Preliminary scores for the 3A girls swim and dive state meet showed Mercer Island needed to make up a 60-point differential if the team hoped to contend for the state championship.

The Islanders aimed to narrow that gap as much as they could to put themselves in a position to come out on top. Though they managed to do so, the depth of the reigning champs proved too much to overcome.

For the second-straight year, Mercer Island was runner-up to Lakeside at the 3A girls swim and dive championships Saturday at King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Lakeside won with a team score of 297 to the Islanders’ 266. Bainbridge placed third at 264.5.

It was an impressive showing for the Islanders, though Mercer Island coach Chris Conroy admitted his team had set their sights a little higher.

“Our goal was to win the meet,” he said. “We gave it a really good run. We came really close and did pretty much everything in our power, and it wasn’t quite enough today. But overall, I’m really pleased.”

Mercer Island needed a late push to reach the runner-up spot. Heading into the meet’s final 400 relay event, overall scores showed the Islanders were third behind Bainbridge and Lakeside.

The 400 relay team of Maeve Murdoch, Sammie Edwards, Alex Williams and Ellie Williams placed second with a time of 3:34.65, which was one second behind Lakeside’s team, and half of a second ahead of third-place Garfield. It was the eighth-best 400 relay time ever registered at the state meet, and enough to secure a second-place trophy.

Lakeside claimed victories in two of the three relay events. The Lions set a 3A state meet record in the 200 free relay with a winning time of 1:35.23. Mercer Island’s team of Edwards, Alex Williams, Murdoch and Sabrina Kwan placed second at 1:37.85.

The team of Kwan, Mari Nielsen, Esther Choe and Ellie Williams placed third in the 200 free relay at 1:50.16 to open the meet. Bainbridge won with a record-setting time of 1:46.72.

Kwan was a state-title winner for Mercer Island in the 100 fly, the third 100 fly state crown of her high school career, finishing with a winning time of 56.44. The Mercer Island senior also placed fifth in the 50 free.

“I was just hoping to swim fast and maybe get some [personal] best times,” she said in her final high school appearance.

Murdoch also had a big night for Mercer Island, placing third in the 200 free (1:54.06) and fifth in the 100 free (53.07). Audrey Hixon was third in the 100 back (58.94), Ellie Williams was sixth in the 500 free (5:13.45), and Edwards placed seventh in both the 200 free (1:56.44) and 100 free (54.62). Hadley Michaels was seventh in the diving event and Choe placed eighth in the 100 fly (59.03).

Conroy noted Murdoch’s 100 free and 200 free times were personal bests, as was Hixon’s effort in the 100 back.

“We left it all in the pool,” he said. “All three of our relays stepped up quite a bit and swam exceptionally well.”

Seattle Prep’s Cameron Smith and Garfield’s Jocelyn Crawford each won two events. Smith won the 200 free (1:52.11) and 500 free (4:58.64). Crawford won state titles in the 50 free (23.41) and 100 back (56.37).

MI All-KingCo selections

Mercer Island had several swimmers earn all-league honors this season. Sammie Edwards, Sabrina Kwan, Audrey Hixon and Maeve Murdoch were named to the All-KingCo first team.

Esther Choe, Tess Ritcey, Alex Williams and Ellie Williams were named to the second team, and Hadley Michaels earned honorable mention.

Kwan, Julie Baker, Jacque Li and Leann Tse were named KingCo scholar athletes for maintaining a 3.75 GPA.