Richland diver Hinkley, swimmer Schaef in contention for state titles
After Friday’s WIAA girls state swimming and diving preliminaries in Federal Way, it appears the defending Class 4A co-champion Richland Bombers could bring home some big prizes.
Through eight of 11 dives, senior Kelsea Hinkley led with a score of 286.25 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center. Wenatchee’s Ali Brandt was second with 274.45, and Richland senior Kelsey Olsen was eighth with 229.65.
Bombers sophomore Claire Schaef took third in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5 minutes, 8.27 seconds. In the 200 free, her time of 1:55.05 was good for fifth place.
Schaef will contend in Saturday night’s championship finals with freshmen Sarah DiMeco (Skyline) and Yulia Groysman (Newport of Bellevue), who were 1-2 in both events.
In what could be another big boost for their point total, the Bombers will swim in the “A” finals (top eight) of the 200 medley and 200 free relays. Their ninth-place 400 free relay will compete in a consolation final for Nos. 9-16.
Richland also will be represented in “B” finals by seniors Lauren Hall and Alyssa Musick in the 100 butterfly and junior Katie Schroder in the 100 breaststroke.
Walla Walla’s Paige Gardner will compete in the “A” final of the 100 free, taking sixth in prelims with a time of 53.91 seconds. Fellow sophomore Hally Ruff tied for 15th in the 50 free, and the Blue Devils were 15th in the 200 medley relay.
Saturday’s finals will start at 9:30 a.m. (2A), 2:15 p.m. (3A) and 7 p.m. (4A).
Seniors Saige Polanik of Kamiakin and Amanda Andersen of Hanford had solid starts in the 3A dive meet. Polanik was ninth after the semifinals with a score of 236.65, and Andersen (210.80) was 13th.
Kennewick senior Alexis Murphy was the Mid-Columbia’s top 3A swimmer in prelims. She was 11th in the 100 fly (59.90) and 13th in the 100 breast (1:10.21).
Hanford sophomores Megan Gelston (16th, 100 backstroke) and Maddie Elliott (T-15th, 100 breast) each will swim in a “B” final Saturday. They also swam on all three Falcons relays that reached consolation finals.
Kamiakin junior Madison Thurber was 15th in the 100 back and will race against Gelston in the consolation final.
In the 2A prelims, Prosser’s 400 free relay finished 16th (4:14.86).
WIAA GIRLS STATE SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Friday preliminaries
At the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way
Top finisher and area competitors
(Top eight advance to championship “A” finals Saturday; Nos. 9-16 advance to consolation “B” finals)
Class 4A
200 medley relay: 1, Skyline A (Christina Bradley, Danika Himes, Kathy Lin, Sarah DiMeco) 1:48.09; 7, Richland A (Marcia Kim, Katie Schroder, Lauren Hall, Neomi Mennetrot) 1:53.81; 15, Walla Walla A (Paige Gardner, Hannah Gardner, Mackenzie Hale, Hally Ruff) 1:56.70; 200 freestyle: 1, DiMeco (Sky) 1:53.46; 5, Claire Schaef (Rich) 1:55.05; 200 individual medley: 1, Nicole Limberg (Jackson) 2:06.63; 17, Alyssa Musick (Rich) 2:17.67; 22, Hale (WW) 2:19.19; 23, Schroder (Rich) 2:19.70; 50 freestyle: 1, Emma Carlton (Mount Vernon) 23.76; T-15, Ruff (WW) 25.47; 20, Mennetrot (Rich) 25.57; Diving (through semifinals): 1, Kelsea Hinkley (Rich) 286.25; 8, Kelsey Olsen (Rich) 229.65; 100 butterfly: 1, Carlton (MV) 54.70; T-11, Hall (Rich) 1:00.70; 14, Musick (Rich) 1:00.95; 100 freestyle: 1, Willow Lopez-Silvers (Curtis) 52.93; 6, P.Gardner (WW) 53.91; 500 freestyle: 1, DiMeco (Sky) 5:02.63; 3, Schaef (Rich) 5:08.27; 200 freestyle relay: 1, Kamiak A (Song-Nhi Vo, Rosanna Holod, Stina Seaberg, Angeline Dovinh) 1:40.31; 6, Richland A (Mennetrot, Hall, BreAnn Bell, Schaef) 1:41.96; 100 backstroke: 1, Emma Frey (MV) 57.76; 22, P.Gardner (WW) 1:02.42; 100 breaststroke: 1, Limberg (Jack) 1:04.91; 13, Schroder (Rich) 1:08.58; 400 freestyle relay: 1, Wenatchee A (Jessica Wierzbicki, Jordan Hartley, Kayli Brown, Hannah VanHeyningen) 3:36.78; 9, Richland A (Hall, Mennetrot, Schaef, Schroder) 3:43.21; 20, Walla Walla A (Ruff, Hale, Lacey Klem, P.Gardner) 3:50.07.
