MLHS boys swim and dive bests Wenatchee
Moses Lake High School freshman Hunter Blackman is lined up, ready to dive in the water for his event at Wenatchee High School on Jan. 13.
Rebecca Pettingill/Columbia Basin Herald
Freshman Luke Molitor swims in the 100-yard butterfly for the Moses Lake High School Chiefs on Jan. 13.
Moses Lake High School freshman Vince Bodenman swims at the meet in Wenatchee on Jan. 13.
Moses Lake High School junior Ethan Puhlman swims in the 100-yard butterfly on Jan. 13 in Wenatchee.
WENATCHEE — The Moses Lake High School boys swim and dive team bested Wenatchee High School on its own turf on Thursday.
MLHS scored 96 points as a team while Wenatchee fell with 89.
“This competition was the most important in-season competition we were going to have and I couldn’t be more proud of the perseverance of this team,” said MLHS head coach Lindy Tracey.
Tracey said the mid-season championship meet was canceled so the team hasn’t been in a competition mindset for the last month. However, she said the athletes entered this meet with realistic expectations for their performance and were happily surprised by their success.
Despite only taking first place in a small handful of events, Tracey said this was a situation where the “middle pack” of athletes carried the team. In swimming, the higher an athlete places, the more points they secure for their team. So, even without taking very many first places, Moses Lake was able to get enough athletes to finish in second, third and fourth places to get more points on the board than Wenatchee.
Tracey said she talks to her team about the importance of everyone on the team and how every point matters, even if it’s fifth place.
“Our middle of the pack kiddos showed up and secured us the win. So fun to watch and as always, it is a privilege to coach such inspiring young people who are learning their capabilities and worth right where they are,” Tracey said.
The top MLHS finishers were:
• Freshman Vincent Bodenman placed first in the 500-yard freestyle.
• Senior Kade Pack, senior Issac Patten, junior Ashton McKean and freshman Luke Molitor took first in the 200-yard relay and second in the 200-yard medley relay.
• Junior Nicholas Moore took second in the 200-yard freestyle and second in the 100-yard backstroke.
• Senior Kade Pack placed second in the 200-yard individual medley and second in the 100-yard breaststroke.
• Junior Ashton McKean placed third in the 50-yard freestyle and second in the 100-yard freestyle.
• Sophomore Dallin DeGooyer took first in the 1-meter dive.
• Freshman Luke Molitor took second place in the 100-yard fly.
• Senior Kade Pack, freshman Vincent Bodenman, junior Nicholas Moore and sophomore Damien Paluch placed second in the 400-yard relay.
Rebecca Pettingill can be reached via email at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.
