4A Boys Swimming | Daniel Schmidt's lifesaving effort helps Kamiak win

FEDERAL WAY — On Wednesday, Kamiak senior Daniel Schmidt walked out of the hospital with what had to be the ultimate trio of ailments: strep throat, mononucleosis and the flu.

He went through so many pills and had too many IVs for him to remember, anything to get him better and back in the pool this weekend.

"I didn't practice at all this whole week," Schmidt said.

If he didn't return, there was no way Kamiak would have won the Class 4A boys swimming and diving state meet on Saturday, coach Chris Erickson said.

After Schmidt swam the 50-yard freestyle — placing fifth — and was a crucial part of three winning relays, he was still tired and groggy. But he couldn't let go of his smile after leading the Knights from Mukilteo to the title, the school's first.

"He was huge," Erickson said.

The Knights finished with 222 points, 120 coming from the three relays. They won the 200 medley relay by one-hundredth of a second over Shorewood, which ended up second in the team race with 206 points. Kamiak then won the 200 freestyle relay by 13-hundredths of a second over Gig Harbor.

But the highlight was the final event, the 400 free relay. The Knights, seeded fifth, needed to place at least fourth to tie for the team championship. Instead, they won in 3:13.82, five seconds off their top time this season.

"It's one hell of a way to go out," Kamiak senior Tyler Carriker said.

The same could be said for Richland senior Cody Roberts. In winning the 100 butterfly in 47.81, Roberts broke a 17-year-old state record held by a state swimming great, Newport's Ugur Taner.

"I had no idea I was going that fast," Roberts said. "I was more surprised than my mom, probably."

Roberts, who also won the 100 backstroke, wasn't the only record-breaker Saturday. Snohomish junior Garren Riechel won the 50 free, then broke his Class 4A record in the 100 breaststroke. His time of 54.49 was 37-hundredths of a second faster than the record time he set Friday afternoon.

"It was an awesome day," Riechel said.

Riechel swam the third-fastest 100 breaststroke in state history. A junior, Riechel has one more year to chase Patrick Fowler's record of 53.66. Fowler's 1998 time remains a national high-school record, and it was so impressive that not even Fowler could break it as a Seattle Prep senior in 1999.

"There's a reason it hasn't been broken," Riechel said.

Shorewood senior Bryan Michaels was another two-event winner. Michaels won the 500 free in 4:31.55, and in the 200 free he beat out district champ Sean Nesheim of Cascade (Everett) by a second, in 1:39.64.

"Sean and I have a great rivalry going," Michaels said.

Notes

• Snohomish junior Logan Goodman edged Newport's Mark Molnar by eight-hundredths of a second in the 100 free. Goodman won in 47.50.

• Marysville-Pilchuck senior Trevor LeValley won the 200 individual medley in 1:55.02, defeating district rival John Hu of Oak Harbor by 61-hundredths of a second.

• Redmond senior Max Klassen won the diving competition with 452.9 points.

Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com