Locals head into finals seeking titles

STATE SWIM MEET: Contenders include River Ridge twins, diver and Centralia freshman

JENNIFER CHANCELLOR; For The Olympian | • Published November 14, 2009

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FEDERAL WAY – Hansi Willoughby was ready to face her first state swim meet head-on.

She just didn’t expect to finish that way.

Calling her effort in the preliminaries of the 100-yard backstroke “really, really bad,” the Capital freshman explained that her hand was too high when she went to touch the wall. She ended up stopping the clock with her head.

The result was a nasty scrape – and a 25th-place finish. Even so, she said, “It’s pretty exciting. This was my goal for the year, and to make it here feels great.”

Willoughby qualified for the Class 3A consolation finals of the 100 freestyle with a 13th-place finish, and Cougars coach Burke Anderson was proud of her first showing at the King County Aquatic Center.

“She should be stoked,” he said. “She ripped up the 100.”

Capital junior Amanda Clark was torn about qualifying 10th in both the 200 and 500 freestyle.

“In the 200, I went out a little too fast and wasn’t able to keep my speed up,” she said. “But in the 500, I got my best time.”

Shrugging, she added, “I’m OK with it. I did better than last year.”

No North Thurston swimmer advanced in individual events, but the Rams’ 400-free relay tied for 12th, and their 200-medley relay qualified 16th.

For Miranda Early, squeaking by is just fine. The Olympia sophomore said she could hardly believe she made the consolation finals after qualifying 16th in the 100 breaststroke.

“It’s so big,” she said of her first state appearance. “Being here is mind-blowing. It feels so official.”

Olympia junior Clara Heffernan will be South Sound’s lone competitor in the Class 4A championship finals after finishing fifth in the 200 free. She also qualified 10th in the 500 free.

Shelton junior Kathryn Myers qualified 12th in the 50 free.

The 2A championship finals will include several familiar faces, including River Ridge sophomore twins Kiana and Shanell Sullenberger. In addition to finishing the 100 breaststroke in 1 minute, 08.33 seconds for second place, Kiana is seeded fourth in the 50 free. Shanell took third place in the breaststroke in 1:08.36 and was third in the 100 free.

Hawks coach Kelly O’Neill thinks either could pull out a victory in their marquee event.

“I think they’re going to give the top-seeded girl a real run for her money,” she said. “She’s only about a half-second faster, and she’ll have the twins on both sides.”

Defending 2A state diving champion Asha Srivastava of River Ridge heads into today’s finals in second place.

In a reversal of their battle at the 2A district, Centralia freshman Abigail Messegee took first in the 200 free (2:01.31), and Tumwater freshman Abby Sullivan took second (2:02.09).

Messegee also is seeded first in the 500 freestyle. Sullivan qualified sixth in the 100 freestyle.

Others to advance included Tumwater’s Lorraine Hack (200 IM, 100 butterfly), Alex Cummings (100 backstroke), Taylor Napoleon (diving) and Sara Olive McStay (diving), River Ridge’s Kindra McDougall (diving) and Rebeka Santos (diving), Centralia’s Whitney Pannkuk (100 fly) and numerous relay teams.