After helping Sequim’s boys and girls swim teams grow in roster numbers and district and state berths, head coach Anita Benitez stepped down after seven seasons with the girls and only one with the boys.

She made the announcement in early March to players and parents, she said, and Sequim School Board formally approved her resignations later in the month.

However, Benitez had a change of heart to keep the boys’ swim team coach job.

Sequim High athletic director Dave Ditlefsen said Sequim School Board tentatively made the decision on her contract for the boys’ team on April 16.

“There’s no reason why we wouldn’t want to hire,” he said.

As for the girls’ swim team job, Benitez’s first year assistant Robert Pease applied to coach the girls, Ditlefsen said. The girls’ head coach position is still open, Ditlefsen said, and a decision will be made in the coming weeks.

Pease has 50-plus years of coaching experience, including 16 years at the University of Missouri and eight years for his Olympia club team.

Benitez, if rehired, would be one of two female head coaches for Sequim High School varsity athletic teams with Jennie Webber Heilman, volleyball.

Benitez began coaching the girls team in 2011 that went 0-7 and saw no swimmers go to state. But the team grew and improved with at least one swimmer and/or diver going to state with Benitez as coach since 2012.

The girls also went 4-3 in consecutive seasons this year and last.

This school year, the girls finished eighth overall at the West Central Districts swim and dive meet and four Wolves swam to an 18th place finish and two podium finishes at the 2A state swim and diving meet.

Benitez took over the boys team following the retirement of Linda Moats last summer after she helped start the program and began coaching it in 2000.

In recent years, the boys team had seen a dip in roster numbers but Benitez said she began recruitment early and brought out 14 boys who had never swam competitively along with a few returners.

“It takes a lot of trust for them to come out and try something new,” Benitez said.

The boys team finished 1-5 with their lone victory coming against rival Port Angeles 98-71 on Jan. 11, the Wolves’ first win over the Riders since Dec. 2, 2003. They were 1-22 all-time against Port Angeles and had lost the previous 17 meetings with their rivals.

The win was Sequim’s first league meet victory since Jan. 20, 2011, too.

One of the team’s highlights was the relay team of Kaleb Needoba, Deven Biehler, Jax Thaxton, and Alex Berikoff setting a school record in the 400 freestyle relay three times — first at the Olympic League meet, then districts and lastly as state with a time of 3:44.62.

“I’m proud of starting an inclusive program for any boy or girl to come and swim,” Benitez said. “Any boy or girl could join and make it to state and/or work towards their own goals.”

On why she resigned, Benitez said she needed to focus on family and professional matters. She continues to teach Spanish and serve as senior class adviser at Sequim High School. Benitez is also married with two children.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.