Class 3A
200 medley relay: 1, Bainbridge A (Allison Murphy, Olivia Dow, Candice Rosen, AniLa Duni) 1:48.96; 15, Hanford A (Megan Gelston, Annie Shen, Emma Pope, Maddie Elliott) 1:57.63; 200 freestyle: 1, Cameron Smith (Seattle Prep) 1:53.35; 20, Kayla Burck (Han) 2:07.83; 200 individual medley: 1, Angela Gagliardo (John F. Kennedy) 2:04.27; 22, Madison Thurber (Kamiakin) 2:19.64; 50 freestyle: 1, Jocelyn Crawford (Garfield) 23.65; 21, Blair Murphy (Kennewick) 25.86; Diving (through semis): 1, Amber Chong (Lakeside-Seattle) 270.90; 9, Saige Polanik (Kam) 236.65; 13, Amanda Andersen (Han) 210.80; 21, Abby Winstead (Kam) 117.20; 100 butterfly: 1, Mandolin Nguyen (Franklin) 57.26; 11, Alexis Murphy (Ken) 59.90. 100 freestyle: 1, Marley Cross (Garfield) 52.20; 19, B.Murphy (Ken) 57.27; Hilary Petersen (Southridge) DQ; 500 freestyle: 1, Smith (SP) 5:02.09; 24, Courtney Lewis (Kam) 5:58.98; 200 freestyle relay: 1, Lakeside A (Caroline Wagner, Yasmin Luthra, Abby Wagner, Hannah Shabb) 1:37.41; 13, Hanford A (Burck, Shelby Schumacher, Gelston, Elliott) 1:45.53; 23, Southridge A (Petersen, Jaiden Hamilton, Natalie Burke, Rylee Best) 1:49.63; 24, Kamiakin A (SaLee Westermeyer, Erin Child, Lilly Thurber, Carissima Sartor) 1:52.34; 100 backstroke: 1, Crawford (Gar) 57.16; 15, M.Thurber (Kam) 1:02.51; 16, Gelston (Han) 1:02.69; 100 breaststroke: 1, Nguyen (Frank) 1:04.46; 13, A.Murphy (Ken) 1:10.21; T-15, Elliott (Han) 1:11.04; 400 freestyle relay: 1, Lakeside A (Isabel Chien, Lindsey Seidner, C.Wagner, Shabb) 3:37.65; 13, Hanford A (Elliott, Burck, Gelston, Shen) 3:50.35.
Class 2A
200 medley relay: 1, Squalicum A (Serena Allendorfer, Olivia Nielsen, Yanran Le, Tiana Varang) 1:49.78; 23, Prosser A (Autumn Blount, Kaylee Perkins, Courtney Fredericks, Brittney Smith) 2:13.11; 200 freestyle: 1, Krista Wilson (Ellensburg) 1:57.01; 200 individual medley: 1, Taylor McCoy (Pullman) 2:07.97; 50 freestyle: 1, Danielle Booth (Archbishop Murphy) 24.42; T23, Kaylyn Sanders (Pro) 27.21; Diving (through semis): 1, McKenna Troje (Sammamish) 283.95; 100 butterfly: 1, Kaelee McCloskey (Arch) 59.44; 100 freestyle: 1, Makenzie Norman (Cheney) 53.15; 23, Becky Wildman (Pro) 1:00.72; 500 freestyle: 1, Ellie Hohensinner (Liberty) 5:10.51; 200 freestyle relay: 1, Archbishop Murphy A (Caitlin Mitchell, Caroline Kowalchuk, McCloskey, Booth) 1:41.36; 17, Prosser A (Anette Eriksen, Sanders, Ali Cox, Wildman) 1:51.33; 100 backstroke: 1, McCoy (Pul) 56.59; 100 breaststroke: 1, Le (Squa) 1:05.55; 21, Wildman (Pro) 1:18.59; 400 freestyle relay: 1, Squalicum A (Allendorfer, Sophie Booth, Kristina DeKoster, Madyson Flaming) 3:42.16; 16, Prosser A (Eriksen, Smith, Cox, Sanders) 4:14.86.
This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 9:28 PM with the headline "Richland diver Hinkley, swimmer Schaef in contention for state titles."