So far, five Sequim swimmers seem destined to compete at districts this year.
Dani Barrow, Jessica Craig, Victoria Fitzpatrick, Sydney Linnane and Jaycee Thompson-Porrazzo will compete individually and as three qualified relay teams. Swimmers head to Hazen High School on Nov. 7-8 while divers go to Auburn on Nov. 7.
Barrow leads the Wolves by qualifying in every event for districts except diving.
She said her goal was to qualify in everything, especially the backstroke, which she didn’t qualify in last year, and the 200 IM at 2:30.99, which she’s qualified for all four years of school now.
“It’s fun,” she said. “One stroke is kind of boring.”
At districts she plans to swim the 200 IM, 500 free, 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.
Freshman Linnane follows Barrow qualifying in seven events, including the 100 backstroke, and she’s close to qualifying in the 200 free. Craig has qualified in five events and is just over one second off from the 100 breaststroke.
Fitzpatrick set a personal goal this year to qualify in an individual event after going to districts last year as part of relay teams. She swam a 2:25.73 to qualify in the 200 freestyle against Kingston on Oct. 23. Fitzpatrick qualified with two relays, too.
Also qualified is Thompson-Porrazzo as part of the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays. She’s also close to qualifying in the 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle.
Swimmers had the opportunity to qualify in more events or their first at the Last Chance Olympic League Meet on Oct. 28.
Several girls were on the cusp of qualifying like Annie Armstrong and Kayley Lofstrom in the 100 butterfly and much of the diving team.
Assistant coach Mark Pincikowski said senior Emily Van Dyken, who has dived twice at state, plans to make districts at the Last Chance Meet along with Anna White and Jovelle Dewey.
One win and a narrow loss
The Wolves (2-5) finished their head-to-head meets with a 100-80 win over Olympic (2-5) on Oct. 16 and a 101-82 loss on Oct. 23 to Kingston (2-5).
In the win, Sequim took first in seven events including the 200 medley relay, 200 IM (Barrow), diving (Dewey), 100 butterfly (Linnane), 500 freestyle (Barrow), 100 backstroke (Linnane), 100 breaststroke (Craig), and the 400 freestyle relay.
In the loss, the 200 medley team of Craig, Barrow, Armstrong and Thompson-Porrazzo won, Fitzpatrick won the 200 freestyle, Thompson-Porrazzo the 50 freestyle, Van Dyken diving, and Barrow the 500 freestyle. Between the meets, more than 20 girls set personal records.
Pincikowski said the season has been a lot of fun.
“It’s (head coach Anita Benitez) and my fourth year with many of the girls,” he said.
“It’s bittersweet starting with eight girls in the first year and going to 28 this year. We’ve gone from two competitive lanes to three competitive lanes next year. Ninety-five percent of them never swam competitively before they joined the team.”
