FEDERAL WAY — It’s a good thing they ran out of bubble gum.
When they weren’t dominating in the pool, members of the Jackson High School girls swimming team wore bright-pink T-shirts Saturday. The message printed on the back of the shirts said, “We’re here to chew bubble gum and swim fast … we’re all out of bubble gum.”
Jackson made good on its declaration, generating the best day in program history.
Fueled by a variety of outstanding individual efforts and dominating relay squads, Jackson won the Class 4A team title at the 2008 state swimming and diving championships at King County Aquatic Center. The Timberwolves won two relays (200-yard medley and 400 freestyle), and got individual victories from Amber McDermott (500 freestyle) and Alana Pazevic (50 freestyle).
In the team standings Jackson scored 190 points. Second-place Garfield had 157.5. Jackson’s team championship is the first in program history. Its previous-best finish was seventh, which it achieved in 2007 and 2004.
“It’s something we’ve talked about all season (but) you don’t really think it’s real until that last relay exchange is safe,” said Jackson head coach Drew Whorley.
“It’s been a really great experience,” Jackson sophomore Amber McDermott said. “We’re really happy because swimming isn’t really a big deal at our school and now everyone will know that we won state.”
McDermott was named the outstanding 4A swimmer of the meet. She won the 500 freestyle in state-record time and also placed second in the 200 individual medley, in which competitors use all four strokes. McDermott was also on the T-wolves two first-place relays units.
Also contributing a leg to each of those winning relays was Jackson junior Pazevic. She won an individual state title in the 50 freestyle. Asked what she thought about before that race, Pazevic said: “Let’s do this. Get in and get it done.”
She did, winning in 23.55 seconds, a personal best and an automatic All-America time.
“She has so much raw talent,” Whorley said of Pazevic, who was third in the 100 freestyle, “and she’s doing a lot of technical work right now in her club program.”
This is the first year McDermott and her sister, junior Courtney McDermott, have swam for Jackson. They previously competed only for a club team.
Adding the McDermott sisters to an already gifted group put Jackson over the top among statewide competition, Whorley said. Amber McDermott has bigger swims ahead. In January she will compete for the USA Swimming Girls National Junior Team in Guam.
Everything fell into place Saturday for Jackson, which kicked off the finals with a victory in the first event, the 200 medley relay. The T-Wolves foursome of Amber McDermott, Marina Pomar-Enders, Pazevic and Erin Holladay won it in 1:48.02, an automatic All-America time.
Fast forward to the last event, the 400 freestyle relay. Coach Whorley was finally able to relax and smile without apprehension when the McDermotts, Pomar-Enders and Pazevic beat event runner-up Garfield by more than four seconds. It was another automatic All-America time (3:32.26) by the T-wolves.
That finished a memorable, historic weekend for Whorley’s crew. In addition to winning its first team title, Jackson achieved many other firsts: It had never won a relay title or had more than one individual event winner at state.
“All the credit goes to the girls — the enthusiasm, the dedication to the sport, the fun they’ve brought to it,” Whorley said.
“It’s just a joy to be a part of,” he added.
Whorley, in his 11th season at Jackson, was named 4A Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
