Washburn sets IE record at Western Zone Championship
Courtesy photo Zachary Washburn of Manta Ray Aquatics was reunited with his three Inland Empire Swimming teammates at this meet where they all started their Zones run in 2013. Pictured left to right is Zachary Washburn, Andreas Broxson of Velocity Swimming in Wenatchee, Ryan Monrean of Tri-City Channel Cats, and Andrew Lambert of Spokane Waves Aquatic Team. Washburn was nine in the top picture 13 in the bottom picture, and the other boys were 10 (top) and 14 (bottom).
ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Zachary Washburn, 13, of the Moses Lake swim club Manta Ray Aquatics, competed at the Western Zone Championship in Roseville, Calif. as a member of the Inland Empire Swimming All-Star Team.
This was the location where he started his five-year run of qualifying for this prestigious event. Around 800 athletes from 17 teams representing 13 different western states competed at this very elite 14 and under championship.
Washburn began the meet on a great note by winning the 100-meter freestyle in finals after qualifying as the fifth seed in preliminaries. Washburn’s time earned him a Senior Sectional qualifying time as well as an Inland Empire Swimming record.
Washburn would also anchor the 4x100 freestyle relay which dropped almost eight seconds from their seed time and finished in third place, moving up sixth positions from their ninth place seeding.
On the second and third day, Washburn helped his team by swimming best times in his leg of the 4x50 meter medley relay and 4x100 meter medley relay, swimming butterfly in both events. The 200 medley relay took eighth place, moving up two positions and dropping over four seconds. The 400 medley relay climbed four positions and dropped four seconds to finish 11th.
Washburn came out on fire on the last day of the meet.
Washburn qualified in third place during preliminaries in the 200 individual medley after being seeded 11th, and would finish in that same position in finals with a time drop of almost four seconds, and landing him his second Senior Sectional qualifying time of the meet.
Washburn’s last individual event of the meet, his favorite event, the 50 freestyle, would see him qualify first going into finals. The winner of the 50 freestyle is commonly known as the fastest swimmer. Washburn went on to win the event, out-touching all of the 14 year-old competitors, and dropping almost a second on his way to a third Senior Sectional qualifying time and second Inland Empire Swimming record of the meet.
Washburn ended the meet as the anchor of the 4x50 freestyle relay, who were seeded eighth when the event began. When Washburn entered the water as the last leg, his team was in seventh place, but he would swim a personal best time and touch the wall with the fifth-place finish.