Manta Rays send four to Washington Open
FEDERAL WAY — Four Manta Ray Aquatics swimmers attended the 41st Annual Washington Open meet in Federal Way recently.
This is a very elite event with difficult qualifying time standards. Around 80 teams from Colorado, Alaska, California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington sent over 1300 athletes to the Seattle area to compete in a meet with no age group divisions and only one time standard — fast.
For a meet that is primarily designed for 15 and older athletes, the Manta Rays sent two 13-year-olds; Cole Lindberg and Zachary Washburn, 14-year-old Jessica Williams and 16-year-old Cora Dana. Cora led her teammates into action, swimming in the first event on Day 2 of the meet in the 200 individual medley. Dana had participated in swim meets in this facility several times, and this was her second time competing in the WA Open.
Dana would also compete in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle. Washburn was also a veteran of the King County Aquatic Center, and had six best times setting five new MRA team records. Washburn swam seven events in all and had significant drops in time in most on his way to six Western Zones qualifying times.
Williams competed in this facility for the first time, swimming in four events and achieving a best time in her 100 yard freestyle. Williams also participated in the 200 freestyle as well as the 100 and 200 breaststroke.
This was also Lindberg’s first time at the KCAC, and it would prove to be a very successful meet for him. Lindberg dropped an amazing 3.5 seconds in his 100 yard backstroke, and he would also go on to drop two seconds in his 100 yard butterfly to achieve his first Age Group Regionals qualifying time.
Regionals will also be held at the King County Aquatic Center in late March.
Dana, Williams, Lindberg, and Washburn next compete with their MRA teammates at the Winter Open in Moses Lake the last weekend in January.
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