High School Sports
3A/2A girls swimming: Four-peat for Bellevue

By John Boyle
Special to The Seattle Times

DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES Bellevue swimmers lock arms and head to the awards stand to receive their trophy for winning the girls 3A state championship last night.

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FEDERAL WAY — Before the start of yesterday's Class 3A/2A girls swimming and diving championships, a competition already was under way between Bellevue and Bainbridge outside of the pool at the King County Aquatic Center.

The two teams gathered in front of their fan sections, which were seated next to each other, and led cheers back and forth, trying to out-do each other in a friendly game of oneupsmanship.

While there was no discernible winner in the premeet festivities, the Wolverines were the clear winners over the Spartans to earn their fourth straight team championship.

With 266 points, the four-peat was complete. Or as the back of the team shirts said, "For Pete's Sake."

Bellevue's points total got a late boost from the team's four swimmers in the 100-yard breaststroke final and consolation final. Going into the penultimate event, the Spartans had taken a 203-195 lead. Bainbridge won the 400 free relay to end with 243 points. Mercer Island was third with 149.5.

"As a coach you can't ask for more. I think each win gets more exciting. You get more nervous every year and wonder if you can do it again, and they proved themselves once again," said Bellevue coach Paul Von Destinon, whose team won for the second year in a row without an individual champion. "We don't have a superstar on the team. We've got solid senior leadership, and they knew what they wanted."

The Wolverines got a win to start the day from their 200 medley relay team of Hana Gilliam, Becky Hole, Brett Bogachus and Ashley MacLean.

"I just feel lucky, because how many people get to experience one, let alone four," said Bogachus, fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:12.67) and seventh in the 100 butterfly (1:00.96). "There's some pressure, but we would have been content with three. We wouldn't have looked back at this if we hadn't won and remembered that one loss."

Shorecrest's Samantha Young won the diving competition for the second year in a row with a state-record 453.90 points.
 
"I'm overwhelmed and really, really excited right now," said Young, a junior. "I felt so much pressure. ... That (the record) was my focus for the whole meet, so I'm happy I got it."

Summer Jackson was named the swimmer of the meet for her double win. The Sequim senior won the 50 free (23.61) and the 100 butterfly (56.45). Both are high-school All-American times.

Jackson, whose only other state title came as a sophomore in the 100 butterfly, had finished second four times in her high-school career.

"I wish I would have gone faster, but I'm not complaining," said Jackson. "I can't ask for better."

Notes

• Megan Brown overcame a disappointing disqualification in the prelims to win the 500 free. The Seattle Prep senior was disqualified in the 200 IM on Friday, then surprised herself by winning the 500 free yesterday.

• Hazen sophomore Kate Schafer won the 200 free in 1:53.66, one one-hundredth of a second better than Bainbridge senior Sarah Gleason.

• Bainbridge junior Anne Scott was the Spartans' only individual winner, taking the 100 free in 52.04. It was the fifth consecutive 100 free title for the Spartans after Emily Silver's four in a row from 2000 to 2003.

• Kennedy freshman Brianne Lindblad won the 100 backstroke with an All-American time of 57.71.

• Holy Names sophomore Lauren Hall was the only swimmer to defend a state title, winning the 200 IM in 2:05.11.