Moses Lake sends eight swimmers to state

Chiefs finish third at district meet

ELLENSBURG - The Moses Lake girls swim team finished the district mee in third place and had eight swimmers qualify for the state championships last weekend at Central Washington University in Ellensburg.

The Chiefs finished behind district champion Eastmont and second-place Wenatchee.

Moses Lake head coach Tony St. Onge said he was surprised by his team's finish.

"Going into the season we weren't really sure where we stood," he said. "Everyone wants to win, but a third-place finish is respectable."

In the first event of the meet, the 200-yard medley relay, the Chiefs swam with desire and passion on their way to a second-place finish. The team of Hannah Grigg, Cari Cortez, Megan Schuh and Elaura Grant same the race in 1:59.45.

The second-place finish in the race automatically qualified the team for the 200-yard medley relay at the state swimming championships in Federal Way Nov. 14 and Nov. 15.

Schuh earned the Chiefs another automatic state championship berth when she finished in second place in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:19.80.

The Chiefs had two divers qualify for the state championships when Heather Devine and Sammy Hendrickson earned enough points for automatic berths. Devine finished in fifth place with 321 total points and Hendrickson finished sixth with 316 total points.

Moses Lake's performance of the weekend came in the 500-yard freestyle event and St. Onge said the event is an important event.

"(The 500-yard freestyle) is the premier distance event in high school swimming," he said.

In the event Schuh qualified for her third event at the state championships by winning the 500-yard freestyle event.

Schuh's first-place finish was the only Moses Lake victory of the weekend and she swam the event in a Moses Lake High School record-breaking 5:23.95.

While Schuh won the event, Moses Lake freshman Courtney Schwiesow finished in second place with a time of 5:28.10. With the one-two finish the Chiefs locked up both automatic berths in the event.

After having eight swimmers qualify for the state championships, St. Onge said his team has raised their expectations.

"We have upped our level of expectations after districts," he said. "We reset our goals."

St. Onge said it is difficult to compete at the state championships because many swimmers swim all year.

"State champions and state placers are made in the offseason," he said. "It's a long-shot for finals. But that's our aim, that's our target."