Three years ago, after his first state championship meet as a prep, Edward Kim set a goal: become the second boy in Washington state high school swimming history to win the maximum eight individual championships.
Saturday, Feb. 22 at The Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, Kim etched his name permanently in the record books, running away with a pair of 4A titles and automatic All-American times to take the 200 yard freestyle and 100 yard freestyle and finish with eight titles in four years.
“I have the same mindset as when I came here as a freshman,” Kim said. “I’m always looking for a challenge, always looking for someone to race.”
Kim raced in front of the pack to win the 200 free in an automatic All-American time of one minute, 37.42 seconds, nearly six seconds in front of the second place finisher.
He repeated the feat in the 100 free to reach the top of the 4A podium for the maximum eighth time as an individual in a career, swimming to another automatic All-American time of 43.90.
Eastside Catholic’s Ethan Hallowell is the only other prep in state history to win eight individual titles, which he did in Class 3A from 2008-2011. His final year was Kim’s first in the high school pool.
Head coach Kate Agnew said the most extraordinary part of coaching the supremely talented and ultra-driven Kim wasn’t watching him shave seconds and approach state records, but his enjoyment of his teammates and the camaraderie of the squad.
“He’s always more focused on the team than he is on himself,” Agnew said. “He is more excited about the other boys swimming well and is excited to be part of a team.”
Kim, who is set to attend and swim for Harvard as a collegian, said Agnew and his teammates over the past four years have made the rigors of the sport – including pulling double practice shifts with the Wolves and his club team – more manageable.
“I love them all to death,” he said. “I’m really thankful for them.”
A host of other Wolves also found their way into the finals, including junior Jackson Berman, who was seventh in the 500 free in a time of 4:47.84 and fourth in the B Final of the 200 free.
Kim, senior Caleb Alleva, Markus Zimmermann and Berman were sixth in the finals of the 200 free relay in 1:30:13, with Alleva also eighth in the B Final of the 100 breaststroke.
Zimmermann, Chirag Das, Kim and Berman swam to a fourth place finish in the 400 free relay in 3:14.48, as Eastlake was eighth in the team scoring.
“Being with my teammates was my favorite part of high school swimming,” Kim said. “I will definitely take that with me.”
Kim and Agnew undergo what became an annual ritual at state. DON BORIN, STOP ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY
