The edge went to Walla Walla on Saturday at the 4A district boys swimming and diving championships in Ellensburg.

Honor Roll

Hanford and Richland both won district boys swimming championships last season and will try to do it again this weekend in Ellensburg.

Here are the 2012 Columbia Basin Big Nine boys swimming standings through Jan. 28:

WALLA WALLA — Hanford, Richland and Walla Walla were locked in a three-way battle all season for CBBN 4A-3A boys swimming supremacy.

Here are the 2011-2012 Mid-Columbia boys swimming standings through Friday, Jan. 27:

WALLA WALLA -- In tight swimming meets, it can be diving that makes the difference.

Swimming honor roll for Mid-Columbia.

HOOD RIVER -- Hermiston's Austin Bentz finished second in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.96 seconds Saturday at the Eagle Indian Invitational.

The Richland and Hanford boys swimming teams placed in the top 15 on Saturday at the 36-team Kentridge Invitational in Federal Way.

FEDERAL WAY -- The Kentridge Invitational in Federal Way draws boys swimming talent from all over Washington, as well from other states.

YAKIMA -- The Hanford and Richland boys swimming teams defeated West Valley on Tuesday at Lions Pool in Yakima.

Nolan Saam swam a state-qualifying time of 1 minute, 4.64 seconds in winning the 100-yard breaststroke, and Prosser qualified for state in the 200 medley relay (1:48.16) in Tuesday's 79-65 dual meet victory over Selah at Yakima's Lions Pool. The Mustangs also set a school record (1:38.36) in the 200 freestyle relay.

EAST WENATCHEE -- Hanford and Richland enjoyed a successful trip to East Wenatchee on Saturday, with both teams posting wins in their first swim meet since Dec. 10.

Walla Walla's Austin Garrett (50 free) and Patrick Giedeman (500 free) qualified for state as the Blue Devils posted a 93-77 home win Thursday against Moses Lake.

The holidays are over, and it's time for area swimmers to get back in the pool and race.

EAST WENATCHEE -- Walla Walla's Austin Garrett and Jonathan Kelm each took firsts in two individual events and were part of the first-place 200 medley relay squad as the Blue Devils defeated host Eastmont 106-64 on Saturday at Harvey Pool.

After three years of competing with -- and against -- some of the best swimmers to come through the Richland program, Nick Connors has reached the head of the class.

There were no state qualifying times Saturday for either Hanford or Richland, but the Falcons' Jeevan Philip topped himself in the 100-yard butterfly (first, 57.47 seconds) and 100 backstroke (third, 1:03.38) as the teams easily swept Davis and Eisenhower in a CWL 4A-3A double dual at Lions Pool.

Hanford notched its first victory in nearly a decade over host Moses Lake in a CBBN double dual Thursday.

Will Wertz had two victories and one second-place finish to lead Hanford to a team title at the Walla Walla Invitational on Saturday at Whitman Pool.

Othello senior Natilee Ruiz, who this fall receives her third Tri-City Herald All-Area Swimmer of the Year honor, is a stellar example of the type of competitor this area can produce.

FEDERAL WAY -- Natilee Ruiz's competition likely is thrilled the Othello swimmer is graduating this year.

FEDERAL WAY -- Lisa Bratton turned on the jets in a big way Friday.

Here is the schedule of the 2011 girls state swimming and diving championships at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way

OTHELLO -- Though graduation is still several months away, Natilee Ruiz will say goodbye to a big part of her high school years this weekend.

KENNEWICK -- Southridge High School senior swimmer Alisha Sanchez will compete this weekend in her third consecutive state 50-yard freestyle, but her qualifying time of 25.67 seconds didn't come until district preliminaries.

Kennewick High School junior Hailey Murphy will compete this weekend at the state swimming and diving championships for a school-record third year in a row.

ELLENSBURG -- Melissa Merrill and sisters Stephanie and Lisa Tixier turned in sparkling performances to help Hanford take the 3A crown at the District 5/6/7 Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday in Ellensburg.

Othello senior Natilee Ruiz got a pair of Class 2A district records on the first day of the District 5/6/7 swimming championships in Ellensburg.

MOSES LAKE -- Southridge sophomore Danielle Freund bounced to the top of the leaderboard after Thursday's district diving preliminaries at Moses Lake.

Here are the top seeds for the 2011 girls swimming district meet in the Mid-Columbia:

Here are the final 2011 Columbia Basin Big Nine girls swimming standings:

District swimming and diving action begins today when the divers take to the board for preliminaries at Moses Lake.

YAKIMA -- Southridge's Katelyn McLaughlin qualified for state in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1 minute, 12.14 seconds, and the Suns' 200 and 400 freestyle relay squads also had state qualifying times in a CBBN 3A meet against West Valley and Sunnyside on Saturday at Lions Pool in Yakima.

EAST WENATCHEE -- For the second straight year, the Richland and Hanford girls swim programs have risen to the top in the CBBN.

Here are the 2011 Columbia Basin Big Nine girls swimming standings through Thursday, Oct. 20:

Hailey Rankin was a sterling representative for the Prosser girls swimming team during the Tri-City Championships on Oct. 8 in Kennewick.

MOSES LAKE -- Breanna Lyons, Katelyn McLaughlin, Megan O'Leary and Rachel Schafer guided Southridge to two relay victories Tuesday night, but Moses Lake had home-pool advantage in a CBBN 4A/3A meet against the Suns, winning 99-87.

Here are the 2011 Mid-Columbia girls swimming standings through Oct. 18:

WALLA WALLA -- Hanford's Melissa Merrill swam to first-place in the 100 breaststroke with a state-qualifying time of one minute, 10.41 seconds during CBBN 4A/3A double dual action at Whitman College.

WENATCHEE -- Southridge earned a state-qualifying time of 1 minute, 46.13 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle relay in a nonleague road meet at Wenatchee High School.

Here are the 2011 Mid-Columbia girls swimming standings as of Friday, Oct. 14:

RICHLAND -- The Richland and Hanford girls swimming teams pulled off a rare first-place tie at last weekend's Mukilteo Invitational in Federal Way.

It didn't take long for Erin Holmes to achieve one of the biggest goals on her five-year plan.

Though her family has a pool at its house, Lisa Bratton doesn't hop in as much as she once did.

MOSES LAKE -- Southridge's Danielle Freund improved her state-qualifying mark at the 11-dive meet at Moses Lake High School.

Here are the top times among Mid-Columbia girls swimmers for the 2011 season:

Here are the 2011 Mid-Columbia swimming standings through Tuesday, Oct. 5:

MOSES LAKE -- Courtney Schwiesow won the 200-yard individual medley, took second in the 100 breaststroke and helped Moses Lake claim the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays as the Chiefs were victorious in their pool Tuesday, bringing home the Moses Lake Invitational crown.