Fall sports preview: Balanced, deep team has Wolves’ girls swim team eyeing state berths

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 12, 2018

SHS girls swim 2018 season preview

Head coach: Bob Pease (first season); Assistant: Katie Ward

2017 record: 4-3, fourth in Olympic League 2A division; tied for 18th at 2A tourney

Returners: Sonja Govertsen (jr.), Jasmine Itti (sr.), Sydney Swanson (jr.), Meguire Vander Velde (jr.), Heidi Schmitt (sr.), Madeline Patterson (sr.), Paola Villegas (so.), Claire Cronin (so.), Eilynn Flood (so.), Aleah Chen (so.)

Newcomers: Faith Amaya (fr.), Petra Bernsten (fr.), Charlie Briggs (so.), Melanie Byrne (fr.), Morgan Cariou (jr.), Bailey Coffman (NA), Mia Coffman (fr.), Natalie George (fr.), Layla Gibson (fr.), Keenan Paris (fr.), Anna Price (NA), Sydnee Price (fr.), Lauren Sundin (fr.), Hannah Taylor (fr.), Sydney Vanproyen (so.)

Heading into his first year as head coach of the Sequim High girls swim team, Bob Pease has plenty to work with — including three state meet returning athletes and talented newcomers — for a squad that placed in the top 20 among 2A schools in 2017.

“We’re much deeper than we were last year, in overall talent,” he said.

An assistant with SHS’s girls and boys swim teams last fall, Pease goes into this season with returning junior Sonja Govertsen, who earned state berths in the 50 free (fourth place, 25.24) and 100 free (sixth, 55.78), as well as senior Jasmine Itti and Sydney Swanson, part of Sequim’s state-qualifying 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relay teams.

While the Wolves lost several components from last year’s team, including standout Sydnee Linnane, they get back 10 returning swimmers and add a slew of talent, many of whom have moved from out of the area.

Mia Coffman, a freshman from Port Angeles, already shows she will be a strong contender to qualify for state, Pease said, while newcomer Anna Price from Alaska also shows promise.

The Sequim coach said he saw some good offseason work from the Sequim team: 12 SHS swimmers participated in a conditioning program in July, while others got pool time with Port Angeles and YMCA teams.

“The girls have been great; their conditioning is pretty good (early on),” Pease said.

Wolves captains this year include seniors Itti, Madeline Patterson and Heidi Schmitt.

“The captains have done a beautiful job of leading in practice,” Pease said.

Sequim’s team has a good chance to put more individuals and all three relays into the state 2A meet, he said.

However, Pease and new assistant coach Katie Ward, a special education teacher at Sequim High School, are looking to see improvements for each swimmer, not just the fastest ones.

“The number one goal is to have all of the girls improve; that holds true for everybody,” Pease said. That improvement will come from three things, he noted: experience, technique and training.

“That will be the determiner whether Katie and I are doing a good job,” he said.

The Wolves opened their season at home Sept. 11 against Olympic. Sequim hosts the Kingston Buccaneers on Thursday, Sept. 13, before taking eight swimmers to compete in the Swimvitational at Olympic High School in Silverdale on Sept. 15.

Home meets are hosted at the YMCA of Sequim, 610 N. Fifth Ave.

North Kitsap was the top team in the Olympic League last year, going 7-0 in league meets. Port Angeles was second (6-1), Olympic third (5-2) and Sequim fourth (4-3).