FEDERAL WAY – Just a minute now, Missy.
Actually, just a shade over one minute might suffice for Oak Harbor’s Missy McIntyre when she takes aim again today at the national high school record in the 100-yard breaststroke.
McInytre tried but couldn’t break the mark during Friday’s preliminaries of the Class 4A State Swimming and Diving Championships at the King County Aquatics Center. She goes after the mark again today in the finals.
Friday, as Kamiak, Snohomish and a surprising Jackson positioned themselves for high finishes in the team standings, McIntyre easily cruised to the No. 1 seed in the breastroke in a time of 1 minute, 2.51 seconds. At a meet where times are known to plummet in the amped-up finals, the Wildcat senior – who owns the Washington high school record with a time of 1:02.02 – is within sight of challenging the national prep record of 1:00.41 set by Jessica Hardy of Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, Calif., last May.
“It was good,” McIntyre said of her breaststroke race, which was more than two seconds faster than No. 2 seed Sarah Stockwell of Kentlake. “It’s where I want to be.”
McIntyre, who will swim for the University of Southern California next year, also is seeded No. 1 in the 50 freestyle after posting a time of 23.77 seconds. Jackson’s Amber Pleasant is the No. 2 seed after swimming 24.31.
“I just wanted to get myself seeded first,” McIntyre said. “It could have been faster. It’s gonna be a bunch of great girls swimming together in the finals.”
Jackson coach Drew Whorley was ecstatic about the effort by Pleasant, who emerged from the prelims as the No. 2 seed in both the 50 and 100 (53.53) freestyle finals, after coming in seeded 5th and 4th, respectively, in those events.
“The best part is she can go even faster,” Whorley said of Pleasant who shaved an astonishing .66 seconds off her best previous time in the 50 free. “If she’s aggressive, tomorrow could be great.”
Jackson, Kamiak and Snohomish gave the Western Conference a trio of schools that qualified for two of the all-important relay finals where huge points are available.
In the 400 freestyle relay, the Timberwolves’ contingent of Michaela Farnum, Stephanie Ha, Aubrea Knox and Lindsay Pagard swam 3:44.18 to lead a pack, including Kamiak and Snohomish, looking to somehow overcome heavily favored Gig Harbor (3:38.80) in the finals.
The same Jackson foursome is seeded seventh in the 200 medley relay.
Kamiak’s Rikka Brunner, the defending champion in the 100 backstroke, swam 58.72 and is seeded second for the championship finals. She is also in the finals of the 200 individual medley, seeded fourth (2:08.81). Jackson’s Emily Rogers is No. 7 (2:11.86).
“That felt really smooth,” Brunner said after winning her heat in the backstroke.
“She looked very relaxed,” Erickson said. “And she’s saving her Fast-Skin suit for tomorrow too.”
The Knights, with a group that included Brunner, Bekha Kaas-Lent, Kathryn Niemi and Casee Buike, opened the meet by qualifying behind Rogers (1:52.44) and Inglemoor (1:52.97) in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:54.46.
“You can win from any lane, but third is a nice place to be,” Erickson said.
Laura Menard, who qualified seventh in the grueling 500 freestyle (5:13.61) joined Brunner, Kaas-Lent and Niemi in picking up the fourth seed in the 400 freestyle relay (3:45.34).
“We got some people in (the finals),” Erickson said of his Knights who are vying for a fourth consecutive top-five finish. “They just need to do their jobs tomorrow.”
Snohomish capped its up-and-down day when Deborah Shawback, Kolby Nichol, Whitney Wagner and Kirsten Behla edged into the finals of the 400 freestyle with the eighth seed (3:46.74).
“That’s good, we needed that moral victory,” Snohomish coach John Pringle said.
The Panthers (Behla, Anne Bilbro, Surya Manickam and Kelsey Randolph) are also seeded fifth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:43.62). Lake Stevens (Kelly Conrad, Lacey Sunderland, Brittany Wolcott and Hanan Hozail) is No. 6 (1:43.85).
Conrad (53.96) qualified behind South Kitsap’s Madison Rousell and Pleasant in the 100 freestyle.
“I needed to go 53,” Conrad said. “I really want to go after that first place.”
In the one-meter dive, Brittany Berg of Marysville-Pilchuck is fifth in a group chasing Tahoma’s Mariesa Cloud (286.70) after her prelim score of 227.70. Kamiak’s Emily Martens is sixth (222.75). M-P’s Shantelle Souza and Lauren Verbon are 16th and 23rd, respectively.
Other Wesco athletes in the championship finals include Shorewood’s Leanne Dull, No. 6 in the 200 freestyle and No. 7 in the 100 backstroke); Edmonds-Woodway’s MaryBeth Spillman (No. 8, 500 freestyle) and Cascade’s Brittney Thompson (No. 8, 100 breaststroke).
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