Sequim Gazette staff
Sequim swam and dove its way past the Bremerton Knights for its first team win in a narrow 92-91 victory on Thursday.
“It feels great,” head coach Anita Benitez said. “It’s the first time we’ve had so many points.”
Nearly all of the girls, 30 to be exact, showed improvement in at least one event, she said.
Cassi Calderon moved three seconds away from district qualifying times in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. She took first in the 100 backstroke and second in the 50 free behind teammate Dani Barrow.
Bobbi Jo Terwilliger took first in the 200 free, and Carmen Wilwert won the 100 backstroke.
Sequim’s 200 meter medley relay team with Calderon, Barrow, Jessica Craig and Victoria Fitzpatrick is less than a second from qualifying for districts.
That same team already has qualified in the 200 meter freestyle relay and 400 meter freestyle relay.
Benitez said Craig is three seconds away from qualifying in the 100 meter breaststroke, too.
Including the relay teams, Barrows already qualified in five events for districts.
Diver Emily Van Dyken continues her path for a repeat trip to the 2A state meet.
Assistant coach Mark Pincikowski said Van Dyken knows what she needs to work on and is confident she’ll get there.
Van Dyken is one of two returning divers for the team along with Ali Thill, but the team has seen a spike in recent attention to diving with seven more signed on this season.
Van Dyken and the other girls’ last chance to qualify for districts will be the Olympic League Meet on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in Port Angeles. Before then, the Wolves take on the Klahowya Eagles on Thursday at home for their last regular meet of the season.
Benitez said the team is going to continue working on fundamentals.
“If they want to swim specific events, then they need to work on cutting times to qualify to go as an alternate for districts,” she said.
To keep interests high, Benitez lets the girls choose one event of their own to swim, which she’s seen a growing interest in some events.
“Some are intimidated by swimming 200 IM or fly,” she said. “Butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke are difficult.”
