Issaquah places third in 4A Sea-King district swim meet

Issaquah didn't lay claim a single district championship in Saturday's 4A Sea-King district meet, but the Eagles had a strong overall performance.

Issaquah didn’t lay claim a single district championship in Saturday’s 4A Sea-King district meet, but the Eagles had a strong overall performance.

Issaquah placed third of 11 teams with 196.5 points — just behind Newport (198) and champion Roosevelt (208).

Junior Brian Ruggles and sophomores Austin Melody and Willy Matsuda grabbed second-place finishes.

Ruggles earned an automatic state qualifying time in the 50 freestyle (23.08 seconds), Melody qualified for state in the 200 individual medley (2 minutes, 4 seconds) and Matsuda was second in the 100 butterfly (54.93).

The 200 medley relay of Gentry Gevers, Melody, Matsuda and Ruggles also placed second (1:40.20), along with the 400 free relay of Skyler Kersten, Matsuda, Melody and Ruggles (3:20.77).

Melody and Ruggles added state-qualifying times in the 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle, respectively.

Eastlake placed fifth in the meet with 149 team points.

The Wolves won five district championships behind the performance of freshman standout Edward Kim.

Kim blazed his way to two district record times in the 50 freestyle (21.97) and 100 freestyle (46.32). He was also first leg on Eastlake’s winning 200 medley relay and the final leg on the winning 200 freestyle relay team. Zach Alleva, Ryker Oldenburg and Henry O’Neil were also on the Wolves’ winning relay teams.

Alleva captured another district championship in the 100 breaststroke. His time of 1:01.10 was over a second faster than the nearest finisher.

Skyline finished seventh in the District 2 meet with 104.5 points.

The Spartans received their highest finish from sophomore diver Max Levy. His prelim mark of 399.70 was higher than any diver over the weekend, but his final mark of 352.95 placed him just behind Redmond’s Phillip Klassen.

Behind senior Ethan Hallowell’s two All-American consideration times, Eastside Catholic placed seventh Saturday at the 3A Sea-King district meet.

The Crusaders earned 83 team points. Mercer Island won the district title with 290.5 points with Lakeside second at 258.5.

Hallowell swam to district titles with record times in the 200 freestyle (1:39.28) and 100 freestyle (44.73). His mark in the 200 freestyle broke an 11-year-old district record by 2 seconds and his mark in the 100 freestyle broke an 8-year-old record by .59 seconds.

Joe Mahan also qualified for the state meet in the 200 and 100 freestyles along with the 200 medley and freestyle relay teams. Braden Wolgamott and Matt Leist joint Mahan and Hallowell on the relay teams.