With just two league meets remaining this season, Sequim’s swim crew looks prepped to peak at postseason meets.

The Wolves posted nine personal individual bests and several relay split improvements at the eight-team Swimvitational on Jan. 12.

“There were some incredible swims and the boys were happier then I have seen them all year,” Sequim coach Anita Benitez said.

Junior Jax Thaxton swam backstroke for the first time and is just 0.41 of a second off the school record (set in 2014 by Eric Prosser) and only two seconds from a state qualifying time. His 1:01.96 mark was a four-second improvement over his 2017-18 effort and qualifies him for districts. He also placed fifth in the 50 free with a 23.62-second swim.

Senior Alex Berikoff improved his 100 breaststroke time by five seconds (1:12.99) and earned a district time, placing eighth at the meet.

Jesse Bobst trimmed four seconds from his 100 breaststroke time and placed ninth; his 1:13.43 finish was a district qualifier.

Senior Liam Payne swam the 500-meter for the first time yesterday. Benitez said she and Payne had predicted a 7:00 finish, but Payne beat it by 30 seconds (6:30.91 and earned him fourth place.

Other Sequim swimmers setting personal bests included: Zen Graham in the 100 meters (by eight second, to 58.28); Bobst in the 50 free (26.56); Blake Boardman in the 200 free (2:24.17) and Kaleb Needoba in the 200 IM (2:22.89), as well as Deven Biehler in the 100 free (58.64), topping his time from last season.

Sequim’s 200 medley relay A team placed fourth while SHS’s 200 free relay team was fifth.

Olympic League teams Sequim, North Kitsap and Olympic, along with athletes from Gig Harbor, Central Kitsap, South Kitsap, Klahowya and Chimacum competed at the Swimvitational.

Wolves battle Vikings

Sequim took on North Kitsap’s Vikings at home on Jan. 10, with SHS’s 200 medley relay team of Thaxton, Payne, Needoba and Berikoff earning a two-second personal best and setting a new meet record — set last season — with a 1:51.07 mark.

Sequim’s “B” team also earned a district time, with Boardman, Bobst, Graham and David Calderon posting a 2:03.44 mark. Sequim’s C team of Anthony Thompson Porazzo, Will Plasch, Jordan Hurdlow and Michael Mattern-Hall cut nearly 10 seconds from their previous best to 2:16.17, and are just four seconds off a district time

Needoba, swimming out of the fifth lane, cut 12 seconds from his previous 200 IM best and earned a district meet-qualifying 2:22.89 mark. In the same race, Payne cut three seconds from his 200 IM best and earned a district time of 2:31.34.

“This was one of the best events of the meet,” Benitez said.

See more photos from the meet here.

Berikoff cut one second from his 50 free and got a district time of 24:34.

Graham posted his first 50 free swim under 26 seconds (25.99) and is about three-quarters of a second off a district time. He also cut a second off his personal 100 butterfly best (1:12.71).

Bobst cut four seconds from his 100 breaststroke and is just 0.39 of a second from making a district time.

Others setting personal bests against North Kitsap included: Hurdlow in the 100 fly (by 10 seconds, to 1:21.96) and the 500 free (by 48 seconds, to 6:44.98); Mattern-Hall in the 100 free (by nine seconds, to 1:04.42); Thompson Porazzo in the 100 back (by 10 seconds, to 1:28.31); Plasch in his 100 breaststroke (by six seconds, to 1:26.65); Liam Braaten in the 100 free (by eight seconds, to 1:42.14); Noah White in the 100 free (by 8.5 seconds, to 1:08.84); Oscar Walchenbach in the 500 free (by 17 seconds, to 8:16.69), and Biehler in the 500 free (6:29.19).

An overall score for the meet was not available.

Looking ahead

Sequim swims at Klahowya on Jan. 17 before finishing the regular season with a home meet on Jan. 24 against Bremerton.

The Wolves are at the Division Invitational “Last Chance” meet at Port Angeles on Jan. 29.

Qualified swimmers compete at the West Central District meet, held Feb. 8-9 at Hazen High School in Renton.

Top swimmers and other qualifiers move on to the class 1A/2A meet in Federal Way, set for Feb. 15-16.

Sequim’s Deven Biehler swims the 200 free as he and the Wolves host North Kitsap on Jan. 10. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

Sequim High senior Liam Payne swims a district meet-qualifying 200 IM against North Kitsap on Jan. 10.

Sequim’s Blake Boardman swims the 100 backstroke on Jan. 10, in an Olympic League meet against North Kitsap. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell

Kaleb Needoba swims the butterfly portion of the 200 medley relay as Sequim takes on North Kitsap last week. Sequim set a school and pool record with a 1:51.07 finish. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell