NK 200M free relay sets record

Published 1:00 pm Saturday, September 23, 2006

POULSBO — Noteworthy accomplishments have been splashing through North Kitsap High School’s pool early this season, while smiles and cheer abound from the deck.

At the Viking swim team’s first home meet of the season Sept. 19, record-breaking, neck-and-neck racing and team gains were on display as the Vikings beat the Mount Tahoma Thunderbirds and improved to 2-1 on the year.

But the accomplishments didn’t stop there as NK’s loudly supportive atmosphere yielded a Viking squad with a whole new dynamic for a new year.

“Every team is different. Every team has got its own character,” said head coach Greg Braun. “We’ve kind of always had a history of supporting each other, but one of the things that I’m seeing in addition to that is kids are starting to be willing to take a chance.”

The team’s 200M free relay team — Whitney Glebe (12), Ingrid Reeves (10), Kathryn Parker (12) and Stephanie Longmate (10) — cashed in on ITS chance with a 1:48.09 finish, besting the school record, 1:49.01, set in 1994.

Braun said he’s looking to make a partial change to the NK pool records placard, but he is hesitant to set a time in stone before the season ends.

“If they want to go to state they have to go 1:45, so the closer they get to a state time, every time they swim faster it’s a new record,” Braun said. “So they’ve got their names up there, they know what time they got, but there’s lots of room for improvement.”

As the foundation for that improvement, North’s relay teams were dominant against Mount Tahoma in addition to two individual first places for both Glebe, Longmate and one for Talitha Aban (11) that carried the Vikings to the 110-60 finish.

It all began with an NK 200M medley relay that scorched the field. North Kitsap’s first team — Glebe, Aban, Reeves and Natalie Fritsch (11) — finished in 2:16.122 for a decisive first place while NK’s No. 2s — Rebekah Rovic (12), Samantha Lemagie (11), Brittany McKenzie (11) and Kathryn Surber (11) — fought for second place, but ended up third behind Mt. T by a 1.9-second margin.

That rock solid group of relay swimmers carried North’s momentum as Longmate followed up in the 200 IM with another big finish, ahead of the pack with a time of 2:03.59.

Mount Tahoma’s Frederick took the 200 IM, then NK followed with a one, two finish in the 50 free sprint. Glebe finished first in 26.99, followed by Parker at 28.37.

Following another Frederick victory in the 100M fly, Longmate followed up with a 57.40 100M free performance knocking a second away from a state qualifier.

In the 500M free, Tahoma’s Raygor captured to the victory, but North sophomores Julie House and Olivia Finlay accomplished a feat in their own right, taking a chance on the 500 free for their first time in a meet, finishing to the roar of the Vikings.

“There were no words for how proud of (Julie) I was,” JV coach Noreen Reeves said of watching House finish the 500. “We are watching a team bond and form and that’s great to see.”

“Once you create an atmosphere of we’re going to support you no matter what level you are at and give you the courage to try something new, sometimes kids figure out that they are a whole lot better than they thought they were,” Braun said.