By JOHN McCALLUM
Editor
The Cheney girls’ swimming team wrapped up its dual meet portion of the 2012 season with competition last Tuesday in Pullman, losing 121-39 to the much deeper Greyhounds.
The Blackhawks 400-yard freestyle A relay team of Kaylie Geschke, Kaylie Watters, Brittany Meyer and Katie Shea had the highest finish for Cheney, placing second with a time of 4 minutes, 34.16 seconds. The B team of Erin Moseley, Kierra Heiydt, Sophie Schwalbe and Samantha Abbott finished third in 4:58.45.
Third place was the highest finish for Cheney swimmers’ individual events, and there weren’t too many against a strong, vibrant program like Pullman. Finishing third were Geschke in the 200 free (2:19.17), Shea in the 200 individual medley (2:55.07), Schwalbe in the 100 backstroke (1:21.81) and Watters in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.75).
The 200-medley relay team of Kora Wevers, Abbott, Moseley and Heiydt was third in 2:44.68 with the 200-free team of Watters, Geschke, Meyer and Shea third in 2:04.78.
Head coach Jennifer Hochwalt felt the girls swam well against Pullman. For the final meet of the season, and for seniors Shea, Schwalbe, Moseley and Heiydt their final high school meet period, Hochwalt said she varied the individual event line up by mixing events they have regularly competed in with ones they seldom swim competitively.
“I want them to have some fun,” she said. “For most the kids, it was a last opportunity to swim something other than their best events.”
For Schwalbe, a four-year letter winner, it was her last meet period. Hochwalt said the senior, who qualified for districts and had been dropping her times, wouldn’t be able to compete in Ellensburg this weekend because of a college-related trip.
Of the 10 girls who stayed with the Blackhawks program through the season, nine will be making the trip this Friday and Saturday to competition at Central Washington University’s pool. Cheney’s individual event line up consists of Geschke and Shea in the 200 free, Abbott and Heiydt in the 200 IM, Watters and Izzie Corlett in the 50 free, Heiydt and Corlett in the 100 free, Moseley, Wevers and Meyer in the 100 butterfly; Shea, Geschke and Meyer in the 500 free; Wevers, Moseley and Abbott in the 100 backstroke and Watters in the 100 breaststroke. All three of Cheney’s A relay teams will be competing.
Hochwalt thinks the Blackhawks have some good opportunities to advance several swimmers from districts to state competition Nov. 15-17 at Federal Way, possibly in several events. Six of the top 8 freestyle swimmers from last year graduated, and Hochwalt feels there are three or four Cheney swimmers who could finish in the top three in their events, with others finishing just outside and possibly being picked as wild card entries to state once district meets on the west side of the state are completed Nov. 8-9.
“Until you get there, though, it’s hard to say unless they’ve already made the cut,” she added.
Editor’s note: A story on Cheney’s results from this weekend’s district meet will appear in the Nov. 8 issue of the Cheney Free Press in order to account for Western Washington district meet results and possible wild card entries.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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