Eisenhower swims past Chiefs

Chiefs get state qualifying time in 200-free relay

MOSES LAKE - Sacrifice cost the Moses Lake swim team a ticket to state.

The price happened to be a league loss. Eisenhower pulled away from the Chiefs after trailing for seven events with a 96-90 win.

But, the sacrifice never had to happen, said Moses Lake head coach Tony St. Onge. The Chiefs pumped up the 200-yard medley relay and swum to a state qualifying time, the first state qualifying event Moses Lake has pulled off this season.

"Obviously, that cost us a little bit," St. Onge said. "They (Eisenhower) saved it up for the end of the meet and we sacrificed because we wanted to make our state qualifying time for the 200-free style relay."

St. Onge pointed out that close races cost the Chiefs what could have been a state qualifying time and a league win. Moses Lake was outtouched by the Cadets in the 200-free relay second-place finish and were swept for first and second in the 100-breast.

Moses Lake's bright spots started early with a major win from Stephanie McFarland in the 200-free. McFarland outbattled Eisenhower for the first-place finish, knocking off four seconds from her personal best to pick up the win.

"She dropped her time by four seconds and if we would have had best times throughout the meet, we would have won the meet," St. Onge said.

After the diving competition, Annalee Bassett powered her way to a first-place finish in the 100-butterfly and the Moses Lake 200-free relay "A" team finished first to give the Chiefs a 75-65 lead over Eisenhower with three events remaining.

Moses Lake's three first-place finishes in the meet was six less than the Kamiakin meet on Tuesday and not enough to defeat the defending league and district champions of last year.

By St. Onge's calculations, though, Moses Lake should have taken a larger hit in the points column.

"They should have won by 16 to 20 points and we kept it close, but they stung us in our own pool," St. Onge said.

St. Onge said he stacked the 200-free relay for the state qualifying time and split up the 400-free relay team to create two teams and was outswam by the Cadets to lose the meet.

But, the calculation heading into the final meet was in Eisenhower's favor, St. Onge said. He said after a judge's call gave the 200-free relay to the Cadet's, a second-place finish at the end in the 400-free relay would have cut Eisenhower's lead to two.

"Bottom line, they just won two many close races at the end and that is the difference," St. Onge said.