Moses Lake struggles to keep pace with No. 1 Wenatchee

MOSES LAKE - Swimming against a team like Wenatchee - No. 1 in the state and enough depth that relay 'B' teams can beat 'A' teams - is never easy.

Moses Lake girls swim (9-2) struggled to keep pace with the Panthers and Wenatchee continued its unblemished season with a 130-56 win.

The Chiefs never led.

Originally the meet was scheduled to be in Wenatchee, but the Panthers lobbied to move the competition to Moses Lake's new swimming facility.

"I like the fact that, No. 1, they loved the facility," head coach Tony St. Onge said. "They wanted to switch the meet from there to here and our girls had the opportunity to see what it's like to swim against the best ranked team in the state."

Individually, Megan Washburn and Anna Fair were the closest challengers to their Wenatchee counterparts. Washburn finished second in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2 minutes, 33.16 seconds, just behind Erin Otruba's time of 2 minutes, 30.77 seconds.

Anna Fair also took second place in the 100 fly with a time of 1 minute, 4.03 seconds. Wenatchee's Jordan Hartley won the event with a time of 1 minute, 2.51 seconds.

"Sometimes you have to learn a lesson what a top-ranked team looks like," St. Onge said.

Wenatchee's girls swimming program has the benefit of the support from a top USA Swimming program, Velocity.

Most Panther swimmers continue to compete and train year-round.

About five Moses Lake swimmers are coming close to state qualifying times: Fair, Washburn, Jordan Richeson, Jalen Garza and Shyanne Speed.

"We have eight qualified for districts at this time so the ones that are qualified for districts have a shot," St. Onge said.

Heather Carbon has qualified for the state meet after posting a mark of 454 points, breaking the school record.

Carbon put in work during the offseason going to a dive camp in Texas and doing dryland training to improve her dives.

Last year, she placed 15th at state.

"She's become more consistent this year," St. Onge said. "Diving's one of those sports that you really never know until you're there because it's a judgement sport ... The thing that she's improved a lot on is that she's more consistent."

Moses Lake's last home meet will be Thursday against West Valley (Yakima). The two teams swam competitively back in September, with the Chiefs edging the Rams 101-84.