Marysville-Pilchuck girls turn again to their depth

The Tomahawk swimmers added another win to the column, defeating Kamiak at the pool which will host the district meet at the end of the season.

By Danielle Szulczewski • September 29, 2009 2:22 pm
Tomahawk sophomore Karoline Schaufler gasps for breath as she makes her way back toward the starting block in one of her laps of the 500 freestyle.
Tomahawk sophomore Karoline Schaufler gasps for breath as she makes her way back toward the starting block in one of her laps of the 500 freestyle.

MUKILTEO — The Tomahawk swimmers added another win to the column, defeating Kamiak at the pool which will host the district meet at the end of the season.

Marysville-Pilchuck beat Kamiak 102-83 thanks to their depth, said coach Jaci Legore Hodgins after the Sept. 22 competition.

The girls won nine of 12 events, and in seven of those nine races they had a second swimmer place in either second or third place, key to picking up the points that earn a team victory.

Junior Jewel LeValley and sophomore teammate Karoline Schaufler turned in a pair of 1-2 finishes that single-handedly earned the Tomahawks 20 points. LeValley, a state-qualifier in the 200 freestyle and hopeful for the 500 freestyle, won both events. But Schaufler gave her teammate some competition, also holding off the lead Kamiak swimmer.

“That’s the first time she swam the 500 this year. So Karoline was key for us,” Legore Hodgins said.

The meet featured several other state-caliber performances, including freshman Hannah Taylor’s state times in the 100 breaststroke and 100 butterfly. But one of the closest came in the diving competition where senior Sarah Clark held off Kamiak junior Fiona Weeks to win by less than two points with a score of 224.25. The girls have always competed against one another several times during the year, including district dive competitions, the district meet and at state every year since Weeks was a freshman.

“Typically when we’re at Kamiak, Fiona beats Sarah. I think it’s obvious that Sarah has really reached a new level,” the coach added. “When you’re seeing (scores of) 7 1/2s, 8s on a regular basis, that tells you something.”

Junior diver Marysa Eastman, another state veteran, came in third place with a score just under 200 points. Another junior, Melody Travis, gave the Tomahawks what was probably their closest win of the afternoon. After swimming the backstroke for the girls’ winning 200 medley relay, Travis eked out a win in the 100 backstroke over Kamiak’s Marie Nowacki, her 1:11.08 time about three-10ths of a second faster.

Sophomore Kendall Vincelette won the 200 individual medley and swam the anchor leg of the Tommies’ winning 200 freestyle relay.

“It was just a great, solid meet,” Legore Hodgins said. “I felt like our depth came through for us once again.”

Click here for more photos.