The role was a little different this time around, but the result was the same for the Skyline girls swim team.
For the second straight season, and the second time in school history, the Spartans swam to a 4A state title.
“It’s interesting being in that position,” head coach Susan Simpkins said. “Everybody wants your place, everybody wants to be where you are. The girls took it all in stride and they went out and swam well, and we came home with trophy again.”
Skyline earned 220 team points at Saturday’s championships, finishing ahead of Newport (157.5), Thomas Jefferson (140) and Ballard (114).
“The seniors swam well, everybody swam well, it was truly exciting,” Simpkins said.
The Spartans claimed four state titles, led by Katie Kinnear. The junior, who transfered from Eastlake at the beginning of the school year, finished first in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and helped the 200 medley and 400 free relay teams to championships.
“She’s just an outstanding swimmer,” Simpkins said. “She tries really really hard in everything does.”
Kinnear earned season bests and automatic All-American marks in the 50 free (23.50 seconds) and 100 fly (53.95). She was .85 seconds off the state record she set in the event last year.
The 200 medley relay also had an impressive performance. The team of Kinnear, Jessie Dart, Nina Zook, Maria Volodkevich finished in a new school-record time of 1 minute, 48.87 seconds.
The 400 freestyle relay of Meghan O’Keefe, Stephanie Munoz, Volodkevich and Kinnear won the title in a season-best 3:34.14.
O’Keefe had the next highest finish for Skyline, placing fifth in the 100 fly (57.61), followed by a sixth place from Zook (58.19).
Volodkevich finished sixth in the 200 IM (2:11.66) and 10th in the 100 free (54.20). Munoz placed ninth in the 200 free (1:58.0) and 14th in the 500 free (5:26.77).
Dart placed 11th in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.38), while Andi Scarcello took 12th in the same event (1:09.39).
Issaquah places sixth
Issaquah sophomores Stacy Maier and Kayla Flaten had big days at the 4A state swimming championships, both earning a pair of fourth-place finishes.
Maier was fourth in the 100 backstroke (58.96) and fifth in the 100 freestyle (53.02). Flaten finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.02) and eighth in the 100 freestyle (53.56).
The 200 medley relay of Maier, Flaten, Kellie-Marie Langan and Marit Borth also grabbed a fifth-place finish (1:52.56), while the 400 free relay of Maier, Flaten, Borth and Kelly Herman placed sixth (3:42.49).
Issaquah earned 109 team points, just 1.5 points behind fifth-place Mount Rainier (110.5).
Eastlake’s Rands captures second in state diving
Eastlake senior Mackenzi Rands captured a second-place finish in Saturday’s 4A state diving competition, totaling 382.15 points. Only Kamiak’s Fiona Weeks (383.05) tallied more points.
Junior Kara Beauchamp placed 10th in the 500 freestyle (5:15.07) and 13th in the 200 IM (2:12.64).
Sophomore Laurel Schy placed 10th in the 100 fly (1:00.41), helping the Wolves to 35 team points — good enough for 25th place.
