Bombers, Falcons hope to repeat as Mukilteo Invite swim champs

The Richland and Hanford swim teams will be back in Federal Way on Saturday to defend their co-championship at the Mukilteo Invitational.

The Bombers could mount a strong charge with Lisa Bratton and Nicole Weinman leading the way.

Bratton, who won the 200-yard individual medley last year, tops the 75-swimmer field with a seed time of 2 minutes, 5 seconds. She also holds the top seed in the 100 backstroke with a time of 57.50 seconds.

Weinman leads a field of 67 swimmers in the 200 freestyle with her seed time of 1:59.10. She’s also No. 1 in the 500 free with a time of 5:11.00, more than seven seconds ahead of teammate Sarah Olsen (5:18.10).

Hanford’s Stephanie Tixier, the defending 100 butterfly champion, is seeded second this year with a time of 58.60. Six other Mid-Columbia swimmers are entered in the top 20: Richland’s Olsen (fourth, 59.50) and Alyssa Musick (11th, 1:02.30); Prosser’s Hailey Rankin (fifth, 59.96); Kennewick’s Hailey Murphy (seventh, 1:01.80); Southridge’s Katelyn McLaughlin (13th, 1:02.88); and Hanford’s Kayla Burnight (20th, 1:05.50).

In diving, Class 3A state qualifiers Danielle Freund of Southridge and Danielle Brandon and Jessica Anderson of Kamiakin are scheduled to compete. Freund was second at Mukilteo last year, while Brandon was sixth and Anderson 10th.

Forty schools will be represented today at the King County Aquatic Center, including defending Class 2A state champion Sehome. Skyline (4A) and Mercer Island (3A), which have won the last four state titles in their classes, will not compete.

This story was originally published October 5, 2012 at 6:44 PM with the headline "Bombers, Falcons hope to repeat as Mukilteo Invite swim champs."