Area Sports

by MICHAEL DASHIELL

For rookie swimmers only used to churning laps in practice, getting up on the blocks at their first meet can be intimidating.

Sequim High’s young swim crew made the best of it last week, earning four first-place finishes and exactly zero stroke infractions or disqualifications in an 88-67 loss to Klahowya at the first meet of the 2011 season.

“For us winning was not important; getting through was the key,” first-year coach Anita Benitez said.

Sequim picked up two relay victories and two individual wins.

Danielle Barrow earned the Wolves’ first district-qualifying swim with a 2:47.7 finish in the 200 individual medley — earning a postseason spot by less than 0.4 seconds.

Cassandra Calderon topped the field in the 500 free while Julianne Miller picked up a win in the 100 breaststroke.

Sequim also took top honors in the 200 medley relay (Barrow, Calderon, Miller and Kendra Richardson) and, with that same combination, in the 400 free relay.

“We did OK … for our first meet, considering we’re young,” Benitez said.

Many of Sequim’s swimmers are first-timers who competed at last week’s first meet in four separate events.

“Everything that I asked of them, they were able to complete,” Benitez said. “I’m very proud of my team.”

That being said, the Sequim coach said there’s plenty to work on in practices.

“We will be encouraging what our strengths are (and) focusing on one weakness at a time,” Benitez said.

Sequim was scheduled to host Bremerton on Sept. 20 — results of the meet were not available at press time. The Wolves host Kingston on Sept. 22 and Port Townsend a week later, Sept. 29.

Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.