3A Girls state swimming: Mercer Island takes first title since 1998

FEDERAL WAY — It was a full half hour after the finals were over and Mercer Island coach Chauntelle Johnson was still wiping away tears. Standing on the pool deck and talking with former Islanders coach Jeff Lowell, she was basking in Mercer Island's first state championship in more than a decade.

The Islanders narrowly defeated Juanita, 246.50-242, for the team title at the Class 3A girls swimming and diving state championship at the King County Aquatic Center. Mercer Island, which has been runner-up three times this decade, hadn't won it since going back-to-back in 1997-98.

"These girls are the epitome of 'team' ," said Johnson, who was an assistant under Lowell the past two years before taking over the program this season. "I don't know what to say, I'm almost speechless."

Juanita senior Emilie Kaufman was named 3A Swimmer of the Meet by the Washington Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association after winning the 100 breaststroke (1:03.21, third-fastest 3A time ever) and 50 freestyle. The Rutgers-bound Kaufman also swam the lead leg on the Rebels' two winning relay teams: 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle.

"We've never had anyone place first in four events at one state meet," said eighth-year Juanita coach Dawn Maurer, who was named Coach of the Year. "She's the best I've had here."

In the 200, Juanita had an All-American automatic-qualifying time of 1:37.77 en route to breaking a 10-year old state and meet record (held by Bellevue) by 18-hundredths of a second. Senior Amanda Wilson, junior Rachael Kurtz handled the middle legs, with star senior Kelly Tannhauser anchoring.

Kennedy senior Emily Fenster (second in 100 backstroke) won the star-studded 200 freestyle in 1:52.05. She trailed Tannhauser at the midway point but took the lead after coming off the wall at 150.

Tannhauser, who won this event at the 4A level in 2007 and at 3A last year, cruised to victory in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:01.59.

"Kelly has just been so steady for me," said Maurer, whose team finished second for the second straight year. "She's had so many accomplishments over the years and I know she's going to be great at South Carolina."

Notes

• Juanita junior Celia Pinczower won diving with a score of 394.10, 25.5 points better than Kennedy freshman Ashley Knox, who led Pinczower by 3.7 points after the prelims. Pinczower was third in 2008.

• The much-anticipated matchup of the top-seeded Kaufmans didn't quite live up to its billing, with Emilie Kaufman (23.96 seconds) posting a wire-to-wire win in the 50 freestyle. Hazen junior Lauren Kaufman (100 freestyle winner) finished 29-hundredths of a second behind in second.