Wolves finish season strong, place third in league

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Putting a cap on a strange season that saw team members compete virtually in each of its races, Sequim High’s girls swim squad finished with a strong kick as it put 10 swimmers in the final events and placed third out of eight teams in the modified Olympic League championships, held virtually on March 9 and March 11.

Mia Coffman led the Wolves with a pair of top-five finishes, including a league-best 5:49 finish in the 500 freestyle. But the Sequim junior wasn’t alone — particularly in the league’s most grueling event.

The Wolves took four of the top six places in that event, including Eislynn Flood (6:39) in fourth, Claire Cronin (7:13, a five-second personal best) in fifth, and Julia Jeffers (7:58) in sixth.

In all, Sequim swimmers clocked in 14 top-10 times in the league’s final “meet” of the season, with preliminaries on March 9 and the top 12 in each event competing virtually on March 11.

“Sequim had a phenomenal week,” coach Sarah Thorson said.

Sophomore Hi’ilei Robinson made it to finals in both her 50- and 100-yard freestyle races — placing sixth and 10th respectively — and played a vital role in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays, Thorson noted.

Coffman also placed fourth in the 200 free (2:11).

SHS swimmers earned strong finishes in all three relays, with Coffman, Flood, Robinson and Lauren Sundin placing fourth in the 400 relay (4:30). Cronin, Jeffers, Melanie Byrne and Madelyn Pickens placed fifth in the 200 medley relay, while Coffman, Robinson, Sundin and Petra Bernsten earned sixth in the 200 free relay (2:01).

Other top-10 finishes included Sundin in the 100 free (8th, 1:07) and 100 butterfly (10th, 1:18), Byrne in the 100 breaststroke (10th, 1:33), Pickens in the 200 individual medley (10th, 3:26), and Robinson in the 100 free (10th, 1:08).