Chiefs drop home opener to Wenatchee
Alan Dale/Columbia Basin Herald<br> During the 200-meter medley relay, Moses Lake's Brandon Emerson works hard to take care of business during the breaststroke leg.
MOSES LAKE — Beginning the home portion of their schedule the Moses Lake High School boys’ swim and dive team couldn’t quite get over the hump in a 110-76 loss to Wenatchee on Thursday night.
“We had a lot of personal best times which is always our goal and we try to keep our focus on that,” Moses Lake coach Tony St. Onge said. “We had a lot of close races and unfortunately Wenatchee won more of those.”
The Chiefs managed to secure two first place throughout the meet recorded by Braxton Ford who won the 1-meter diving competition and Evan McFarland who took home the win in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Yet, despite only winning one competition during the evening, Moses Lake managed to record personal best times for 50 percent of those who competed.
“We can only control what our times are going to be and not what Wenatchee’s are,” St. Onge said. “Our guys are swimming with a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of team spirit. What we need to do is get in the best shape we can over the next two months. They are fully realizing what they have to do but they are just out of shape.”
Despite only being in action for three weeks the Chiefs did manage to secure some solid performances last night.
Top three finishes included: the 200-yard medley relay team of Colby Byington, Reuben Huddleston, Dominic Cachiotti, and McFarland (second); 200-yard individual medley, Parker Merkley (third); 50-yard freestyle, Huddleston (second); 1-meter diving, Daniel Camacho (third);
100-yard butterfly, McFarland (second); 100-yard freestyle, Huddleston (second); 500-yard freestyle: Reeder (second) and Reid Jackson (third); 200-yard freestyle relay, McFarland, Cachiotti, Reeder, Huddleston (third); 100-yard backstroke, Byington (second); 400-yard freestyle relay, Daniel Noteboom, Nick Reed, Byington, Reeder (second) and Jason Thomas, Jackson Merkley, and Damian Cachiotti (third).
“I expected all of our new guys and inexperienced guys to PR across the board,” St. Onge said. “The older swimmers have taken the last nine months off and when you get to a certain level you are not going to get it all back in three weeks.”
Next the squad travels to the Eastmont Penthatlon on Saturday.