Bainbridge Island Swim Club swimmers had many top finishes and broke several club records at two season-ending short course meets, several of the boys just coming off the high school season where they won the Washington state 3A boys high school swim and dive title.
Swimmers age 14 and under competed at the Northwest Region Short Course Age Group Championships at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way from March 22 through March 25. Swimmers were from seven states — Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska and Hawaii — and had to qualify for each event by meeting difficult time standards. Swimmers received recognition for placing in the top eight: those age 10 and under swim once, and those 11 and older compete in preliminaries to earn a chance to swim in the championship final. The Bainbridge Island Swim Club sent a group of 36 swimmers and as a team, BISC placed seventh out of more than 100 teams.
Margaret Hayes (14 years old) won six event titles: the 500-yard freestyle (5:01.24), 100-yard backstroke (56.21), 50-yard freestyle (23.66), 100-yard freestyle (50.91), 200-yard backstroke (2:02.29), and 200-yard freestyle (1:52.16).
Gracyn Kehoe (10) won three event titles: the 50-yard butterfly (29.39), 100-yard freestyle (58.74), and 200-yard freestyle (2:08.53). She also finished second in the 50-yard freestyle (27.24); fifth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:29.62); and second in the 50-yard breaststroke (35.72).
Other top eight finishes included:
Tierney Lenahan (10): sixth place, 100-yard backstroke (1:10.14); sixth place, 50-yard backstroke (32.40); sixth place, 100-yard butterfly (1:11.33)
Alexa McDevitt (10): second place, 100-yard breaststroke (1:15.30); third place, 200-yard individual medley (2:27.86); third place, 50-yard breaststroke (35.77); third place, 100-yard individual medley (1:09.69)
Samantha Segerson (10): eighth place, 100-yard freestyle (1:03.19); eighth place, 100-yard butterfly (1:12.13)
Sophia Segerson (10): eighth place, 50-yard breaststroke (37.60)
Clare Watson (10): fifth place, 50-yard butterfly (31.36); third place, 100-yard butterfly (1:08.20)
Carter Cox (10): sixth place, 100-yard backstroke (1:11.91)
Finn Wenker (12): eighth place, 200-yard freestyle (2:01.11)
Emma Solseng (13): third place, 50-yard freestyle (24.82); fourth place, 200-yard backstroke (2:11.21)
Brendan Kerns (13): fifth place, 100 breaststroke (1:02.40); sixth place, 200-yard breaststroke (2:17.53)
Ian Lipton (14): fourth place, 100-yard backstroke (54.63); sixth place, 200-yard backstroke (1:58.36)
Several relays also placed in the top eight:
Girls 10 & under, 200-yard medley relay of Tierney Lenahan, Alexa McDevitt, Clare Watson, Gracyn Kehoe: first place (2:04.57)
Girls 10 & under, 200-yard freestyle relay of Gracyn Kehoe, Alexa McDevitt, Samantha Segerson, Clare Watson: first place (1:54.41)
Boys 10 & under, 200-yard freestyle relay of Mathias Bang-Knudsen, Carter Cox, Robert Nakhuda, Sota Inoue: fifth place (2:02.68)
Boys 11-12, 400-yard freestyle relay of Finn Wenker, Curtis Stewart, Aidan Cole, Thomas Witty: seventh (3:54.76)
Boys 11-12, 200-yard freestyle relay of Finn Wenker, Aidan Cole, Jason Nordgren, Curtis Stewart: eighth place (1:48.75)
Girls 13-14, 200-yard medley relay of Amanda Ashmore, Annalisia Tuinukuafe, Margaret Hayes, Emma Solseng: fifth place (1:51.40)
Girls 13-14, 200-yard freestyle relay of Margaret Hayes, Amanda Ashmore, Lucy King, Emma Solseng: sixth place (1:41.22)
Boys 13-14, 200-yard medley relay of Ian Lipton, Brendan Kerns, Alex Miller, Tyler Stewart: eighth place (1:44.65)
Earlier this month, qualified swimmers competed at Speedo Sectionals at King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. Swimmers hailed from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. During preliminaries swimmers earn the chance to swim in the championship final (places first to eighth) or two consolation finals (places ninth to 24th).
As a team, the Bainbridge Island Swim Club placed 14th out of 66 teams at the sectionals, held March 15-18.
BISC swimmers placing in the top 24 include:
Eleanor Beers: sixth place, 100-yard freestyle (50.04); 14th place, 200-yard freestyle (1:51.17);, 15th place, 100-yard butterfly (56.51); 23rd place, 200-yard individual medley (2:06.39)’ sixth place, 50-yard freestyle (23.13)
Sam Chapman: 22nd place, 1000-yard freestyle (9:42.45)
Makai Ingalls: 13th place, 100-yard breaststroke (57.29); 19th place, 100-yard butterfly (50.15)
Garrett Waite: sixth place, 200-yard backstroke (1:47.94); 13th place, 200-yard freestyle (1:39.97); seventh place, 400-yard individual medley (3:58.37); 14th place, 100-yard backstroke (50.43); seventh place, 200-yard individual medley (1:50.96); 12th place, 50-yard freestyle (20.97)
Jude Wenker: 22nd place, 200-yard individual medley (1:54.27)
Andrew Witty: 12th place, 200-yard breaststroke (2:02.77); 14th place, 100-yard breaststroke (57.50)
The women’s 200-yard freestyle relay team of Eleanor Beers, Hannah Tonsmann, Erin Miller and Margaret Hayes placed sixth (1:35.49), and the men’s 200-yard medley relay team of Garrett Waite, Andrew Witty, Makai Ingalls and Jude Wenker placed sixth (1:32.89).
BISC swimmers will now transition into long-course season with championship meets coming up in July and August.
