Chiefs compete at Mukilteo Invite

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — After some strong swimming performances during their Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference schedule, the Moses Lake Chiefs girls swim team took their skills in the pool to the Mukilteo Invite in Federal Way, Wash.

Moses Lake squared off with some of the best high school swim teams in the state and head coach Tony St. Onge was impressed with his girls.

“There were some ups and downs — which will happen during the course of any competition — but overall we swam very respectably in the face of some of the toughest competition the state has to offer,” he said. Moses Lake finished 11th out of 30 teams.

The Moses Lake swim team is a relatively young program with sophomores and juniors leading the way for the Chiefs in the pool, especially sophomores Courtney Schwiesow and Sammy Hendrickson, St. Onge said.

“Sophomore swimmer Courtney Schwiesow had a strong third-place finish in the 100 breastroke, just missing the state standard by one tenth of a second,” he said. “Sophomore diver Sammy Hendrickson looked solid with a fifth-place finish in the one-meter diving event.”

While Schwiesow and Hendrickson helped the Chiefs to 11th place, junior Alex Hammond and freshman Victoria Dalrymple were impressive, St. Onge said.

“Alex Hammond and Victoria Dalrymple each had individual best times in every event and were the most improved swimmers for the Chiefs,” St. Onge said of their performances.