GIRLS SWIMMING NOTEBOOK: KR stunned by KW, but not done; Speed to burn at KL

They might be down, but they’re far from out.

That seems to be the rallying cry this fall for the Kentridge High girls swim team, which was stunned by Kentwood in its South Puget Sound League opener on Sept 10, falling 107-78.

The loss put a screeching halt to Kentridge’s 36-meet SPSL North Division dual win streak, a run that began in September of 2004.

“It’s disappointing, obviously,” second-year Kentridge coach Brittney Jones said. “We had good swims and we lost — you can’t ask for more than that.”

Since it was just the first meet of the season, plenty of time remains for the Chargers to regroup. Kentridge entered the season having won four straight SPSL North crowns and seven in the last nine years. In addition, the Chargers came in having won 53 of their last 55 SPSL North dual meets.

And though KW stung the Chargers to open the schedule, the North remains tough enough to the point that each team very well could suffer at least one league loss.

“I think Kentwood might be the only team we lose to all year,” said Jones, who is a 2004 Kentridge graduate.

KR certainly has the talent to challenge for a fifth straight crown. Leading the way is sophomore Emily Mohr, who blossomed into one of the North Division’s true burners last year, qualifying for state in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 free. Mohr showed plenty of toughness in that loss to Kentwood, winning the 50 in 25.89 seconds and leading off Kentridge’s victorious 200-yard medley relay team — all of that despite having her wisdom teeth pulled just days earlier.

“For her being in pain, that’s really good,” Jones said. “She looked like a chipmunk out there.”

Mohr, along with senior teammate Jacqueline Do, leads a team that goes 42 deep. That group includes five divers, most notably state hopeful Amelia Carpenter, who qualified for state track last spring in the pole vault. Those three, along with seniors Sophie Shonka, Rachael Kelly and diver Lauren Brooks, will be leaned upon heavily to help the Chargers get back to where they’ve been for so long.

“There is a lot of potential here for years to come,” Jones said. “We’re still working on critiquing and fixing their stroke. In a couple years, I would say Kentridge should be back on top.”

KW STARTS STRONG

Talk about starting the season off on the right foot.

The Kentwood High girls swim team did just that, opening the season on Sept. 10 with its 107-78 victory against Kentridge.

The Conquerors had not beaten the Chargers since 2002.

“We just wanted our girls to go in and have some best times,” Kentwood coach Sharon Wright said. “It was sort of surprising, sort of surreal. It just sort of happened.”

After each meet, Wright and Kentwood co-head coach Melissa York pass out small candies to the girls who established personal bests.

After the win over Kentridge, the coaches were running a bit low on the tasty tidbits.

“Not only did we win the meet, but just about every girl got candy that day,” Wright noted. “For Melissa and I, that’s what really matters.”

Leading the way for the Conquerors were Kelly Phillips and Maggie Molloy. Phillips won the 200 free (2:13.83), the 500 free (6:12.11) and anchored KW’s winning 400-free relay (4:09.89). Molloy won the 200 individual medley (2:30.03), the 100 back (1:14.54) and also was part of that winning 400 relay team.

Meanwhile, junior Erica Wright also established a new personal best in the 100 breaststroke, stopping the clock in 1:19.06.

Also collecting victories for the Conquerors were Paige Morris (100 fly), the 200 free relay team (Wright, Phillips, Shannelle Cayetano and Lindsey Krause), and the 400 relay team (Molloy, Phillips, Morris and Erika Panzer).

“It’s pretty cool,” Wright said. “We had a couple girls just step up and surprise us.”

Kentwood, however, wasn’t done just yet. The Conquerors proceeded to knock off Kentlake last week, 93-92. The two wins have vaulted Kentwood into the driver’s seat for the SPSL North crown.

LOOK OUT FOR KENTLAKE

The Kentlake Falcons haven’t won an SPSL North title since 2004.

That very well could change this fall. Behind Chelsea Bailey and freshman sensation Emily Tanasse, the Falcons certainly have speed to burn.

But do they have the depth to challenge Kentwood and Kentridge? A total of 30 girls turned out for this year’s team, nearly a dozen fewer than both the Chargers and Conquerors. And when it comes to winning the SPSL North, something Kentridge has accomplished the last four years, depth typically reigns supreme.

“Those teams have the luxury of spreading girls out during meets,” coach David Beyer said. “And I’ve only got one diver, which hurts. But in my era at Kentlake, this is the best team we’ve had. I am very excited for this team.”

As he should be. Because Kentlake essentially didn’t lose a single swimmer that made an impact at state a year ago, when the Falcons scored a North Division best 87 points, good for ninth place overall.

Leading the way for the Falcons is Bailey, who proved last year that she’s one of the best swimmers in the state regardless of classification. Bailey established a new state record in the 100-yard freestyle, stopping the clock in 49.82 seconds, and took home a silver medal in the 100 backstroke. She also was part of Kentlake’s bronze-winning 200 free relay, a group that also included Abby Swanson, Taylor Bouffard and Katrina Hetrick, all of whom are back this season.

For the Falcons, that’s only the beginning. They also return their entire state-qualifying 400-free relay team (Swanson, Bouffard, Jordan Middleton and Sarah Dougherty).

Throw in Tanasse, who already has served up a state-qualifying time in the 100 free, and there’s reason for excitement in the Kentlake pool.

But the biggest goal of all isn’t a North Division title, Beyer stressed.

It’s moving up at state. And the Falcons very well could climb a few spots.

“If we can get more than two in individual events to qualify for state, then there’s a good chance we can take one of the top spots at state,” Beyer said.