Richland holds off competitive Chiefs

MOSES LAKE - Despite some strong performances last night, the

Moses Lake High School girls swim and dive team couldn't quite get

over the hump against Big 9 foes Richland.

The host Chiefs (2-1) fell 104-79 to their visitors but Moses

Lake head coach Tony St. Onge found many positives in the

competitive loss.

MOSES LAKE - Despite some strong performances last night, the Moses Lake High School girls swim and dive team couldn't quite get over the hump against Big 9 foes Richland.

The host Chiefs (2-1) fell 104-79 to their visitors but Moses Lake head coach Tony St. Onge found many positives in the competitive loss.

"We had the opportunity to compete against the toughest team in the league and I was proud of the way our Chiefs stepped it up and made Richland work for it," St. Onge said. "Going into the meet, Richland had us by about 50 points on paper but we kept it to half that much. Richland swam very good and had several state qualifying times and we swam equally as well."

Moses Lake recorded four wins on the night including, Victoria Dalrymple in the 50-yard freestyle (27.08), Sammi Hendrickson with her 1-meter diving (181.056) performance, Courtney Schwiesow in the 100-yard breastroke (1:10.32), and the 200-yard freestyle team (Elaura Grant, Sydnee Jones, Amber Garrett, and Dalrymple) victory with a 1:50.34.

At the halfway point of the meet, Richland only led by one point - 38-37.

"Every varsity swimmer of the Chiefs made a district qualifying time in every single event tonight," St. Onge said. "This is quite the accomplishment and that is why Moses Lake kept the meet close."

Moses Lake also had four second-place finishers that included Hailey Garza (one-meter diving, 153.25), Garrett (200-yard freestyle, 2:08.74), Schwiesow (200-yard individual medley, 2:19.09), Grant (50-yard freestyle, 27.54), the 400-yard freestyle relay team (Garrett, Grant, Alex Hammond, and Schwiesow, 4:05.89), and the 200-yard medley relay team (Grace Hochstatter, Schwiesow, Hammond, and Dalrymple, 2:01.34).

Othello swimmer Natilee Ruiz, who competes with Moses Lake swam to a state time of 58.51 in the 100-yard backstroke and did the same in the 50-yard freestyle with a 24.02.

Ruiz is the defending Class 2A state champion in both events.

Ephrata swimmers Kaitlynn Knitter , Moregan Balthazor , Lauren Laird and Kasey Etter all earned Class 2A district qualifying times.

"Our team found out what it is like to swim against a varsity team that is made up of mostly year-round USA swimmers so it was an eye opener for most of our swimmers and parents," St. Onge said.. Richland has had a year-round USA program for thirty plus years and has a lot of continuity in the overall competitive swimming program.