FEDERAL WAY — Prior to the finals of the 3A girls state swim meet at the King County Aquatics Center Saturday, Meadowdale’s Anna Keane found herself in somewhat of an unfamiliar position — worried.
She entered the meet with the best preliminary time in the 50-yard freestyle by a wide margin, but she was more than half a second off the top time in the 100 free. Columbia River’s Monica Bottelberghe most likely stood between Keane and two individual event crowns.
“I knew Monica was a very, very fast swimmer,” Keane said. “I’ve raced her before, but she’s gotten so much better in the past year. I was very worried.”
The two sophomores dueled to a tight race, but Keane out touched Bottleberghe for the win.
“I knew it was close,” Keane said. “She had a better turn on the third 50 and it made me think, ‘oh my gosh, if I don’t get my arm tempo up she’s going to beat me.’ I really put my head down and got her by a hand.”
Keane’s time of 50.62 seconds not only topped Bottleberghe in second place, but qualified Keane for National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association All-America honors, representing the top 100 swimmers in the country for that event.
“She had an amazing swim for herself,” Meadowdale coach Kati Girard It was somewhat of a surprise to be an All-American in the 100 considering the 50 free is what Girard calls, “her baby.”
Keane missed the All-American automatic qualifier in the 50 by one hundredth of a second.
Her time of 24.0 seconds in the 50 was eight-tenths better than second place and means she has to wait and see if her time is in the top 100 to officially earn the All American distinction in that event.
“It was a little upsetting, but I beat my (personal best) time by three tenths which is a lot,” Keane said.
Mountlake Terrace’s Riley Morgan took seventh in the 50 free in 25.78.
Keane was one of only two 3A swimmers to take two event titles on the day.
There were two other individual medalists from Snohomish County at the 3A level.
Oak Harbor’s Ciara Hu took eighth place in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:16.01.
Glacier Peak’s Katlyn Christenson finished sixth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.23 and eighth in the 500 free in 5:18.81 In the team competition, Mercer Island took first with 340 points. Glacier Peak took 13th place with 57 points and Meadowdale was 14th with 55. Oak Harbor followed in 17th with 47 points.
Cascade’s Laurent takes second as does Snohomish relay team
It was a big day for Kalena Laurent and the Cascade swim team in the 4A state meet. The Bruins junior equaled her fourth-place finish from a year ago in the 200 free, but trimmed a second off her 2010 time and broke the school record, swimming in 1:52.88. Laurent also helped her team take seventh in both the 200 and 400 free relays.
What was most exciting at the end of the day, was the prospect of her and her team’s return to next year’s state meet.
Laurent took second place in the 100 butterfly behind four-time state champion Katie Kinnear of Skyline, who swam a blazing 53.46. Laurent came in at 56.81 about a half a second ahead of Jackson’s Kaitlin Taylor in third. With Kinnear and the fourth-place swimmer graduating, Taylor and Laurent expect to battle for the 100 fly title in 2012.
“We said, ‘I guess we’ll have to shoot for first and second next year, because Katie’s going to be gone,’” Laurent said. “One of us will get a win.”
An individual crown would be significant for the Cascade program.
“It would be huge,” Laurent said. “I don’t think that’s ever happened to Cascade before.”
In the team competition Cascade finished ninth with 95 points, one spot behind Snohomish, which was the top local team with 102 points, but Bruin coach Eric Smith took a moment at the end of the day to think about next season when he returns his entire team, adding what he thinks are some talented eighth graders.
“We’ll be going for (Snohomish) next year and see what we can do,” Smith said. “It would be really nice to be top five…We’re kinda sitting pretty.”
Snohomish’s relay teams carried the Panthers and the final event of the 4A meet, the 400 free relay, vaulted Snohomish over Cascade in the team standings. Only Skyline, which took the overall team crown with 202 points, could beat Snohomish in the 400.
“I’ve got to give props to Skyline,” Snohomish coach Rob Serviss said. “That time that they put up is crazy fast — No. 3 in Washington state history. Our girls did great. They all split better than the day before. They broke their school record by almost two seconds. I’m just super excited with their swim. Sometimes you have a great swim and it gets beaten by a better one. There’s no shame in that.”
Snohomish’s Shelby Garrison, Ella Brooks, Alexa Weyer and Madelene
Baker finished in 3:36.40. Lake Steven’s Madeline Summers, Lindsay Vanderhoff, Felicity Speirs and Kelsey Fallstrom ended up fourth in 3:40.13 Garrison, Brooks, Weyer and Baker also took fourth in the 200 Medley relay (1:51.68).
Jackson’s Kaela McKee, Mimi Win, Kaitlin Taylor and Jacee Hamlin finished in 1:52.83 to take seventh.
Jackson coach Drew Whorley was pleasantly surprised with his team that finished 16th overall.
“We were great (Friday) and we were consistent with that (Saturday),” Whorley said. “We tried to beat one more team (per race) and we did that.
“I’m really pleased.”
Jackson’s McKee tied for fifth in the 50 free, swimming in 24.42 seconds. Baker of Snohomish took eighth in the 50 in 24.73.
“I was really happy with it because it was my (personal) best time,” McKee said.
Monroe’s Cathryn Armstrong was the only freshman from the area to medal. Armstrong said she was nervous swimming on such a big stage, which meant a poor qualifying time that put her in lane eight for the final.
“I was shaking ever since I was in the line, so I was really nervous,” Armstrong said. “Once I got in the water I was good.”
Armstrong shaved nearly a second off her preliminary time, coming in at 58.43 and taking home fifth place. She was one hundredth of a second from fourth place.
Other individual medalists in the 4A meet included, Jackson’s Taylor taking seventh in the 200 IM in 2:11.73. Also Kelsey Fallstrom from Lake Stevens swam the 100 free in 53 seconds to take the fifth-place medal.
