406 with a .525 on-base percentage and .781 slugging percentage. He led the league in on-base percentage, hits (13), runs (10) and total bases (25) during the month.
Packard finished the season slashing .282/.397/.490 in 69 games, slugging 12 home runs and driving in 37.
Uderitz named NWAC Player of the Week
Snohomish High School graduate Beckham Uderitz, now a freshman midfielder on the Whatcom Community College men’s soccer team, was named the Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week for Sept. 26-Oct. 2.
Uderitz totalled two goals and two assists as the Orcas won games against challenging opponents, beating Everett 3-0 and Highline 5-2.
Overall Uderitz has three goals and four assists in eight games for Whatcom, which is 7-1-3 in the North Region and 8-2-3 overall.
Everett men drop in NWAC soccer poll
The Everett Community College men’s soccer team fell out of the top spot in the latest Northwest Athletic Conference coaches poll, landing at N0. 3.
Everett, which is 7-2-2 in the North Region and 8-2-2 overall, received 86 points, including one first-place vote. Peninsula moved up to No. 1 with 119 points and eight first-place votes. The top four teams in the rankings all come from the North Region.
If you have an item for the community sports roundup, email Nick Patterson at npatterson@heraldnet.com.
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