With the state swim and dive championships beginning Thursday and culminating Saturday, a few area athletes are in position to reach the podium.
Here is a breakdown of what awaits at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
Central Kitsap High School
It will be a busy weekend for Central Kitsap, which is sending three relay teams and four individuals.
The Cougars’ best chance of medaling in a relay could be in the 200-yard medley, entering the weekend with the state’s third-fastest time among 4A schools at 1 minute, 41.16 seconds.
Only Shorewood High School (1:39.27) and Wilson High School (1:40.72) boast faster qualifying times.
In the 200 freestyle relay, the Cougars come in with a qualifying time of 1:31.14, a school record, putting them fifth overall and in position to be one of the 16 teams to qualify for Saturday’s finals.
The team also will race the 400 free relay, but with only the 18th-fastest qualifying time of the 24 teams competing, its chances of reaching the finals are unlikely.
Still, coach Steve LaHaie is pleased with the team’s standing.
“They are sitting really good,” he said. “They are definitely moving forward and moving up from last year, which is exciting for all of them.”
Sophomores Brenden Weiner and Jason Soria and juniors Tyler Hirata and Jeremy Torres will represent Central Kitsap in the individual competitions.
Weiner will swim the 200 free, for which he qualified with a top-five time of 1:45.73. He’ll also participate in the 100 butterfly, with a qualifying time of 54.08.
“I expect he’s going to have his best times of the season in both races,” LaHaie said. “He’s looking really good, he’s feeling strong, he’s real excited.”
Torres will compete in the 200 individual medley thanks to a qualifying time of 2:04.27, putting him 15th overall. He also qualified for the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.98.
Hirata sits ninth in the 100 free, with a qualifying time of 49.96. Soria, meanwhile, has the sixth-best time in the 100 back, 55.58.
“We’re going to be busy,” LaHaie said.
Soria and Hirata qualified for the 50 free with times of 22:56 and 22.73. Those were the 13th- and 19th-best times among 4A swimmers, though the difference between the two times is less than one-quarter-of-a-second.
That means Soria and Hirata could considerably rise — or fall — in the standings after Friday’s preliminary swims.
“Both of these guys have real good opportunities to swim Saturday,” LaHaie said.
Olympic High School
Although Olympic will send just two swimmers to state, the Trojans may have the best chance of any area school to earn a title.
That’s because senior John Wojtech enters the competition with the fastest 3A team in the state in the 100 breast. His qualifying time of 1:01.08 is just ahead of Mercer Island High School junior Jimmy Deiparine’s 1:01.66.
Wojtech, who achieved the rare “Ironman” status by qualifying for state in all eight individual events, also will swim the 100 fly. With the state’s sixth-best 3A qualifying time in that event, 54.05, he’s a favorite to advance to Saturday’s eight-man finals.
The Trojans’ other state-qualifyer, Colton Kohnke, will have to deliver his best times of the season to advance beyond prelims. The senior enters the competition with the 20th-best qualifying time in the 200 free, 1:51.40, and the 14th-best time in the 100 fly, 55:68.
Klahowya Secondary School
Freshman Quaid Williams will swim the 100 free after qualifying with a time of 50.93, the state’s fourth-fastest 2A time. He’ll also swim the 100 back, for which he qualified with a time of 58.66.
The Eagles also will swim the 200 medley relay, though their qualifying time was the slowest of the 16 teams competing.
