Knights dominate Sea-King swim and dive meet, headed to state | Prep sports news

Newport took home a handful of titles in individual events as well as relays to top defending champ Skyline and punch its state ticket.

November 5, 2012 4:07 pm

Heading into the 4A Sea-King district swim and dive meet, Newport head coach Eric Bartleson knew a district title could be a springboard for greater things at the state meet.

After a dominant win at the Sea-King district meet, he and the Knights will have their opportunity on the biggest stage.

Newport picked up individual wins in a handful of events as Jenny Huo won the 200 yard individual medley, Lorea Gwo took home the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly and Elisa Fang finished in front in the 100 backstroke. Fang, Huo, Gwo and Emily Waddell teamed for a top finish in the 200 medley relay while Fang, Gwo, Amelia Liu and Maggie Pana won the 400 free relay for Newport.

Pana was one of three state qualifiers for the Knights in the 200 free, where she will be joined by Kiera Watson, Cassie Burgess and Sara Simpson. She will also swim the marathon 500 free, along with Watson.

Burgess will swim in the 100 free, as will freshman Kennedy Elhajj. Liu’s time in the 100 fly was also good enough to earn her a spot in that event.

Both relay teams will take top seeds to the 4A state swim and dive meet at King County Aquatic Center, which begins November 9 and concludes the following day.

In 3A, Bellevue will have the fourth seed in the 200 medley relay with crosstown Interlake seeded ninth. The Saints also earned a berth in the 200 free relay and 400 free relay.

Brigid Mackey qualified in the 200 free, Anna Kimura will swim the 100 breast, Lianna Sutich made the field in the 100 back and 100 fly. Kimura and Mackey are also in the field for the 100 fly. Cassidy McDermott and CC Hagen will be in the 50 free.

Bellevue, led by sophomore and defending 3A state champion Kim Williams in the 100 breast, will have a number of chances to get on the podium.

Williams owns the top seed in the 100 breast and 200 IM, where her time of 2 minutes, 3.42 seconds was fast enough to garner All-American consideration and win the Sea-King title.

Naomi Ngo will join Williams in the 200 IM and enters with the fifth fastest seed time. She will also be in the field for the 100 fly. Linnea Uyeno qualified for the Wolverines in the 500 free and Christina McDermott will swim the 100 breast.

Contact and submissions: jsuman@bellevuereporter.com