By CHRIS CHANCELLOR
Sports Editor
South Kitsap’s Madison Rousell gave the school two first-place finishes just two years ago.
But with Rousell now a sophomore at UNLV, the Wolves had to settle for a consolation title at the state swimming and diving championships.
South freshman Nicole Hinely won the consolation final to finish ninth in the 100-yard butterfly in 58.48 seconds Saturday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. If Hinely qualified in Friday’s preliminaries, her time would’ve been fifth best in the championship race.
Wolves coach Dennis Anderson said one difference for Hinely was how quickly she started in the consolation finals compared with the preliminaries.
“I was proud of Nicole,” he said. “She did a lot of growing up in that one swim.”
But Hinely narrowly qualified in that event, finishing with the 15th-fastest preliminary time (1:01.11) to make the second-day cut. Had she finished 17-tenths of a second slower, Hinely wouldn’t have advanced.
“I was kind of disappointed in myself because I added some time,” Hinely said after the preliminary. “It’s scary the first time because I’m just a freshman going against all these fast girls.”
She wasn’t as fortunate in the 200 individual medley, where she finished 23rd in 2:18.21. Hinely was one of two ninth-graders in the 27-person field, but doesn’t plan to pursue it again next year. Skyline junior Andie Taylor won the race in 2:02.9.
“It was a tough one,” Hinely said. “I’m not really an all-around swimmer — I’m just basically a butterfly or freestyle. I don’t think I’ll be going for the IM next year.”
The only other swimmer from South to advance to state was Angela Pearson. She went to state in the 500 freestyle because the West Central District allocates spots to its top seven swimmers even if they don’t achieve state-qualifying times. Pearson missed a qualifying time and didn’t advance past the preliminaries. She placed 20th in that event in 5:29.94.
“I think I just pressured myself too much,” Pearson said. “It didn’t turn out how I wanted it. But there’s always next year.”
Pearson missed the cut for the 200 freestyle at districts, but moved onto state when Gig Harbor’s Danielle Ellis vacated her position to compete in another relay. Pearson finished that event in 2:05.53 to place 21st among 24 swimmers in the prelims.
Anderson said Pearson can work at kicking off walls and turns during the offseason. Even though she competed at state in the 500 last year, Anderson thinks she wasn’t mentally ready for the meet.
“I think she might have been a little bit nervous and trying to figure it all out,” he said.
As far as Hinely is concerned, Anderson said she could kick off walls better, but “I think she’s in pretty good shape right now.”
Anderson, who has guided South’s girls swimming and diving program since 1986, called it the toughest state meet he’s seen “by tenfold.” Four state records fell Saturday and 21 times in 11 events earned automatic All-American status.
4A Results
Team results: Jackson 190, Garfield 157.5, Redmond 148.5, Todd Beamer 143, Ballard 140, Gig Harbor 118.5, Skyline 104, Lake Washington 95, Kentlake 87, Inglemoor 84.5, Newport 74, Eastlake 71, Shorewood 71, Snohomish 66.5, Stadium 64, Eastmont 58, Bothell 56, Jefferson 54, Auburn 46, Kamiak 44, Eisenhower 44, Issaquah 43, Decatur 41.5, Rogers 32, Roosevelt 30, Lake Stevens 28, Marysville Pilchuck 26, Olympia 25, Kentridge 19, Mountain View 17, Edmonds Woodway 15, Wenatchee 15, Woodinville 15, Battle Ground 14, Tahoma 13, Southridge 12, South Kitsap 9, Shelton 8, Oak Harbor 7, Richland 7, Wilson 4, Moses Lake 4, Kelso 3, Kentwood 2.
First-place finishers (championship races): 200 medley relay-Jackson (Amber McDermott, Marina Pomar-Enders, Alana Pazevic, Erin Holliday) 1:48.02. 200 freestyle-Scarlett Cann (Stadium) 1:51.76. 200 individual medley-Andie Taylor (Skyline) 1:58.23. 50 freestyle-Pazevic (Jackson) 23.55. Diving-Stacey Luke (Inglemoor) 412.7. 100 butterfly-Kathryn Kinnear (Eastlake) 54.73. 100 freestyle-Chelsea Bailey (Kentlake) 49.82. 500 freestyle-A. McDermott (Jackson) 4:41.98. 200 freestyle relay-Todd Beamer (Kelly Erickson, Jessica Soria, Rachel Kim, Eryn Murphy) 1:38.94. 100 backstroke-Annemarie Thayer (Ballard) 53.95. 100 breaststroke-Maddy Morgan (Garfield) 1:04.6. 400 freestyle relay-Jackson (A. McDermott, Courtney McDermott, Pomar-Enders, Pazevic) 3:32.26.
