FEDERAL WAY — In the moments immediately after touching the wall, Jetlynn Hau wasn’t quite sure whether she’d won.
“My goggles were a little foggy, so I couldn’t tell if it was my name that it said first place (next) to,” the Stanwood High School junior swimmer said with a laugh. “So I asked my (teammates) if I’d won. I didn’t really know.”
Hau’s teammates at the edge of the pool were more than eager to share the news: After third-place state finishes in the same event each of the past two years, Hau was a state champion.
Hau became the first girls swimmer in Stanwood program history to win an individual state title, claiming the 100-yard breaststroke crown Saturday during the Class 3A swim and dive state championships at King County Aquatic Center.
“It feels amazing,” said Hau, who also placed eighth in the 200 individual medley. “I’ve been working so hard this year — I just really wanted to win this breaststroke. It really means a lot to me.”
Hau touched the wall in an All-American consideration time of 1 minute, 3.97 seconds, finishing 0.36 seconds ahead of second-place Lakeside sophomore Allison Su. Hau was 0.08 seconds behind Su at the race’s midway point, but surged ahead in the final 50 yards.
“She was not happy with her third-place finish (last year) and was really looking to win this year,” Stanwood coach Rita Peterson said. “And coming in seeded first, she knew that she needed to swim harder, (and) she knew those girls were going to swim faster as well.
“She knows how to be most efficient in the water, and she knows how to maximize every single stroke,” Peterson added. “She is a natural breaststroker. … Everything is moving forward, she’s always streamlined and she’s getting the maximum amount out of her stroke.”
Stanwood junior Jetlynn Hau smiles after receiving her first-place medal after winning the breaststroke at the 3A state swimming and diving championships on Nov. 10, 2018, in Federal Way. Hau finished with a time of 1:03.97 in the event to capture her first state title. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Motivated by coming close to state titles each of the past two seasons, Hau upped her training regimen this year and began lifting weights. Peterson said it’s not uncommon for Hau to train three times a day — in the morning, afternoon and evening.
“Jetlynn is not dissimilar to all of these state swimmers who put in that kind of time,” Peterson said. “But when you break down the number of hours that she’s in the pool, it’s one-third of her day almost daily. … There are some times that she’s in the pool for six hours a day.”
It all paid off Saturday with her climb to the top of the state podium.
“I’ve been training so hard (and) I’ve put so much effort into this,” Hau said. “It just feels like everything I’ve done is worth it.”
SNOHOMISH SOPHOMORE DIVER DEFENDS CROWN
Snohomish’s Kayli Koersavage dives during the 3A state swimming and diving championships on Nov. 10, 2018, in Federal Way. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Two years, two state titles.
After winning last year’s state crown by the slimmest of margins, Snohomish sophomore Kayli Kersavage defended her title by winning her second consecutive 3A diving state championship.
“To come in and repeat as a sophomore, … that’s incredible,” Snohomish diving coach Marc Hughes said. “I don’t want to put any pressure on her. I wanted to walk up to her and say, ‘OK, two down, two to go.’ I’m not going to do that to her, but that’s just incredible.”
Kersavage posted a total score of 423.15 points, finishing 19.15 points ahead of second-place Squalicum senior and district rival Helene Synnott.
“I’m just very thankful,” Kersavage said. “It was super stressful leading up to it, but in the long run it feels super exciting.”
Last year, Kersavage edged Synnott by a mere 0.15 points for the state title. Synnott got the upper hand last week by beating Kersavage for the 3A Northwest District title, but the Snohomish standout rebounded Saturday to finish atop the state podium.
“Helene is a strong competitor, so I knew that we had to be there for all 11 dives,” Hughes said. “And Kayli was there for all 11. She did really well. … Kayli was much stronger in those final three (dives at state) than she was at districts, and that’s really kind of what held it for her.”
Hughes said one of Kersavage’s greatest strengths is her ability to make a clean entry into the pool.
“The biggest thing that I think is incredible about Kayli is her ability to find the bottom of the dives,” Hughes said. “Even if she doesn’t take off well off the board, (or) even if something doesn’t happen right with her arms when she’s coming off, she has that ability to still get the dive through and find the bottom.”
With this weekend’s winning performance, Kersavage bettered last year’s state score by more than 27 points. Hughes said one of her biggest improvements from last year is her ability to gain more air off the board.
“I think that’s one of the things that has really made her a stronger diver … (and even) that much more competitive,” Hughes said.
Kersavage led the Panthers to an eighth-place finish in the 3A team standings.
Snohomish junior Mieko Schwartzmiller earned a third-place medal in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.98) and freshman teammate Kendall Bensen placed sixth in the 100 backstroke (1:00.23).
KAMIAK SWIMMER HAS BIG MEET
Kamiak’s Elli Straume competes in the 200-yard freestyle during the 4A state swimming and diving championships on Nov. 10, 2018, in Federal Way. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Elli Straume has reached the podium in all 12 state races she’s swam.
The Kamiak junior standout added four more trips to the podium Saturday night, earning a pair of top-three individual medals and anchoring a pair of relay teams to podium spots in an ultra-fast 4A meet filled with state records.
Straume placed second in the 200 freestyle with an All-American consideration time of 1:49.24, the sixth-fastest time in 4A state meet history. It was her second consecutive runner-up state finish in the event.
Straume also placed third in the 500 freestyle (5:00.40), giving her six individual state medals in her three-year prep career. She now has four top-three individual state finishes.
In addition, Straume anchored the Kamiak team of Ava Collinge, Song-Nhi Vo and Grace Hatscher to a second-place medal in the 200 freestyle relay. The team’s time of 1:37.58 ranked third in 4A state meet history.
Straume also anchored the Knights’ 200 medley relay team of Vo, Sophia Ryu and Collinge to a seventh-place finish. Straume has helped six relay teams to state podium spots over the course of her career.
Collinge, a sophomore, placed third in the 100 butterfly with an All-American consideration time of 55.33 seconds.
Kamiak took seventh place in the 4A team standings, earning its fourth consecutive top-eight state finish.
SOPHOMORE LEADS JACKSON
Jackson’s Mia Chang swims the breaststroke leg of the 200-yard medley relay during the 4A state swimming and diving championships on Nov. 10, 2018, in Federal Way. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Jackson sophomore Mia Chang placed third in the 100 backstroke (56.55) for the second straight year, claiming the third top-five individual state medal of her career.
Chang also led the team of Emily Mun, Caitlyn Anderson and Heidi Ly to fifth-place finishes in the 200 medley relay (1:47.51) and 400 freestyle relay (3:37.36). Chang closed the meet by swimming three races in a row, capped by a strong anchor leg in the 400 freestyle relay.
“Athletes don’t swim back-to-back individual events at these meets for a reason, because it’s hard,” Timberwolves coach Drew Whorley said. “And she wanted to do it. She asked to do it.
“I’m just really impressed with her desire to embrace that challenge, and then to really persevere and compete.”
Ly, a junior, placed fifth in the 100 backstroke (57.47).
Jackson finished ninth in the 4A team standings.
RECORD-SETTING 4A MEET
Five of the 12 state champions in the 4A meet set overall state meet records, and another champion broke a 4A state meet record.
North Creek senior Gabrielle Dang, who was named 4A swimmer of the meet, set overall meet records in the 50 freestyle (22.91) and 100 butterfly (52.58).
“It’s incredible,” Whorley said of the record-setting night. “The number of state records and meet records, I think it really speaks to the senior class that’s represented in this group amongst all the schools.
“It’s a special day for Washington state swimming. These are swims that will sit on the record books for a while.”
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