PASCO -- Othello High sophomore-to-be Natilee Ruiz led the Tri-City Channel Cats with five first-place finishes in the team's Tri-City Invitational during the weekend at the Pasco Municipal pool.
Ruiz -- part of Sports Illustrated's Faces In the Crowd feature during February after being named Washington's Class 2A swimmer of the year -- won the girls 15- and-over 50 and 100 freestyle races, 200 IM, 100 and 200 backstroke.
Other Channel Cats girls who won included Stephanie Tixier (13-14 50 and 100 freestyle), Hailey Murphy (13-14 200 butterfly and 400 IM), two 13-14 relays (400 medlay and 400 freestyle), Kristen Bennett (15 and over 800 freestyle), Alexis Murphy (11-12 50 breaststroke), Mackenzie Ruby (13-14 200 backstroke) and Nicole Weinman (13-14 800 freestyle).
Boys winners were two 15 and over relay teams (400 medlay and 400 freestyle), two 13-14 relay teams (400 medlay and 400 freestyle), Andrew Blanchard (boys 13-14 100 butterfly), Tyler Pickett (15 and over 400 IM), Nathaniel Weinman (15 and over 800 freestyle), and Joe Wertz (15 and over 200 backstroke).
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Returning Mid-Columbia 2010 state qualifiers
Returning Mid-Columbia 2010 state qualifiers
Here is the list of returning Mid-Columbia swimmers who qualified for state meets in 2010:
Richland
Mackenzie Ruby, jr. (200-yard medley relay; 16th in 200-yard IM; 11th in 100-yard backstroke)
Richland swimmer Bratton making waves
Richland swimmer Bratton making waves
Though her family has a pool at its house, Lisa Bratton
doesn't hop in as much as she once did.
"I find I've been using it less and less because I'm in (another) pool training so much," she said. "I just want to be dry."
When Bratton does get in the water, however, she leaves the competition in her wake.
Hanford's Merrill shines among Twilight swimmers
Hanford's Merrill shines among Twilight swimmers
RICHLAND -- Under the lights at George Prout Pool, several state-qualifying times were recorded during the Richland Twilight Jamboree.
Hanford senior Melissa Merrill clocked in at 25.40 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle. She also competed in the 400 freestyle relay (3 minutes, 43.99 seconds) and 200 medley relay (1:57.90).
Merrill, junior Stephanie Tixier and sophomore Lisa Tixier were on Hanford's 400 free and 200 medley relay teams. They were joined by Mylie Oberg in the 400 free and sophomore Taylor Fievez in the 200 medley.
State-qualifying swim times heating up
State-qualifying swim times heating up
Looking at the times of Mid-Columbia swimmers less than a week into the season, one might think the girls state championships in Federal Way were just around the corner, not two months away.
At Saturday's Eastern Washington Jamboree in Prosser, Hailey Rankin of the host Mustangs swam the 100-yard butterfly in a state-qualifying time of 1 minute, 2.32 seconds.
That night, more state qualifiers rolled in at the Richland Twilight Jamboree. Hanford senior Melissa Merrill qualified on her own in the 50 freestyle, then helped the Falcons achieve state-qualifying times in the 400 free and 200 medley relays.
2011 Mid-Columbia girls swimming district qualifiers
2011 Mid-Columbia girls swimming district qualifiers
Here are the top seeds for the 2011 girls swimming district meet in the Mid-Columbia:
Class 4A
(Top seeds are in bold)
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