Bettag finishes 4th in 50 free
Archbishop Murphy’s Sarah Bettag finished fourth in the 50 freestyle to lead the Wildcats to a XX finish at the 2A state meet.
“That was my first time going under 25 seconds,” said Bettag, “so it’s pretty exciting for me. I surprised myself and my coach. I had a great race.”
Class 4A State Meet
At King County Aquatics Center, Federal Way
Team results
9. Snohomish 102, 10. Cascade 95, 12. Lake Stevens 83, 16. Jackson 76.5, 17. Bothell 65, 24. Monroe 30, 35. Kamiak 11, 37. Marysville Pilchuck 9.
Individual results
200 medley relay—7. Jackson (Kaela McKee, Mimi Win, Kaitlin Taylor, Jacee Hamlin) 1:52.83, 10. Lake Stevens (Madeline Summers, Kelsey Fallstrom, Lindsay Vanderhoff, Felicity Speirs) 1:52.87, 14. Kamiak (Amie Wilson, Ingrid Straume, Laura Johnson, Alyssa Jacobson) 1:58.07;
200 freestyle—7. Kelsey Fallstrom (LS) 1:56.41;
200 individual medley—7. Kaitlin Taylor (J) 2:11.73, 14. Laura Johnson (K) 2:14.74;
50 freestyle—5. Kaela McKee (J) 24.42, 13. Lindsay Vanderhoff (LS) 25.2, 14. Nichol Carlson (C) 25.27
Diving—
100 butterfly—2. Kalena Laurent (C) 56.81, 3. Kaitlin Taylor (J) 57.27, 14. Lindsay Vanderhoff (LS) 1:01.09;
100 freestyle—5. Kelsey Fallstrom (LS) 53.00, 10. Catherine Armstrong (M) 54.42;
500 freestyle—11. Demetra Laurent (C) 5:20.32;
200 freestyle relay—7. Cascade (Shelby Leathers, Darcie Booth, Nichole Carlson, Kalena Laurent) 1:41.87, 16. Kamiak (Laura Johnson, Alyssa Jacobson, Haley Lasley, Ingrid Straume) 1:45.59;
100 backstroke—5. Catherine Armstrong (M) 58.43, 8. Kaela McKee (J) 59.92, 11. Madeline Summers (LS) 1:00.01, 13. Lavinya Yap (M) 1:00.19
100 breaststroke—9. Melody Coleman (MP) 1:08.88;
400 freestyle relay—4. Lake Stevens (Madeline Summers, Lindsay Vanderhoff, Felicity Speirs, Kelsey Fallstrom) 3:40.13, 7. Cascade (Demetra Laurent, Darcie Booth, Nichole Carlson, Kalena Laurent) 3:42.11
Class 3A State Meet
At King County Aquatics Center, Federal Way
Team results
6. Shorewood 129, 13. Glacier Peak 57, 14. Meadowdale 55, 17. Oak Harbor 47, 33. Marysville Getchell 2, 33. Shorecrest 2.
Individual results
200 medley relay—10. Glacier Peak (Autumn Wunderlich, Katlyn Christenson, Lauren Cooley, Cara Prange) 1:59.09, 11. Meadowdale (Laura Lundberg, Anne Shirey, Lindsey Montzingo, Anna Keane) 1:59.14, 13. Shorewood (Nicola Gerbino, Christina Garrison, Ann Tardiff, Megan Ransom) 1:59.17, 14. Oak Harbor (Karina Concepcion, Olivia Meyer, Ciara Hu, Angela Johnson) 1:59.43;
200 freestyle—8. Anni Stenfjord (SWD) 1:59.71, 16. Lauren Cooley (GP) 2:05.07;
200 individual medley—8. Ciara Hu (OH) 2:16.01;
50 freestyle—1. Anna Keane (M) 23.5, 4. Anni Hecker (SWD) 25.21, 7. Riley Morgan (MT) 25.78, 12. Alicia Hoverson (SWD) 25.85;
Diving—16. D. Griffin (SCT) 249.3;
100 butterfly—9. Ciara Hu (OH) 1:01.18, 16. Sarah Semon (SCT) 1:04.05;
100 freestyle—1. Anna Keane (M) 50.62, 6. Anni Hecker (SWD) 54.6, 7. Annika Stenfjord (SWD) 54.76
500 freestyle—8. Katlyn Christenson (GP) 5:18.81, 11. Lauren Cooley (GP) 5:24.56, 15. Rachel Hartmeyer (MG) 5:29.14;
200 freestyle relay—5. Shorewood (Annika Stenfjord, Alicia Hoverson, Megan Ransom, Anni Hecker) 1:43.2, 9. Oak Harbor (Karina Concepcion, Therese Desquitado, Ciara Hu, Angela Johnson) 1:45.64;
100 backstroke—14. Karina Concepcion (OH) 1:02.84, 15. Autumn Wunderlich (GP) 1:03.57;
100 breaststroke—6. Katlyn Christenson (GP) 1:08.67, 8. Christina Garrison (SWD) 1:11.22, 14. Anne Shirey (M) 1:11.51;
400 freestyle relay—6. Shorewood (Annika Stenfjord, Alicia Hoverson, Megan Ransom, Anni Hecker) 3:45.78, 12. Glacier Peak (Lauren Cooley, Cara Prange, Autumn Wunderlich, Katlyn Christenson) 3:52.79;
Class 2A State Meet
At King County Aquatics Center, Federal Way
Team results
X. Archbishop Murphy xx.
Individual results
50 freestyle—4. Sarah Bettag (AMHS) 24.76;
100 butterfly—8. Claire McCloskey (AMHS) 102.51;
50 freestyle—4. ;
100 butterfly—8. ;
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