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Wenatchee holds off Moses Lake to win Big Nine boys swimming title

by Rodney Harwood
| January 27, 2017 12:00 AM

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake boys swimming and diving team threw everything it had at Wenatchee in the final meet of the regular season. But at the end of the day, the Chiefs just didn’t have an answer for the Panther’s depth.

The Chiefs won six out of the 12 events. Their top-ranked 200-yard freestyle team swam the second-fastest time in the state. Diver Isiah Zeller set the new six-dive school record to qualify for the state meet.

But it was the Panthers (5-0), by virtue of those third-fourth-and-fifth place swims that pick up points, held off the previously unbeaten Chiefs 102-84 to win the Columbia Basin Big Nine league title on Thursday night at the Tony St. Onge Pool of Dreams.

“We feel good about this. Top guns against top guns, we did great,” said Chiefs coach Tony St. Onge. “We just couldn’t keep up with their depth. Our 200 (yard) freestyle relay time tonight was the second-fastest time in the state so far. We had the fastest time in the state going in (1:30.27). So we’re ranked No. 1 right now and own the two fastest times in the state.”

The 200 relay put on a clinic Thursday night, leading from start-to-finish to win in 1 minute, 30.68 seconds. Wenatchee had a pretty fair time going in (1:32.71), but wasn’t really a factor. Ander Molitor set the tone early with a strong lead-off leg. Noah Heaps held his own on the second leg. The race was even when Ryan Madrishin made the turn and managed to give Chief anchor Kyle Jorgensen a slight advantage. Jorgensen left no doubt, smoking the field with a runaway swim to beat Wenatchee (1:32.64) by two seconds.

“We’ll see what we can do when we’re all tapered off, hopefully we’ll break that 1:30 barrier,” said Molitor, who has qualified individually for the 4A state meet in both the 50 and 100 freestyles. “I think we’re swimming well as a team. It’s fun to have four strong swimmers and once we taper, I think we’ll do real good at state.”

Heaps said racing Wenatchee is good training for swimming at the next level.

“Racing them is always good. You know where they are when you’re in the pool, especially on the turns. You can see ‘em. We had a pretty solid time, but we can do better. None of these meets really matter. We’re just getting ready for the state championship meet. We’re planning on breaking the school record 1:27.00. The plan is to knock off a second per guy.”

For a bunch of sprinters, that same group has a pretty 400 relay gig going. They are currently the fifth-fastest 400 relay in the state. The Chiefs lit it up with a winning time of 3:24.52.

Jorgensen swims the lead-off leg on that one. Eric Kemper has the second leg, followed by Heaps and Molitor.

Zeller had a night to remember, erasing Braxton Ford’s 2011 six-dive record (214.95) with a score of 257. He was just eight points off the 11-dive record, winning the diving competition.

Both the 200 and 400-yard relays have already qualified for the Class 4A state meet. Jorgensen and Molitor will compete in the 50 freestyle. Molitor punched his ticket to the 100 freestyle as well. Zeller will compete in the diving. Of course, they can add to the list with a strong showing at the district meet next week.

Moses Lake winning swims

200 freestyle — 1. Ander Molitor, Moses Lake, 1:48.66

200 IM — 1. Noah Heaps, Moses Lake, 2:06.70

50 freestyle — 1. Kyle Jorgensen, Moses Lake, 22.58

100 freestyle — 1. Ander Molitor, Moses Lake, 49.82

200 freestyle relay — 1. Moses Lake (Molitor, Heaps, Madrishin, Jorgensen), 1:30.68

400 freestyle relay — 1. Moses Lake (Jorgensen, Kemper, Heaps, Molitor)

League scores

1. Wenatchee, 695. 2. Moses Lake, 645. 3. Eastmont, 319. 4. West Valley, 279. 5. Eisenhower, 163. 6. Davis, 158.

Dual scores

Wenatchee, 102, Moses Lake 84

Eastmont, 115, Eisenhower 66

Eastmont 12, Davis, 60

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