by MICHAEL DASHIELL

Sequim Gazette

The meet was so close, it wasn’t decided until the final event.

Following the final Olympic League meet of the season on Jan. 27, it was clear that both Sequim and Kingston were primed and poised for the postseason.

The visiting Buccaneers edged Sequim 95-88 on Jan. 27, with a bevy of close races that included the 400 freestyle relay finale. Sequim held a modest lead after two legs but despite setting a team season-best of 4:05 (a 10-second PR), the Bucs came back to edge the Wolves for the win.

Kevin Fox and Dante Miguel led the Bucs to victory.

Fox picked up individual wins in the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley and helped lead Kingston to wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays. Miguel picked up wins in the 200 and 500 free events.

Sequim picked up five wins, led by newcomer Taylor Bonneau, who won the 50 free and 100 free events. His 50 free mark of 23.67 is just 0.08 seconds off a state qualifying time and his 53.69 in the 100 free is 2.5 seconds from a state berth.

Sequim finishes the regular season with a 3-3 league record, 3-4 overall.

“I’m really happy with their results,” Sequim coach Linda Moats said following the meet. “They are really pushing themselves.”

Noe Calderon picked up a win in the 100 breaststroke. He and Bonneau joined Tommy Moores and Drew Rickerson in shaving three seconds off Sequim’s top 200 free relay time at 1:40, four seconds from a state berth.

Without any Kingston divers to contend with, Sequim’s trio of varsity divers earned 13 points for the squad. They were led by Ezra Perkins, who edged teammate Connor Christianson 186.35 points to 180.65. Cameron Harrison (153.80) was third.

Diving coach Susan Craig said she thinks all four of her varsity divers (Perkins, Christianson, Harrison and Austin Clement) have a shot at qualifying for state — particularly because of the limited field. Sequim faced just one other league team (Port Angeles) with any divers and the state meet allows a total of 24 divers to compete.

Petersen, the senior who was a diver his first two years before opting to swim his final two, qualified for the district meet after topping his 500 free best by 13 seconds, in just his second time competing in the event.

Rickerson shed 12 seconds from his personal best in the 200 free to finish second in the event.

Moores set personal bests in the 50 free and 100 butterfly.

Moats said she likes Moores’ and Bonneau’s chances of advancing to state, as well as Sequim’s 200 freestyle relay team.

Setting standards

Several Sequim swimmers set personal bests against Kingston, including Calderon (200 IM by nearly four seconds), Kiano Stoppani (200 free by five seconds and 500 free by four seconds), Andrew Gunstone (500 free by 1:29 and the 200 free by seven seconds), Doug Dunbar (200 IM, by eight seconds) and Matt Cays (100 breaststroke by seven seconds).

David Vollenweider set top times in the 100 butterfly (by two seconds) and the 100 breaststroke (by seven seconds) events.

“He has been working hard on this event and it’s showing,” Moats said. “As a sophomore, he is showing great potential for coming years.”

The Olympic League meet, a competition for league swimmers and divers to qualify for districts or state, or to fine tune their events before districts, was set for Feb. 1 — results of the meet were unavailable at press time.

The West Central District meet is scheduled for Feb. 10-12 at Hazen High School in Renton.

Swimmers who have state-qualifying times, plus the top four from each event at districts, advance to the class 2A state boys meet, scheduled for Feb. 18-19 at the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.