Marysville-Pilchuck swimmers move on to state

MUKILTEO — The Tommies will be well-represented at the state swim meet after placing second in districts Feb. 13.

Marysville-Pilchuck scored 394 points and sent five individuals for seven events and two relay teams to state, hoping to better a team finish of seventh last season. The winner was Kamiak, which showcased its depth, scoring 612.

Senior Oliver Durand earned Marysville-Pilchuck’s sole individual victory in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:44.7 at districts, which is more than a second faster than the time that earned him sixth place in the 2009 state meet. Durand also earned a spot in the 500-yard freestyle race with a time of 4:50.15, which earned second place and was three seconds slower than his fifth-place finish against state competition last year.

Fellow senior Brandon Caldwell also qualified for a pair of events, finishing fourth in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.65 and sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke, with a time of 1:03.19. Caldwell was 18th at state last year in the breaststroke.

Senior Zach Russell will look to top his 11th-place finish at state this season, as he was second at the district meet, scoring 381.95 points.

Other Individuals earning a trip to Federal Way include Spencer Girard, who finished third in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:00.61. Also, junior Connor Hemming qualified for the breaststroke for the second consecutive year, posting a state time of 1:03.45. Hemming bested his 2009 state time by nearly two seconds at districts.

Marysville-Pilchuck will send down a pair of relays in the 200 medley, which includes Durand, Connor Hemmingway, Josh Estella and Caldwell, and the 200 freestyle, which includes Caldwell, Jason Pusateri, Girard and Durand. The medley team posted a 1:41.59, which would have been good enough for eighth place in 2009, while the 200 freestyle’s time of 1:32.41 would have placed fourth.

The state tournament is scheduled for Feb. 18-20 at the King County Aquatic Center.

Contact Marysville Globe Sports Reporter Travis Sherer at tsherer@marysvilleglobe.com or 360 659-1300 Ext. 5054.

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