Aberdeen swimmers notch fifth straight district title

Winning four events, Bobcats earn fifth straight district swimming championship

OLYMPIA — With an impressive display of first-place punch and depth, Aberdeen made a district swimming five-peat look easy.

Earning state berths in nearly every event, the Bobcats stroked their way to a fifth successive District IV Class 2A Girls Swimming Championship on Saturday at The Evergreen State College pool.

With 466 points, the Bobcats finished 183 points ahead of district runner-up Columbia River. Black Hills was third with 282.

The top four in each event, plus those who met state qualifying standards, advanced to the state 2A meet next weekend at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. The Bobcats’ depth was such was that they qualified swimmers in every event except for the 50-yard freestyle.

“The girls all came to swim hard today and they did,” AHS assistant coach April Heikkila said.

Aberdeen finished with a flourish by winning the final three events. Freshman Anna Weber, lowering her day-old school record, took the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:06.77 and joined Karli Heikkila, Annetthe Orona and Melissa May on the victorious 400 freestyle relay team, which was clocked in 3:58.33.

Kayleia Sias took the 100 backstroke at 1:02.94.

Aberdeen’s other event win came in the opening 200 medley relay, captured by Mackayla Waltee, Weber, Sias and Katie Lewis in 1:57.84. The Cats also advanced by placing second in the 200 freestyle relay (with Heikkila, Lewis, May and Sias forming that team).

Weber was also third in the 200 freestyle (2:04.1) and Sias third in the 100 butterfly (1:02.58).

Other Bobcat swimmers to qualify included May, third in the 200 individual medley (2:26.79) and 100 breast (1:16.38); Lewis, third in the 100 back (1:07.89) and fourth in the 500 free (6:06.69) and Karli Heikkila, third in the 100 free (58.08).

Lewis was cited by Bobcat coaches for time drops in all of her events.

The biggest surprise from Aberdeen’s standpoint, however, came in diving Saturday morning at Timberline High School in Lacey. All three Bobcat divers — Mary Lang, Trudy Butcher and Tatum Heikkila — earned state berths. Lang was second with 299 points, Butcher third at 217.85 and Heikkila fourth at 207.75.

“The divers came to the party today, that’s for sure,” April Heikkila said.

Bobcat head coach Jan Simons, who was afflicted with laryngitis on Saturday, was selected by her peers as the district Coach of the Year.

The top eight in each event competed in the championship finals, with the next eight qualifiers competing in the consolation finals. Aberdeen placewinners:

200 medley relay — 1:57.84 — Aberdeen (Waltee, Weber, Sias, Lewis). 200 free — 3. Anna Weber. 9. Lexie Portmann. 10. Camryn Cook. 12. Aliyah Tageant. 200 IM — 3. Melissa May. 6. Annetthe Orona. 12. Giselle Rojas. 14. Juliana Meza. 50 free — 5. Karli Heikkila. 10. Lily Herr. Diving — 2. Mary Lang. 3. Trudy Butcher. 4. Tatum Heikkila. 100 fly — 3. Kayleia Sias. 11. Lily Herr. 13. Giselle Rojas.

100 free — 5. Karli Heikkila. 8. Mackayla Waltee. 16. Juliana Meza. 500 free — 4. Katie Lewis. 6. Lexie Portmann. 200 free relay — 2. Aberdeen (K. Heikkila, Lewis, May, Sias). 100 back — 1:02.94 — 1. Kayleia Sias. 3. Katie Lewis. 5. Mackayla Waltee. 6. Camryn Cook. 9. Aliyah Tageant. 100 breast — 1:06.77 — 1. Anna Weber. 3. Melissa May. 6. Annetthe Orona. 11. Rylee Watson. 400 free relay — 3:58.33 — 1. Aberdeen (K. Heikkila, Orona, May, Weber).